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07/23/2017 12:00 AMThe 2017 spring season was a memorable one for the Yellowjackets’ baseball squad, which accomplished three of the four goals that it established at the beginning of the year. The Easties clinched a share of the SCC Quinnipiac Division title, qualified for the SCC and Class L State tournaments, and also earned a home game in both brackets.
Although his team was unable to bring home a tournament title, Head Coach Butch Johnson was pleased with what the Yellowjackets achieved this spring, especially the fact that his club claimed the crown in the realigned Quinnipiac Division after having finished placed in the Oronoque a few times in recent seasons. Overall, East Haven finished with a record of 13-10 on the year.
“It meant a lot. We had years in the past where we were 6-2, and the division winner was 7-1,” Coach Johnson said. “This year, we kept ourselves in contention and wound up winning it, which was big.”
One of the biggest reasons behind the Yellowjackets’ success was the exceptional performance of their pitchers. With seniors Nick Guarino, Nick Kraszewski, and Vin Camera forming a formidable rotation, Coach Johnson didn’t have to dig too deep to find other arms that often.
“We had Nate Furino and Ryan Spano in the wings, but we didn’t need to use them all that much. Our big three kept us in just about every game. That was a good thing,” Johnson said. “We knew we’d be in every game, and we were, other than [an 11-0 loss to Amity in the SCC semifinals]. It was fun. We lost some tough ones, and we won some tough ones, so it all balanced out. It was just fun to be in every game.”
After posting a 14-0 blowout over Wilbur Cross to start the season, East Haven went through a rough patch with three straight losses to Notre Dame-West Haven, Fairfield Ludlowe, and Hamden, with two of those defeats coming in walk-off fashion. However, the Easties rebounded nicely by winning nine of their next 11 games.
“It was tough, because we all had visions of a 14- or 15-win regular season. When we lost those tough ones, we said we have to get back on track. Getting left on the field twice, you’re in games, but you’re not winning. We had to overcome that and learn how to win those games instead of lose them,” Coach Johnson said. “Once we did, everything settled down, and we played the rest of the season knowing we could win at any time. It’s always positive knowing you’re in a position to win.”
The Yellowjackets’ bats came alive during that string of victories, and it wasn’t just one or two guys. Coach Johnson said that everyone in his lineup was producing at the plate as his team got hot.
“We had a streak where everybody was hitting. That’s when we went on our run. Going down the order, Mark Smith had a big year hitting in the low .300s, Ryan Spano hit .397 to lead our team and was our most consistent player the whole year. If he didn’t get a hit, he’d hit the ball hard,” Johnson said. “Our middle guys, Sam Loda and Nick Kraszewski, both hit well over .300 with a lot of big hits and some home runs from each. They did the damage in the middle. Then we had Tyler Leone and Jack Zimmerman both contribute from the [designated hitter’s position], Jake Ferrara hit over .300, and Frank Camera and Tristan Punzo found ways to get on. Even our guys off the bench did a pretty good job when called upon to get a hit or run the bases. It was a very productive season.”
East Haven’s recorded one of its biggest wins against eventual Class L runner-up North Haven in the quarterfinals of the SCC Tournament. The Easties won the game 7-6 when Kraszewski blasted a walk-off home run. Kraszewski batted .370 with two homers, 20 runs scored, and 21 RBI to go with a 5-2 record and a 1.36 earned-run average on the season. He was an All-Quinnipiac and New Haven Register All-Area selection, in addition to winning East Haven’s Most Valuable Player Award. Spano and Loda also made All-Quinnipiac for the Yellowjackets. Ferrara received the team’s Coaches Award, while Zimmerman and Leone were co-recipients of the Sportsmanship Award.
One of the most touching moments of East Haven’s season came before its game against Hamden on April 27, when a new scoreboard was unveiled at the Yellowjackets’ home field in honor of former team captain Michael “Diesel” DeAngelo, who passed away last year. The scoreboard was donated by his father, John DeAngelo.
“We all still have a special place in our hearts for Diesel. His family always supports all of East Haven sports. His mom and dad were always there and just want to keep his spirit alive. It was very touching,” Coach Johnson said. “We were honored they did that for our program, and we wanted to do our best to remember him with a ceremony. It was a very special moment.”
• East Haven’s senior captains for the 2017 season were Sam Loda, Nick Guarino, and Nick Kraszewski.
• The Yellowjackets’ regular season wins came against Wilbur Cross (14-0 and 8-3), Law (8-1 and 11-2), Foran (10-6), Xavier (12-1 and 5-1), Branford (7-0), Hamden (3-1), Hand (5-4), North Haven (7-1), and Coginchaug (4-1).
• The Easties also took defeats in the regular season against Notre Dame-West Haven (5-4 and 2-1), Fairfield Ludlowe (6-2), Hamden (3-2), North Haven (8-2), Foran (1-0), Branford (5-3), and Hand (10-6).
• In the SCC Tournament, East Haven defeated North Haven by a 7-6 score before taking an 11-0 loss to Amity. The Yellowjackets later lost a 5-2 decision against Berlin in the first round of the Class L State Tournament.