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07/29/2018 12:00 AMJunior Legion Baseball
The North Haven Junior American Legion baseball squad recorded a pair of victories in the State Tournament last week, including one in an elimination game, before seeing its season end with a 5-3 defeat versus Stamford on July 29. Post 76 finished the year with an overall record of 19-16.
North Haven opened up the double-elimination Regional portion of states by earning a 6-0 shutout over Greenwich Blue. Post 76 then took an 8-1 defeat against Stamford and thus had to play Greenwich Blue again with its season on the line. Head Coach Pete Katynski’s squad stayed alive by claiming a 4-1 win to set up a rematch against Stamford, which eliminated Post 76 with a 5-3 victory.
North Haven’s State Tournament opener took place on July 23 at DeMayo Ballfield, where Post 76 notched a 6-0 win versus Greenwich Blue. Ryan Sullivan pitched six scoreless innings to get the victory for North Haven, allowing just two hits and two walks. Dan Meyers threw a scoreless seventh to solidify the victory.
North Haven plated single runs in the second, third, and fourth innings to take a 3-0 lead. Post 76 later scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth to make it a 6-0 game. In the second, Anthony Cretella singled, moved up on singles by Sullivan and Owen Silk, and scored on a wild pitch. In the third, Colby Cusano hit a triple and scored on a base hit from Gianni DiMartino. North Haven scored its run in the fourth inning when Silk drew a walk, moved up on walks by John Gontarek and Jack Persuo, and scored on a wild pitch.
In the sixth inning, Cretella walked and scored on a double by Silk, Sullivan walked and came home on Nick Rossi’s sacrifice fly, and Silk scored on a wild pitch to stake North Haven to a 6-0 command. Silk, Cretella, and Cusano all had two hits and a walk for Post 76, with Cretella and Cusano both scoring a pair of runs. Cretella and Silk both stole a base in the victory, as did DiMartino.
On July 26, North Haven faced Stamford at Cubeta Stadium and lost by the final score of 8-1.
The following day, Post 76 hosted Greenwich Blue for an elimination game and prevailed 4-1 at DeMayo Ballfield. Sullivan picked up another win by pitching 2.1 scoreless innings in which he gave up just one hit and one walk, while striking out five. Anthony Cincola allowed a run over 2.1 innings of relief, and Rossi locked down the save by hanging zeroes in both the sixth and seventh innings.
North Haven scored all four of its runs in the second inning on its way to the win. Sullivan singled and took second on a sacrifice bunt by Rossi, after which Silk drew a walk. Now with two outs, Peruso hit a single to load the bases. Mason Balmer followed by clubbing a three-run double that scored Sullivan, Silk, and Peruso to give Post 76 a 3-0 lead. Cusano then hit a double that brought in Balmer to make it 4-0. Peruso and Rossi also hit doubles in the game for North Haven, while DiMartino drew a pair of walks.
North Haven went on to face Stamford in another game at Cubeta Stadium and was eliminated from the State Tournament with a 5-3 defeat. Post 76 led 3-2 entering the bottom of the sixth inning, when Stamford went ahead by scoring three runs. Cincola threw two scoreless innings of relief for North Haven, which was bolstered by an RBI double from Cretella and an RBI single from DiMartino. Balmer, Cusano, and Jaden Luedee scored Post 76’s runs in the loss, with Cusano also drawing a pair of walks.
Previously, North Haven finished with a record of 17-4 in the Zone 2 standings during the regular season, placing second in the zone behind Hamden.
Prep Legion Baseball
The North Haven Prep Legion baseball team kicked off the State Tournament by dropping a decision to Ridgefield, after which Post 76 kept its season going by earning a victory versus Glastonbury and another against Branford last week.
Post 76 started the State Tournament with a game at Ridgefield in the Regional part of the bracket on July 26. North Haven lost 5-4 to put itself in an elimination game for its next contest. Post 76 then hosted Glastonbury on July 28 and prevailed 5-3 at DeMayo Ballfield. North Haven took on Branford in another elimination game the next day and won a 10-4 decision on the road to stay alive in the tourney and improve to 12-11 overall on the year.
During the regular season, North Haven posted a record of 10-10 in Zone A play to finish in fourth place in the zone standings.