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07/07/2018 12:00 AMJunior Legion Baseball
The East Haven Junior American Legion baseball team swept a three-game series against Zone 2 opponent Stratford, after which the 89ers took an extra-inning defeat versus Hamden in last week’s action. East Haven finished off its week by dropping both ends of a doubleheader with fellow Zone 2 squad North Haven to move to 9-4 in the zone this season. The 89ers are in third place in the zone standings, trailing Hamden (14-2) by 3.5 games for the top spot.
East Haven hosted Stratford for a doubleheader on June 30 and swept the set by earning an 11-1 win and a 15-1 victory. In the first game, Gianni Mumford pitched 4.2 innings, allowing just one unearned run and striking out seven to get the win for East Haven. AJ Maggiore retired the last five batters of the game on four groundouts and a strikeout to put the victory in the books.
The 89ers got out to a fast start by scoring six runs in the bottom of the second inning to take a 6-1 lead. Jake Marquardt led off the inning with a single and scored on Giro Esposito’s single. John Crisci, Thomas Sabin, and Maggiore all reached base and scored on timely hits by Mike Streeto and Danny Flores to highlight the six-run frame.
East Haven added two runs in the fourth inning to go up 8-1. Maggiore led off with a single, stole second base, and scored on a single by Mumford. John Ruggiero followed with an RBI double that brought home Mumford for the second run. The 89ers tacked on three more runs in the bottom of the sixth. Mumford doubled and Ruggiero walked to start the inning. Flores then reached base on an overthrow that also scored Mumford. Esposito followed with a double that drove in Ruggiero and Flores to make it 11-1.
For the second game, Marquardt pitched five innings to get the win for the 89ers, giving up just one run on three hits, while striking out seven.
East Haven scored three runs in the first inning and four more in the second to leap out to a 7-1 advantage. In the first, Sabin and Streeto both walked and then scored on an RBI double by Mumford and an RBI single from Maggiore, respectively. In the second inning, Freddie Mascola led off with a hit, followed by walks from Mike O’Connor, Sabin, Streeto, Mumford, and Ruggiero. Flores then grounded out to second base as Ruggiero scored on the play.
The 89ers busted open the game by plating seven runs in the fourth inning. Mumford doubled and scored after Ruggiero, Flores, and Crisci all drew walks. All three of them later raced home on a bases-clearing double by Esposito. Mascola walked, O’Connor walked, and then Mason Wilson worked an eight-pitch at-bat, before reaching base on a fielder’s choice. After that, Streeto, Mumford, and Ruggiero each delivered a run-scoring hit to help East Haven cruise to the 15-1 victory.
The following day, the 89ers posted a 9-2 road win over Stratford to complete the sweep of the series. Maggiore pitched 4.1 shutout innings, allowing two hits and two walks on his way to the victory. Crisci closed the door by fanning three of the five batters he faced. Maggiore and Flores both had three hits, while Esposito added two hits to lead the East Haven offense.
Maggiore and Mumford both reached base on errors in the first inning and later scored on an RBI single from Flores. Maggiore doubled and was stranded in the second. In the third, Flores reached on an error and scored on a triple from Marquardt. Robbie Garcia got aboard in the fourth inning and scored when Maggiore singled. In the fifth inning, Ruggiero walked, Flores singled, and both scored when Esposito hit a two-run double.
East Haven scored four more runs in the sixth inning. Maggiore led off with a single, Streeto reached on an error, and then Wilson reached on a fielder’s choice to get it started. All three came home to score on RBI singles by Flores, O’Connor, and Esposito, respectively.
Then on June 3, East Haven was on the road to face Hamden lost a 9-8 decision when Hamden scored the winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning.
Four days later, the 89ers hit the road again when they traveled to North Haven for a Zone 2 doubleheader. East Haven lost the first game by a 9-2 final and then took a 7-5 defeat in the nightcap against Post 76.
Senior Legion Baseball
The East Haven Senior American Legion baseball squad took a few defeats in last week’s action, although the 89ers finished off their week on a positive note by posting a 5-2 home win over West Haven on July 7. East Haven now has a record of 4-9 in Zone 2 play this summer.
On June 30, the 89ers lost both ends of a doubleheader in Stratford by taking a 3-2 defeat and dropping a 6-0 decision. The following day, East Haven had a home game versus Stratford and took a 9-5 loss versus its Zone 2 opponent.
The very next day, the 89ers hosted Branford and lost a 12-2 contest at East Haven High School. Following a five-day break, East Haven was back on the field for a home game versus West Haven on July 7. The 89ers earned a 5-2 victory to pick up their fourth win in Zone 2 play on the year. The team’s first three zone wins had come against New Haven via forfeit.