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06/11/2017 12:00 AMThe North Branford softball squad made a great run through Class M State Tournament by winning four games to earn the program’s first state final berth since 1975. Unfortunately for the Thunderbirds, they ran into a Seymour team that’s been one of the best in Class M for years, and the Wildcats reinforced that notion by edging North Branford 4-3 at West Haven High School on June 10.
With the game knotted 3-3 in the bottom of the sixth inning, Seymour’s Rebecca Findley dropped down a perfect squeeze bunt, and Rebecca Johnson came flying down the third-base line, sliding home uncontested for the game-winning run. Johnson earned tournament Most Valuable Player honors after going 4-for-4 with three stolen bases in the game.
“She’s one of the best players in the state. In practice, it’s very hard to simulate what she does. You can play in on her, and she’ll put the ball in no-man’s land. When you back up, she can bunt or will slap it,” North Branford Head Coach Nick DeLizio said. “She’s one of the best players that I’ve seen play. When we faced them a few years ago in the quarterfinal, she did the same thing. It’s tough. You don’t want to let her get on base, and you don’t want her to beat you, but she was an impact player for them today.”
Seventh-seeded North Branford, which had recently won its third straight Shoreline Conference Tournament title, finished the season with an overall record of 22-6. Seymour, the No. 4 seed, went 23-2 to clinch its third Class M title in the past four years and its 11th overall. One of the storylines heading into the final was the difference between the programs’ history. Seymour was making its 18th appearance in a state final, while North Branford had only played in one way back in 1975. Despite the defeat, Coach DeLizio knows how important it was for the program to reach its first state championship game in 42 years.
“This is huge for a program like this. Being from a small town, we’re always trying to take the next step,” DeLizio said. “Obviously, Seymour has a good foundation from what they’ve done throughout the years. They have a historic program with a lot of success. To be in the moment like this, I told our girls to soak it all in. You made it to the final game, so leave it all out on the field.”
The T-Birds did anything but shy away from the moment. They came out guns blazing and took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when senior captain Emily Muzyka blasted a 2-2 pitch over the center field wall for a solo home run. Muzyka finished with two of North Branford’s five hits on the day.
“We say act like you’ve been there, even though we haven’t. [Muzyka] leading off with that home run was awesome. It shows the maturity on her and how bad she wants it,” DeLizio said. “It was a big home run for the team and the program. It was probably the first home run for North Branford in a state championship.”
Following Muzyka’s homer, junior southpaw Sydney Senerchia took the hill for the T-Birds and gave up a run in the bottom of the first. Johnson led off with a bunt single, stole second, and scored on a double by Shari Minalga. Seymour took a 2-1 in the third inning when Victoria Kellogg doubled in Findley.
North Branford answered back with two runs in the fourth to retake the lead. Junior captain Olivia Hemstock led off by hitting a grounder that Seymour pitcher Jenna Geffert threw away, resulting in Hemstock reaching base. She then scored the tying run when Senerchia ripped the ball just fair down the right-field line for a double. After Senerchia moved to third on a single by freshman Katy Pederson, freshman catcher Kayla Despres drove her home with a double for a 3-2 T-Birds’ lead. That chased Geffert from the game as Seymour went to Molly Adamo for relief.
Seymour tied the score in the fifth inning. Kellogg led off with a double and was bunted over to third, after which Adamo drove her home on a single. Seymour later scored on the squeeze in the sixth for the 4-3 victory. Adamo allowed just one hit in 3.2 innings to earn the win. Senerchia gave up four runs on 10 hits with five strikeouts, while working out of several jams.
“These last three games from Griswold through today, she’s shown mental toughness,” DeLizio said of the southpaw. “When our backs are against the wall, it’s about persevering, going through it, getting after it, and finding a way to get it down. She trusts the process.”
When all was said and done, North Branford put together the latest—and actually, the greatest—in its recent string of solid seasons, making DeLizio one proud skipper.
“You can’t ask for more as a coach. They played their hearts out, and we played a tight game. It could’ve gone either way. The end result wasn’t what we wanted, but I’m still proud of them for playing the 28-game season, and the Shoreline three-peat. You can’t take that away from them, and I’m very proud of them,” DeLizio said. “For them to be playing up on a stage like this is huge. To see the community come together, everywhere I walked into, they’d say, ‘Good luck.’ It’s great to see that kind of support. We’re a tight-knit bunch in North Branford. To play with everybody, friends and family here, it’s an awesome experience for the girls to be a part of.”
To get to the Class M final, North Branford defeated No. 3 Northwestern Regional 7-1 in the semifinal round at DeLuca Field in Stratford on June 7. Senerchia dazzled the crowd by allowing a run on three hits to go with eight strikeouts. She also crushed grand slam in the third inning and finished the game with four hits. Muzyka, Despres, and sophomore Brianna Raccio added two hits apiece for the T-Birds.
From the Sidelines
North Branford’s Class M State Tournament roster consists of senior captain Emily Muzyka, fellow seniors Jazzmine Gargano and Julia Haeckel; junior captain Olivia Hemstock, fellow juniors Danielle Ramada, Sydney Senerchia, and Marisa Ferraiolo; sophomores Amy Raucci, Angelina Ramada, Ashley Anderson, Kaylee Velez, Samantha DeAngelo, and Brianna Raccio; and freshmen Ava Galdenzi, Mairead Aiken, Julia Ricardo, Emily Cole, Katy Pederson, Rachel Vitarisi, and Kayla Despres. Head Coach Nick DeLizio is assisted by Jon Rapport and Sarah Bevins.
North Branford went 15-5 overall during the regular season with a 14-2 record in Shoreline Conference action to place second. The Thunderbirds recorded victories versus Old Saybrook (12-0), Westbrook (23-0), Sheehan (1-0), East Hampton (7-0), Coginchaug (16-1 and 9-2), Portland (22-0), Cromwell (15-1 and 12-0), Morgan (11-3 and 8-1), Haddam-Killingworth (9-3), Valley (5-0 and 7-3), and Old Lyme (11-3). They took losses against East Haven (7-6 and 3-1), Hale-Ray (4-2), Haddam-Killingworth (3-1), and Berlin (6-4).
The Thunderbirds were also victorious in the Shoreline Conference Tournament for the third straight season. In the quarterfinal, North Branford defeated Old Saybrook 16-0. In the semifinal round, the T-Birds topped Haddam-Killingworth 2-1. To clinch the title, they beat top-seeded Hale-Ray 10-5.
In the Class M State Tournament, the Thunderbirds defeated Montville (9-1), Haddam-Killingworth (11-0), and Griswold (6-4) before facing Northwestern and Seymour.