This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
06/27/2016 12:00 AMJunior American Legion Baseball
The Branford Junior Legion baseball team lost four of its six games last week to stand at 5-7 in Zone 2 play this season. Post 83 is currently in sixth place out of seven teams and five games back of first-place Milford in the zone.
Branford started play on June 20 and lost 9-8 to New Haven. New Haven scored seven runs in the first inning, but pitcher Jake Judd held them to just two runs the rest of the way, allowing four hits and striking out a pair. Post 83 played its hearts out in a comeback effort, but the game ended with the potential game-tying run being tagged out at the plate in the seventh inning on a perfect throw from the New Haven left fielder. Colin Baxter had a hit and two RBI, DJ Caron had two hits and scored a run, and Dan Lear recorded three hits and scored once for Branford.
Post 83 bounced back with a 12-2 home victory over New Haven on June 21. Matt Judd earned the victory on the mound as he struck out three batters and allowed seven hits. Offensively, Nick Mancini and Anthony Burzynski each had three hits and scored four times, Baxter had two hits and scored a run, Lear had two hits and three RBI; and James Wallace had three hits, two RBI, and a run scored.
On June 23, Branford started a two-game series with North Haven and split the pair. Post 83 won the first game 6-4. Lear earned the victory on the hill in a 70-pitch performance, giving up five hits and striking out two. Mancini and Lear both had two hits, a run, and an RBI, plus Wallace had a pair of doubles and drove in two runs.
On June 25, North Haven defeated Branford 14-1. Jake Judd took the loss on the mound for Post 83, whose offense was held to one hit, while the defense committed four errors.
On June 26, Branford lost both games of a doubleheader to Orange with final scores of 6-0 and 9-3. In the first game, Eddie Zanor took the loss on the mound and Branford’s offense had just four hits. In the second game, Matt Judd allowed 10 hits as the defense made five errors. Zanor and Lear both had two hits for Branford.
Prep American Legion Baseball
Branford split a pair of Central Division games against Plainville last week by dropping the opener at home, 11-3, on June 22 and prevailing on the road, 6-5, the following day. Post 83 then dropped both ends of a doubleheader with Middletown on June 25 by finals of 6-3 and 10-7. Those two defeats put Branford at 3-5 in divisional play and 5-7 overall.
Brett Fee took the loss for Post 83 in the first Plainville game. In the second game, Tyler Sibley pitched six innings for the win and Jack Van Gelder worked the seventh to get the save. On offense, Jordan Botte doubled twice, Matt Daley hit a double, Sean Lucibello had three hits, and Fee drove home the go-ahead run with an infield single in the sixth inning.
In the Middletown doubleheader, Justin Botte pitched five strong innings in the first game and Fee tossed six solid frames in the nightcap. Gio Parillo collected four hits between the two games for Post 83.
Sports Editor Chris Piccirillo contributed to this story