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08/01/2015 12:00 AMThe Shoreline Junior Legion baseball team went through a lot this summer. Through the course of any season, both highs and lows are bound to surface, especially when there’s unfamiliarity between the coach and players. That was the case for the first year co-op Junior Bulldogs and Head Coach Dennis Annicelli, who didn’t get to practice with his team before its first game and only knew a handful of players from previous encounters. As a result, Shoreline got out to a slow start by losing its initial two contests, although the Bulldogs bounced back by winning their next two to draw even on the season. The rest of Shoreline’s campaign saw its share of ups and downs, including an astounding total of 10 one-run decisions of which the club won four. When all was said and done, the Bulldogs finished the year with a record of 8-20 in Zone 3 play and posted four victories in the final week of the season.
There were plenty of bright spots for Shoreline from the season, one of the biggest being when Haddam-Killingworth student Luke Bauer threw a perfect game while striking out nine versus Guilford on June 10. In a season that began with some uncertainty, Bauer delivered one of the campaign’s shining moments with a spectacular performance that gave the Bulldogs confidence they could compete with any team they faced, which helped them bounce back after some tough losses later on. In addition to his perfect game, Bauer also batted .362 and stole 12 bases on the year.
Coach Annicelli was unaware Bauer had a perfect game working until the fourth inning and, similar to how that same situation unfolds in the Major Leagues, he didn’t want to risk jinxing his young pitcher by talking to him.
“The kid dominated the whole game,” Annicelli said. “I didn’t know he was having a perfect game until one of the players told me.”
Another Bulldog who had his moment in the sun this summer was Justin Popp, who’s also a HK student. Popp played catcher and the infield and earned the nickname “The Beast” from his teammates for his performance against Wallingford in which he threw out three players attempting stolen bases. Popp also proved a pretty solid hitter throughout the season by batting .328 with five home runs.
Fellow Haddam-Killingworth student Zach O’Toole was another versatile player on the diamond for Shoreline. The infielder hit .290 and recorded eight RBI during the summer 2015 campaign.
As the season was getting down to the wire, Shoreline was running short on rested pitchers and so Coach Annicelli had to put his third baseman Brian Schuster on the mound against a solid Wallingford squad for a Saturday doubleheader in what was the Bulldogs’ seventh game of the week. Schuster started slow, so Annicelli pulled aside the Old Saybrook resident and told him he could go one of two ways: have a rough game by letting up some hits or settle down by getting some outs. Fortunately, the latter scenario happened and Schuster pitched Shoreline to a 5-4 victory. The Bulldogs went on to beat Wallingford again the next day (7-5) and then defeated East Haddam twice (4-0 and 3-2) in the final week to end the season on a high note.
“From that game on, we played like the team I thought we’d be,” Coach Annicelli said.
Shoreline Junior Legion ultimately proved a competitive squad in 2015 and, as its returning players gain more experience together, the Bulldogs can hopefully turn their narrow defeats into victories and move upward in the Zone 3 standings next summer. When asked to sum up the recent campaign, Annicelli called it “a positive season and a learning experience.” The coach added that it was fun to see his athletes grow and he knows that they all improved. Annicelli hopes to see continued improvement when many of the Bulldogs take the field together again during fall ball.
“I can’t wait to coach these kids again in the fall,” he said.
From the Sidelines
Shoreline’s eight victories this summer came against Madison (7-4 and 6-5), Guilford (5-0 and 2-1), Wallingford (5-4 and 7-5), plus East Haddam (4-0 and 3-2).
The Bulldogs’ complete roster consisted of Haddam-Killingworth students Kyle Aitken (outfielder), Luke Bauer (pitcher/outfielder), Jaime Bowen (pitcher/outfielder), Curtis Fetteroll (outfielder), Jon Grasso (pitcher/first baseman), Ross Meglin (pitcher/first baseman), Zach O’Toole (first baseman/infielder), and Justin Popp (catcher/infielder); along with Valley Regional’s Nick Mardjekaj (second baseman), Colin Sparaco (pitcher/third baseman), and Mike Martorelli (outfielder/catcher); Old Saybrook’s Sebastiano Gallitto (second basema), Justin Gargano (outfielder), Bryan Schuster (third baseman), and Scott Masse (catcher who attends Xavier); Westbrook’s Greg Wnek (pitcher/third baseman); plus John Winthrop Middle School students Kevin Fasulo (pitcher/first baseman) and Jeffrey Sypher (second baseman/outfielder).