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11/04/2018 12:00 AMThe North Haven 18-U fall baseball team completed the 2018 season by competing in its league’s Playoff Tournament last week. North Haven notched dramatic, one-run victories against Hamden and Newtown in the first two rounds of the tourney, before taking a 3-1 defeat versus Milford in the championship game.
North Haven grabbed a 1-0 lead versus Milford in the first inning of the playoff final. Hunter Garthwait drew a walk, stole second base, and then came home on an error for the game’s first run. North Haven held its one-run edge until the bottom of the fourth inning, when Milford used an RBI single and a two-run single to push three runs across the plate for a 3-1 lead.
Reid Kankel pitched 1.2 scoreless innings of relief, while Ben Sbabo threw one scoreless inning for North Haven. Dave Christoforo had two walks with a single, and John Gontarek hit a double in the loss.
Previously in the tournament, North Haven earned a 2-1 home win over Newtown in the semifinal round on Nov. 1. North Haven trailed 1-0, but then plated a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh inning for the walk-off victory. Jay Ostrowski singled to lead off the bottom of the seventh, after which Colby Cusano hit a single. Gontarek then singled home Ostrowski to make it a 1-1 ballgame. Following an intentional walk to Owen Silk, Mason Balmer hit single that drove in Cusano to give North Haven the 2-1 win.
Christoforo had a pair of singles to aid North Haven’s offense. On the mound, Sbabo got the start and pitched three scoreless innings. Kankel tossed a scoreless inning, Ryan Sullivan allowed one run in three innings of work, and Kevin Vinning picked up the win by pitching one scoreless inning.
One week earlier, North Haven posted an 8-7 home victory against Hamden in the quarterfinals of the tournament on Oct. 25. North Haven also won this game in walk-off fashion by scoring a run in the bottom of the seventh to leave Hamden on the field. North Haven held a 7-3 lead, before Hamden scored four runs in the top of the sixth to tie it. In the bottom of the seventh, Balmer hit a one-out single and then Sullivan drew a walk. Garthwait followed by hitting a single that loaded the bases. Up came Cole Zalegowski, who hit a single that brought in Balmer with the winning run.
Balmer went 3-for-3 with three runs scored, while Garthwait was 2-for-3 with a double, a walk, a run, and three RBI in the victory. Christoforo had a single with two RBI, Danny Cannavaciolo had a single to go with a walk, a run scored, an RBI, and a stolen base; and Mike Anquillare drew two walks and scored a run for North Haven.