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07/24/2016 12:00 AMThe East Haven Senior American Legion baseball team saw sizable improvement this summer as the 89ers went from winning nine games last season to recording 14 victories with a State Tournament appearance in the 2016 campaign. East Haven sealed its state tourney berth by winning two of its three games against Milford in its final series to finish in fifth place in Zone 2 with a record of 14-13. Although his team was then eliminated by taking a 2-1 loss to Greenwich in the first round of states, first-year Head Coach John Longley felt that it was a successful season for the young 89ers.
“When we first started, I knew I had a younger team. We only had two 19-year-olds, two 18-year-olds, and a bunch of 17- and 16-year-olds. I was excited, but East Haven [High School] had a deep run in states and Notre Dame won it, so we didn’t have a lot of practice time together,” Coach Longley said. “After talking to the kids [before the season], we made a goal to make the playoffs. It was a tough league and, after a slow start, we knew what to do down the stretch and got the fifth spot to make the playoffs.”
After starting the year at 2-1, East Haven faced a crucial early stretch against eventual Zone 2 champion Stratford and defending zone champ Branford. The 89ers lost their first two games to Stratford, but then bounced back to take the third game of the set by a 5-4 final. Coach Longley felt that victory was a pivotal one for his club.
“That was a big win for us because we gave them their first loss of the year and I think the younger guys started to believe we could play at this level,” he said.
The 89ers then endured a three-game sweep at hands of Branford and so their postseason prospects looked a little dicey with a zone record of 3-6. However, East Haven went on to take two of three from New Haven and swept three from North Haven to get back in the playoff chase.
“We had to win against North Haven. We picked up our play, swept them, and that turned around our season,” said Longley. “The guys meshed together and the older players weren’t looking at the young guys as being kids anymore. They just saw them as ballplayers. Our defense got better and we hit better from that point on and made a run to the playoffs.”
One of East Haven’s stalwarts on offense was catcher Tyler Leone, who led the squad with a .429 batting average to go with 21 RBI, 12 runs scored, five doubles, and two triples. Center fielder Dom Delbasso hit .346, knocked in 10 runs, scored seven runs, and had two doubles. Gabe Longley finished the summer with an average of .340, had 10 RBI, scored eight runs, and added two doubles with one triple, while playing first base, the outfield, and also pitching. In left field, Albert Maio posted a .302 average with 10 RBI, 12 runs, and two doubles. Frank Longley drove in 11 runs and had 11 walks, plus second baseman Tristan Punzo finished with 16 walks and 13 runs scored.
“Tyler Leone carried us on offense. He had a ton of big hits and I couldn’t ask for more. He had a great season offensively and defensively,” Coach Longley said. “Dom and Gabe were two of our younger guys who came up big and played really well, which was a big part of our success this year. Albert put the bat on the ball, rarely struck out, and caused a lot of trouble on the base paths for us.”
One of the biggest reasons for the 89ers’ turnaround season was the team’s solid defense, which was led by Punzo at second base, along with Nick Carbone at shortstop, Jake Ferrara at third, and Tyler Spano in right field.
“Tyler gives it everything he’s got on the field. He’s one of those gritty players you have to have on your team,” Longley said. “Jake, Nick, and Tristan all did really well in the field for us and made some terrific defense plays.”
On the mound, the 89ers were bolstered by Dan Petr, who was a pitcher for the Yellowjackets and recently completed his freshman season at Lasell College in Massachusetts. Peter won three games and posted an approximate earned-run average of 3.00 for East Haven this summer. Notre Dame-West Haven student Mike Mancuso notched four victories and had an ERA of 2.50. Frank Longley and Gabe Longley each won one game on the hill for East Haven, while Ferrara won two.
“Dan and Mike were our main starters—our one, two—and I could have used them in either position. They were both outstanding for us and we always felt we had a chance to win with them on the mound,” Longley said. “Dan carried the load for us and Mancuso was outstanding. The team was always confident when they pitched and they took a lot of pressure off the rest of the guys.”
Overall, Coach Longley feels satisfied about what his team achieved this year and, with more experienced players slated to return in 2017, he’s eager to see what next summer will bring.
“Everybody stepped up and learned a lot. We gained a ton of experience and I’m excited for next season,” Longley said. “We are only losing a couple of guys, so we have a few pieces to put together and should be competitive next year.”
Longley also extends thanks to thank his assistant coaches Mike Carbone and Chuck Hinckley for their help in the dugout and on the diamond throughout the recent season.
“They always helped out. They were great in practice, gave great advice in the games, and it was crucial to have them to bounce ideas off of,” Longley said. “They gave a lot of input and we worked really well together.”
From the Sidelines
The roster for the 2016 East Haven Senior American Legion baseball team consisted of Anthony Buffone, Sal Buffone, Mike Carbone, Nick Carbone, Dom Delbasso, Luke Delguidice, Jake Ferrara, Tyler Leone, Frank Longley, Gabe Longley, Andrew Luzzi, Albert Maio, Mike Mancuso, Dan Petr, Tristan Punzo, Tyler Spano, Matt Wynne, and Jack Zimmerman.