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Post 76 Juniors Grab Four Wins in Packed Week

The North Haven Junior American Legion baseball team sports a record of 7-6 in Zone 2 play and is 9-6 overall following last week’s slate of games. Post 76 earned a 6-3 home victory over Wallingford in a non-zone contest on June 19 and then swept a doubleheader against zone foe Orange with scores of 6-4 and 7-3 on June 22. The next day, North Haven took a 6-4 loss at Branford, but bounced beat to rout Post 83 at home by a 14-1 score on June 25. North Haven then dropped a 3-2 decision in New Haven the following afternoon.

Against Wallingford, North Haven trailed 3-2 before scoring a run in the fifth inning and three in the sixth for the 6-3 final. Luca Lawrence started on the mound and threw two scoreless innings, Andrew Laudano earned the win in relief while allowing three runs (1 earned) in three innings, and Jake Bencivengo hurled two scoreless frames for the save. Laudano also had two hits, Matt Iovanne had a hit with a walk and two RBI, CJ DeBridgita had a hit with a run scored and an RBI, Bencivengo and Lawrence each got a hit and scored a run and Bencivengo also drew a walk, and Mike Salzano scored a run and drove home another for North Haven.

In the opener of the Orange doubleheader, Post 76 fell behind 2-0, but stormed back with five runs in the third and led 5-2. Orange scored two in the fourth to make it 5-4 before North Haven added an insurance run in the fifth. Alec Butler gave up two runs, one of which was earned, in four innings to notch the victory. Bencivengo threw the final three frames, allowing two unearned runs, for another save. Bencivengo also doubled, walked, and scored a run; Salzano singled twice and had an RBI; Laudano had a double and two RBI; Lawrence hit a single and an RBI; and Colby Cusano and Justin Shea both produced a single, had a RBI, and scored a run.

For the nightcap, North Haven fell behind again and was trailing 3-0 through three, but came back with a run in the fourth, two in the fifth, and four in the seventh en route to the 7-3 victory. Laudano gave up three runs (1 earned) in three innings, while Bencivengo pitched four scoreless innings to earn the win in relief. Shea had a huge night at the plate by hitting two doubles and a single to go with two runs scored and three RBI. Bencivengo singled twice, scored a run, and drove home a pair. Christian Somma had two hits, DeBridgita had two hits with a run and a RBI, Cusano singled, drew a walk, and scored a run; and Salzano singled, walked, scored a run, and drove in a run for Post 76.

In the first Branford game, North Haven score twice in the second and allowed three in the third. Post 76 took a 4-3 lead by plating a pair in the fifth, but allowed three more in the bottom half and took the 6-4 loss. DeBridgita started and allowed three runs (none earned) in four innings. Lawrence took the loss by giving up the three in the fifth and Tom Myjak pitched a scoreless sixth. Myjak also singled, tripled, walked, scored a run, and had a RBI. Iovanne singled and scored a run, Nick Perillie scored a run and had a RBI, and Shea hit a triple.

In the lopsided win over Branford, Perillie and Shea combined to pitch a one-hitter before the contest was halted after five innings due to the mercy rule. Perillie allowed a hit in four innings for the win and Shea pitched a hitless fifth. Post 76 scored six runs in the first inning and seven in the third en route to the rout. Salzano doubled, scored a run, and had four RBI; Shea singled, doubled, scored a run, and drove home two; Kevin Lucey had two singles with a run and a RBI; Iovanne singled, scored twice, had two RBI, and a stolen base; and Cusano drew three walks, hit a double, scored three runs, and drove home another. Additionally, DeBridgita walked twice and singled with two runs scored; Lawrence singled, walked, and scored twice; Somma had a single with a walk, a run, an a RBI; and Myjak singled, scored a run, and drove in a run to account for North Haven’s offensive outpouring.

Post 76 held a 2-0 lead in the New Haven game, but gave up a run in the bottom of the sixth and two in the seventh to take the loss. Bencivengo allowed one unearned run on one hit in five innings, Laudano took the loss by giving up two runs (1 earned) in 1.1 innings, and Lawrence finished the game and issued a walk for North Haven.

Cusano had two hits with a walk, Myjak had a hit and worked a pair of walks, Lucey doubled, walked, and scored a run; Lawrence singled and had a RBI; DeBridgita walked twice and scored a run, Bencivengo had a RBI, and Matt Iovanne dropped down two sacrifice bunts for Post 76.