The Best of Ryan Daiss

BRISTOL – Shelton’s Ryan Daiss is used to the road ending here. While behind the plate as a catcher, he watched the Gaels lose in the Class LL semifinals two out of the last three seasons. In his senior season, with the ball in his hand on the mound, Daiss had a strong feeling that the season would not end here.

“Daiss told me, ‘coach we’re going to get over the hurdle today,” Shelton coach Scott Gura said.

Gura should take this Daiss to Vegas.

The senior struck out eight in a complete game and had a two-run double to send the No. 4 Gaels to the Class LL title game in a 7-1 victory over No. 8 East Hartford at Muzzy Field on Tuesday. After losing in two of the last three Class LL semifinals, the Gaels finally got that monkey off their back.

However, Gura knows the work is far from over. Shelton lost in the Class LL title game in 1989 and 1990. In 1989, the coach was a player on the team that lost to Simsbury 7-1.

And Gura had a message for his guys.

“I told them to enjoy it,” the coach said. “It’s going to be something that you relive throughout your lives. It’s an accomplishment to get to a state championship game.”

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