This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
05/26/2018 12:00 AMSoftball
The North Branford softball team claimed its fourth straight Shoreline Conference title by earning a 2-1 win over Hale-Ray in the championship game of the Shoreline Conference Tournament at Old Lyme High School on May 27.
T-Birds were down 1-0 entering the fifth inning, but tied the game on an RBI single by Kayla Despres and then took the lead on Jade Miconi's RBI double later in the frame. The rest was left to pitcher Sydney Senerchia, who pitched scoreless innings in the sixth and seventh to give North Branford the Shoreline four-peat. The T-Birds are now 23-0 on the season as they get ready to compete in the Class M State Tournament.
Previously, North Branford won its last two games of the regular season to finish with a perfect record of 20-0 to go with a mark of 16-0 in the Shoreline Conference. The T-Birds then defeated Old Saybrook and Valley Regional in the first two rounds of the Shoreline Tournament to reach the final.
On May 21, the T-Birds defeated Berlin 6-2. Sydney Senerchia struck out 14 batters on her way to her complete-game victory in which she allowed two runs (1 earned) on five hits. Kayla Despres had three hits, plus Katy Pedersen and Amy Raucci had two apiece. Raucci clobbered a home run and drove in two runs. Jada Miconi, Danielle Ramada, Despres, and Senerchia all had one RBI for North Branford.
To conclude its regular season, North Branford earned a 2-0 win over Valley on May 23. Senerchia struck out 10 and allowed just three hits. Raucci and Olivia Hemstock scored the T-Birds' two runs, and Pedersen drove home a run.
Girls’ Lacrosse
The North Branford girls' lacrosse team captured the Shoreline Conference title by notching a 10-7 victory versus Old Lyme in the championship game of the Shoreline Tournament at Indian River Complex in Clinton on May 24. The Thunderbirds are 16-2 overall on the season.
Jessie Kilburn scored four goals, Emmy Norton had three goals and two assists, and Ali Barrett had two goals with an assist for the T-Birds, who saw Carly Sorrentino come up with 11 saves in net in a rematch of last year's conference final won by Old Lyme.
The top-ranked T-Birds had advanced to the Shoreline final by notching a 15-4 victory over Valley Regional in the semis on May 22. North Branford built an early lead and coasted to the victory. Emilie Wilkinson, Jessie Kilburn, and Ali Barrett all scored three goals in the win. Emmy Norton and Mackenzie MacGowan both had two goals, while Mary Kate Torgerson and Cayleen Defaranos each scored once. Norton finished with five assists for the Thunderbirds, who saw Carly Sorrentino record nine saves in goal.
Also last week, it was announced that North Branford Head Coach Lori Connelly was named the Shoreline Conference Girls’ Lacrosse Coach of the Year. In addition, Kilburn, a junior, was selected as the Shoreline Conference Player of the Year. Kilburn, Wilkinson, Emmy Norton, and Jasmine Coleman made the All-Shoreline First Team, while Melanie Norton and McGowan garnered Second Team honors.
North Branford opens play in the Class S State Tournament this week.
Boys’ Lacrosse
North Branford took on Old Lyme in a Shoreline Conference Tournament semifinal game on May 22 and dropped a 12-8 decision.
T-Birds’ goalie Xavior Cognata did what he could to keep the game close by making 27 saves in goal, but Old Lyme’s offensive attack proved too much for North Branford (8-9). Tyler Dinapoli, Peter Ablondi-Taylor, Alex Clinton, and Dylan Martinik scored two goals apiece for North Branford. Dinapoli had three assists, and Ablondi-Taylor finished with two.
The Thunderbirds are playing in the Class S State Tournament this week.
Baseball
The T-Birds pulled off a 1-0 upset against Haddam-Killingworth in the Shoreline Conference Tournament quarterfinals on May 23. Later that night, North Branford faced North Haven in its regular-season finale and took a 7-0 defeat.
Jeff Jablonski tossed a four-hit shutout to lead North Branford to its 1-0 win against H-K. He also doubled in the T-Birds’ only run of the game in the third inning. Nick Mancini and John Pollick also had hits for North Branford, which made no errors and was bolstered by great defensive plays from Steve Galluba, Mancini, Connor Pollick, and Jayden Cannelli.
North Branford (9-12) faced Cromwell in the Shoreline semis and, with a win, would have played the winner of Coginchaug and Valley Regional for the conference title earlier this week. T-Birds open play in the Class S State Tournament this week.
Golf
The Thunderbirds won both of their matches last week and improved to 5-11 this year.
On May 21, the T-Birds hosted East Hampton at Indian Springs and won 181-220. Paul Zumbo earned medalist honors as he finished with a score of 40. John Lovelace shot a 44, Zack Smola ended with a 46, and Jake Neubig finished at 51.
North Branford then defeated East Haven 177-194 at Alling Memorial Golf Club on May 23. Zumbo collected medalist honors once again as he shot a 41. Neubig finished with a 43, Dave Murgo shot a 46, and Lovelace ended with an 47.
Girls’ Tennis
The Thunderbirds split their final two matches of the year to finish with a record of 9-11.
North Branford played both its matches on May 21, first losing to Old Lyme by a 6-1 count. The T-Birds rebounded with a 6-1 victory against East Hampton/Hale-Ray later in the afternoon.
Boys’ Tennis
North Branford completed the season by taking a pair of recent defeats to finish at 0-11. The T-Birds lost a 7-0 contest against Old Lyme first and then took a 6-1 defeat to East Hampton.
Girls’ Outdoor Track
North Branford’s 4x100 relay of Grace Little, Erika Roof, Mackenzie Glenn, and Jenna Bryden took first place, while also setting a school record, at last week’s Shoreline Conference Championship. Glenn also scored points in three individual events, including a second-place finish in the long jump, to help the Thunderbirds post 34 points and finish in eighth place at Old Saybrook High School on May 23.
The T-Birds’ 4x100 relay sprinted to a school-record time of 51.49 seconds to secure the top spot at the Shoreline meet, edging Old Saybrook (52.33) for the win. Glenn had a huge meet by placing second in the long jump, fourth in the triple jump, and fifth in the 100-meter dash. In the long jump, she leaped 16 feet-5 inches. In the triple jump, Glenn finished with a distance of 33-1.5. She clocked in at 13.13 seconds in the 100. North Branford’s 4x100 relay made the All-Shoreline Conference First Team, and Glenn made the Second Team in the long jump.
Roof placed sixth in the 400 at 1:03.77, while Bryden placed seventh in the 200 by posting a time of 27.97. North Branford’s 4x400 relay of Nadia Bekcer, Roof, Riley Kendall, and Onna Gott finished seventh (4:36.82).
Other performances from the T-Birds came from Lydia Mattson in the 100 hurdles (13th, 18.32) and 300 hurdles (14th, 54.32), Gillian Penna in the 100 hurdles (18th, 18.62) and long jump (13th, 14-6), Little in the 100 (9th, 13.39) and 200 (18th, 28.93), Tatyana Allgood in the 100 (12th, 13.56) and 200 (14th, 28.61), Gott in the 400 (15th, 1:08.12), Becker in the 400 (16th, 1:08.30), Kendall in the 400 (17th, 1:08.55).
Boys’ Outdoor Track
The T-Birds scored seven points and finished in 12th place at last week’s Shoreline Conference Championship.
Michael Rabuffo sprinted to a fourth-place finish in the 400 in a time of 53.02 seconds. The 4x400 relay of Jared Jamieson, Rabuffo, Roberto Didiano, Michael Madoule took seventh at 3:58.69 for North Branford.
North Branford’s other competitors at the meet included Rabuffo in the 100 (21st, 12.16) and 200 (13th, 24.53), Madoule in the 400 (13th, 56.74) and 200 (18th, 25.24), and Jamieson in the javelin (19th, 110-0). In the 4x800 relay, Aaron Biesaw, Alvin Chan, Roberto Didiano, Noah Taylor placed 11th at 10:22.08.