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07/30/2017 12:00 AMThe East Haven Senior American Legion baseball team came into the 2017 campaign with some big-time aspirations. With most of last year’s athletes returning, plus the addition of All-State Yellowjacket Nick Kraszewski, Head Coach John Longley felt that the 89ers had a chance to compete for the Zone 2 title this year. In the end, Longley’s squad wasn’t able to win the zone, although the 89ers did qualify for the State Tournament for the second year in a row and then won their opening contest en route to an overall record of 14-11.
The 89ders completed the regular season with a mark of 13-10 and finished tied for fourth place with Hamden in Zone 2. Fortunately for East Haven, it won the tiebreaker against Post 88 to make its way into states, while everyone on the team breathed a sigh of relief.
“We were fortunate to catch a break to make the playoffs. Emotions were running as we were sitting in the dugout in the rain [on the final day of the regular season] with our game being canceled and thinking the West Haven and Hamden game was canceled, too. [Hamden] would’ve been 13-9, and they’d get in,” Coach Longley said. “It was upsetting for the kids. We sat there for a good half-hour just talking and then, fortunately enough, we got word that West Haven and Hamden resumed their game and made it through five innings to make it an official game, which gave us the Hamden the same record [after it lost to West Haven 2-0]. Thankfully, we had the tiebreaker.”
The 89ers took advantage of their opportunity to compete in the State Tournament by earning a 3-2, 10-inning victory over Guilford when Frank Longley’s sacrifice fly plated Mark Smith with the go-ahead run. In its next game, East Haven was eliminated by dropping a 1-0 contest to Meriden.
“When we got to the playoffs, the kids played at another level for us. Beating Guilford 3-2 in 10 innings, it was a great win, and the kids were very pumped. I’m glad we got that win for them,” said Coach Longley. “We made the playoffs last year and [losing 2-1 to Greenwich] was tough, but this year, it was good that we were on the good side of it. Going onto Meriden, we outplayed them in every aspect of the game, except for the score. I’m proud of the way the kids played. They never quit and just kept playing hard.”
The 89ers featured outstanding pitching at the top of their rotation this year, led by Mike Mancuso and Kraszewski, who both went 5-1; as well as Jake Ferrara, who finished the summer with a record of 3-1. Mancuso pitched eight great innings against Guilford in the State Tournament, after which Kraszewski picked up the win by tossing the last two. Gabe Longley gave East Haven a solid outing on the mound when it lost to Meriden in states, and Frank Longley also provided quality innings for the club.
“I thought our pitching was outstanding. Mike and Nick were great at the top, and then Gabe, Frank, and Jake were solid,” Coach Longley said. “Pitching and defense is everything to me. Once again, we pitched very well and played some outstanding defense.”
From an offensive standpoint, Frank Longley led the 89ers with a .327 batting average, and Kraszewski wasn’t far behind as he hit .317 to go with a pair of home runs. Ferrara hit for a .309 clip, while Tyler Leone batted .297 to help East Haven match last year’s win total and get back into the State Tournament.
“As a team, we hit the ball hard. Overall, I thought we hit the ball better this year,” said Coach Longley. “We made the playoffs and won a playoff game so we completed two of our three goals. I’ll take that. It was a good season.”
From the Sidelines
The East Haven Senior American Legion baseball team’s 2017 roster consisted of Anthony Buffone, Mike Carbone, Dom Delbasso, Jake Ferrara, Robert Garcia, Nick Kraszewski, Tyler Leone, Frank Longley, Gabe Longley, Andrew Luzzi, Mike Mancuso, Tristan Punzo, Mark Smith, Mike Wajdowicz, and Jack Zimmerman.
Head Coach John Longley was assisted by Chuck Hinckley and Mike Carbone, while Lou Ciaramella served as the 89ers’ general manager.
During the regular season, the 89ers posted victories against West Haven (7-2 and 9-2), Branford (5-3, 14-1, and 6-5), New Haven (3-0, 5-4, and 7-1), Stratford (5-2), Hamden (2-1 and 3-1), Orange (4-3), and Milford (6-1).