Printer Friendly Version - Branford Baseball Runs Win Streak to Nine Straight; Tennis Teams Post Multiple Victories

Junior Anthony Burzynski laced the game-winning hit in the bottom of the seventh inning to lift the Branford baseball team to a 7-6, walk-off victory against Hand on May 2. The Hornets also notched wins versus Foran, Guilford, and Career last week and are riding an eight-game win streak with an overall record of 11-4. Photo by Kelley Fryer/The Sound

The Branford baseball team won all four of its games last week to improve its record to 11-4 with an eight-game win streak intact. The Hornets, who have also clinched a berth in the Class L State Tournament, earned wins against Foran, Guilford, Hand, and Career in last week’s contests.

On April 30, Branford defeated Foran by a 7-3 score in a home game. The Hornets scored four runs in the first inning on their way to taming the Lions and qualifying for states. Carson Mendoza pitched 5.2 innings to get the win on the mound, and he also had two hits at the dish, as did fellow seniors Damien Maniscalco, DJ Caron, and Zane Kmietek, plus sophomore Bennett Gentile.

The following afternoon, the Hornets had a game at Guilford and defeated the Indians 5-3.

Branford hosted Hand the next day and rallied for a 7-6 walk-off victory against the Tigers, who entered the game as the No. 3-ranked team in the state. The game was tied 4-4 entering the top of the seventh inning, when Hand scored a pair of runs to take a 6-4 lead. However, Branford rallied for three runs in the bottom half of the seventh, winning the game when Kmietek scored on a hit by junior Anthony Burzynski, who had two hits and two RBI on the day. Senior Alphonse Suppa got the start on the mound for the Hornets, who also saw Caron and fellow seniors Noah Jerolman and Henry Watson pitch in relief. Watson picked up the victory on the mound for Branford.

To finish off the week, the Hornets hosted Career and earned a 10-4 victory over the Panthers. Branford brought a 6-4 lead to the bottom of the sixth inning and then put the game away by scoring four runs. Maniscalco went 4-for-5 with three runs scored and an RBI, Mendoza was 2-for-3 with three RBI, and senior CJ Miller doubled with two runs and two RBI. Watson got the start on the hill and earned another win, after which seniors Matt Judd and Jerolman pitched in relief for Branford.

Branford earned its fourth win of the year by routing Hamden last week, after which the Hornets took three defeats to drop to 3-11 on the spring.

The Hornets started off the week by posting a 20-6 blowout in Hamden on April 30. Two days later, Branford took a 16-4 home loss versus Guilford. The day after that, the Hornets dropped a 12-2 contest on the road against Lyman Hall. In its last game of the week, Branford hosted North Haven and lost by a 15-2 final.

Branford played four matches in as many days last week and came away with three victories to improve to 8-5. The Hornets netted wins versus Career, Law, and Sheehan to go with a loss against Amity. With one more win, Branford will qualify for the Class M State Championship.

Branford started off the week by blanking Career 7-0 in a home match on April 30. Senior Bradley Stutzman prevailed 6-1, 6-1 at No. 1 singles for the Hornets. Junior Praneeth Ganedi won a 6-0, 6-0 decision at No. 2 singles, while seniors Will Benni and Chris DeLise won by that same score at No. 3 and No. 4, respectively. Branford’s top doubles team of senior Charles Hall and sophomore Eli Hanlon claimed a 6-0, 6-0 win; junior Dan Pagliaro and freshman Nick Shoemaker won 6-1, 6-0 at No. 2; while the No. 3 team of junior Paul Riccio and sophomore Jaden Andresen won by default.

Branford was back at it the following afternoon when the team had a match at Law. The Hornets won the match by the score of 7-0

Then on April 3, the Hornets hosted Sheehan and blanked the Titans 7-0. Stutzman (6-0, 6-1), Ganedi (6-0, 6-0), Benni (6-0, 6-0), and DeLise (6-4, 6-2) were victorious in their singles matches. For doubles, Hall and Riccio won 6-0, 6-1 at the No. 1; the No. 2 team of juniors Dan McGuire and Kurt Schalper earned a 6-0, 6-2 win; and the tandem of Pagliaro and senior Shane Dostie won by the score of 6-2, 6-1 in the No. 3 match.

The Hornets won both of their contests last week to improve to 5-5 on the campaign. Branford defeated Law and then earned a win versus Career later in the week.

On May 1, Branford hosted Law and prevailed by the final score of 5-2. Senior Lauren Elmasry earned a 6-3, 6-1 win in the No. 1 singles match for the Hornets. Sophomore Samantha Velardi won a 6-3, 6-2 decision at No. 4 singles. Branford’s No. 1 doubles team of seniors Keeley Lepre and Tori Rudden earned a 6-3, 6-1 victory; the No. 2 duo of Amanda Gage and Shae Lepre won 6-4, 6-1; and the No. 3 team of sophomores Ellie Bartlett and Sarah Berdon won by the score of 6-7 (5-7), 6-2, 7-6 (7-2).

The Hornets was victorious in both of last week’s matchups to pull even with a record of 6-6 on the season. Branford notched home wins over Hamden and Morgan last week and now needs just one more victory to qualify for the Class M State Tournament.

Branford started off last week by earning a 17-7 home win versus Hamden on April 30. The Hornets grabbed a 9-3 halftime advantage on their way to beating the Green Dragons. Junior Rob Lionetti scored six goals in the victory, while sophomore Jack Manware had three goals with three assists. Junior Will Riggs had two goals with two assists, senior Matt Potter scored two goals and had an assist, Mike White netted a pair of goals, fellow senior Marc Funaro handed out two assists, and junior Mike Parker and sophomore Aiden MacNeil both added a goal for the Hornets. Junior Anders Brown and freshman Connor Erickson split time in goal, making four and nine saves, respectively.

The Hornets wrapped up the week with home game against non-conference opponent Morgan and defeated the Huskies by the final score of 16-8. Lionetti scored five goals in the victory, while Potter and White netted three goals apiece. Funaro scored a pair of goals for the Hornets, who also received goals from senior Nick Esposito and sophomore Cam Mills. Manware, Parker, and White all had one assist. Brown started in net and stopped 17 shots for Branford.

Branford played one game last week when the team faced Mercy on the road. Branford notched a 16-5 victory versus the Tigers to improve to 11-1 this year.

The Hornets held a 6-3 halftime advantage against Mercy and then ran away with the win by outscoring the Tigers 10-2 in the second half. Sabrina Torcellini had four goals with one assist, while fellow seniors Sophie Spencer and Haley Maercklein both netted three goals in the victory. Senior LanLe Crotty scored a goal and had an assist, Autumn McHenry scored a pair of goals, fellow senior Erin O’Brien scored a goal, sophomore Isabel Mannle also had a goal, and sophomore Brianna Shaw added an assist. Senior Daly Hynes made six saves in net for the Hornets, who outshot Mercy 29-12.

Branford was on the road for a pair of matches last week and dropped both contests to move to 3-6 on the season.

The Hornets took a 178-196 loss against Amity at The Tradition at Oak Lane Country Club on May 1. Senior Liam Deane shot a 39 to share medalist honors with a golfer from Amity. Also for Branford, Minsok Lee shot a 46, while fellow sophomore Spencer Engstrom and senior EJ Lee both finished with a score of 56.

Two days later, Branford faced Xavier at Portland Golf Club and lost by the score of 149-205. Junior Max Bunton totaled the Hornets’ low score of the day with a 46. EJ Lee (50), Minsok Lee (52), and Engstrom (57) rounded out the scoring column for Branford.

The Hornets took a pair of defeats in a tri-match versus Notre Dame-West Haven and host Xavier on May 1. Branford lost to Notre Dame 101-40 and dropped a 107-43 decision versus Xavier to move to 5-4 on the year.

Junior Marzio Mastroianni took first place in both the 800- (1:58.4) and the 3,200-meter runs (10:21) for the Hornets. Brandon Perez won the high jump by clearing 5 feet-6 inches, while fellow junior Matt Alexander finished first in the long jump with a leap of 20 feet-6 inches.

Justin Dombrowski took third in the pole vault by clearing 10-6, fellow junior GianCarlo Giannini placed third in the discus at 107-9, and freshman Mekhi Barnette came in third place in the triple jump with a distance of 37 feet-1 inch. Junior Aidan Kropiwnicki finished fourth in the javelin (123-4), while senior Chico Greene placed fifth in the 200 at 24.4 seconds for Branford.

Later in the week, Alexander posted a jump of 20 feet-7.5 inches to take first place out of 50 jumpers at the Amity Midnight Invitational. Also during the weekend, Mastroianni won the 1,600 at the Middletown Invitational with a time of 4:17.95 to break Matt Casey's school record of 4:18.52 that was set in 2007.

Branford headed to Xavier High School to square off against Mercy and Sacred Heart Academy in a tri-match on May 1. The Hornets lost to both Mercy (107-41) and Sacred Heart Academy (116-33) to drop to 1-6 on the year.

Bridget Wirtz cleared 11 feet to win the pole vault, while fellow senior Leah Pendl-Robinson finished third in the event at 8 feet-6 inches for the Hornets. Liante Claude won the 200 in 26.6 seconds and was followed by fellow junior MaryBeth Nwagboli (27.3) and senior Kayla Pollard (27.9). The Hornets’ 4x400 relay of Pollard, Nwagboli, sophomore Molly Zaffino, and Claude took first place with a time of 4:32. The 4x100 of junior Lily Milici, Pollard, Nwagboli, and Claude timed in at 52.2 to take second.

Senior Lauren Elmasry earned a 6-3, 6-1 victory at No. 1 singles when the Branford girls’ tennis team defeated Law last week. The Hornets went on to defeat Career and improve to 5-5 for the season. Photo by Kelley Fryer/The Sound

Senior Haley Maercklein scored three goals to help the Hornets’ girls’ lacrosse squad rout Mercy by a 16-5 final and move to 11-1 on the year. Photo by Kelley Fryer/The Sound