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05/12/2019 12:00 AMGirls’ Tennis
The Branford girls’ tennis team qualified for the Class M State Tournament by winning all three of its matches last week. The Hornets also improved to 10-7 on the season by sweeping the week.
On May 6, Branford notched a 4-3 road victory over Lyman Hall at Doolittle Park. Junior Amanda Gage earned a 6-4, 7-5 win in the No. 2 singles match for Branford. Junior Samantha Velardi won a 6-1, 6-3 decision at No. 3 singles, while fellow junior Gianna Benni prevailed 7-5, 6-2 in the No. 4 matchup. In doubles play, the Hornets’ No. 1 duo of sophomores Alayna Boileau and Shae Lepre netted a 6-1, 6-2 victory to help secure the win for Branford.
Three days later, the Hornets traveled to Monroe to face non-conference opponent Masuk and triumphed by a 5-2 final. Freshman Nuala Paudyal earned a 6-1, 6-3 victory in the No. 1 singles match. Velardi won a 6-1, 6-0 decision at No. 2 singles, and Benni prevailed by that same 6-1, 6-0 score at No. 3. Boileau and Lepre notched a 6-0, 6-2 win at No. 1 doubles, while the team of juniors Ellie Bartlett and Sarah Berdon claimed a 6-0, 6-4 win in the No. 3 doubles matchup.
The following afternoon, Branford recorded a 6-1 home win versus Career to seal its spot in states. Velardi earned a 6-0 win at No. 2 singles, freshman Zaide Schlesinger won a 6-2 decision at No. 3 singles, and Benni posted a 6-0 shutout at No. 4. The doubles teams of Boileau and Lepre, plus Bartlett and Berdon both won by 6-0 finals for the Hornets, who also received a victory via default at No. 3 doubles.
Boys’ Tennis
The Hornets moved to 11-5 after winning one of three matches in recent action. Branford, which recently qualified for the Class M State Championship, has two contests left on its regular-season schedule.
Branford dropped a 6-1 home decision versus Guilford on May 6. Senior Paul Riccio claimed a 6-2, 3-6, 10-7 victory in the No. 1 singles match for the Hornets.
The next day, Branford took a 7-0 defeat at Amity. Branford closed out its week by recording a 7-0 home win over West Haven on May 9.
Baseball
Branford won two of its last three games to move to 4-13 heading into the final week of the year. The Hornets won a slugfest at Law and recorded a home victory over Hamden to go with a loss at Fairfield Prep last week.
On May 6, Branford traveled to Milford to face Law in an SCC Hammonasset Division game. The Hornets defeated the Lawmen by the final score of 13-11 to pick up their first in divisional play on the spring. Branford was down 9-3 entering the fifth inning, but rallied for three runs in the fifth and seven more in the sixth to take the lead. Junior Jake Bodner earned the win on the mound, and senior Aidan Ricciardelli finished off the game for the save. Ricciardelli also had three hits for the Hornets, as did sophomore Carter Shannon. Senior Anthony Burzynski clubbed a pair of doubles in the win.
Two days later, Branford lost a 6-1 contest versus Hammonasset opponent Fairfield Prep at Fairfield University. Burzynski had a single with an RBI for the Hornets.
On May 10, the Hornets hosted Hamden and defeated the Green Dragons by the score of 7-5. Branford trailed 5-4 entering the bottom of the sixth inning, when the Hornets plated three runs to take the lead for good. Sophomore Collin McNeil went 3-for-4 with a run and two RBI, while junior Bennett Gentile was 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Ricciardelli picked up the win in relief for Branford.
Softball
Branford boosted its record to 6-12 by claiming victory in two of its three games last week. The Hornets took a loss to East Haven, but came back to get victories versus Sheehan and Hillhouse later in the week. Branford can qualify for the Class L State Tournament by winning its last two games of the regular season.
Branford a 16-2 home loss against East Haven in an SCC Housatonic Division game on May 6. Two days later, the Hornets hosted Housatonic opponent Sheehan and recorded a 14-2 blowout to earn their first divisional victory of the campaign. Freshman Marzia Johnson scattered seven hits in a complete-game performance to earn the win on the mound. Junior Lily Moore-Markey had three hits and scored a pair of runs, while sophomore Kaitlyn Dugan had three hits to go with four RBI.
Branford wrapped up its week by notching a 15-1 road win against Hillhouse on May 10.
Boys’ Lacrosse
One week after clinching a bid in the Class M State Tournament, the Hornets kept the good times rolling by picking up two more victories last week. Branford is sporting a record of 10-4 entering the final week of its regular season.
Branford kicked off the week by recording a 20-2 home victory versus Law on May 6. Senior Rob Lionetti led the scoring charge by posting seven goals with one assist for the Hornets. Junior Jack Manware and sophomore Markus Indeck both scored three goals and had one assist. Senior Max Bunton had one goal with three assists, sophomore Luke Volpe scored a pair of goals, senior Will Riggs had a goal and an assist, and senior Mike Parker, junior Max Manware, and sophomore Julio Tozetto added one goal apiece. Sophomore Josh Gottschalk had two saves in goal, and fellow sophomore Connor Erickson made one save.
Two days later, the Hornets claimed a 16-2 win at West Haven. Jack Manware scored eight goals and handed out four assists for Branford. Lionetti netted six goals and also had six assists in the victory. Bunton and Max Manware each scored one goal, and Volpe added an assist. Freshman goalie Aidan Strebel made eight saves in net.
During the previous week’s action, Branford claimed a 17-1 road win against Cross on May 1. Lionetti (4 goals, 3 assists), Jack Manware (5 goals, 2 assists), Max Manware (1 goal, 3 assists), and Bunton (1 goal, 2 assists) were among the Hornets who led the team to victory. Branford also saw sophomore Jared Yakimoff (2 goals), Tozetto (2 goals), junior Aiden MacNeil (1 goal, 1 assist), senior Anders Brown (1 goal, 1 assist), and Volpe (2 assists) contribute on the score sheet. Erickson (2 saves) and Gottschalk (1 save) shared the netminding duties for Branford.
Girls’ Lacrosse
Branford took three defeats last week and is now 7-8 with one game to go in the regular season. The Hornets have already qualified for the Class M State Tournament.
On May 7, Branford took a 22-9 home loss against Cheshire. Junior Brianna Shaw scored four goals for the Hornets, who also received one goal apiece from senior Grace Paleski, junior Karly King, junior Isabel Mannle, freshman Isla Lionetti, and freshman Julia McHenry.
Two nights later, the Hornets hosted non-conference opponent North Branford and took a 17-5 defeat. Branford finished the week by dropped a 17-12 decision at Barlow in another non-conference game. Shaw posted seven goals, McHenry had two goals with three assists, King scored a pair of goals, Lionetti had a goal and an assist, junior Hailey Brunner added a goal, and sophomore Nicola Colossale had an assist for the Hornets.
Boys’ Outdoor Track
The Hornets completed their regular season by notching a 117-31 victory at West Haven on May 9. Branford posted a record of 9-2 for the regular season and also won the SCC Oronoque Division title by going 4-0 in divisional action.
Senior Marzio Mastroianni finished first in the 400-meter dash by running a time of 54.0 seconds and also won the 800 with a mark of 2:04 for the Hornets. Senior Aidan Kropiwnicki took first place in the 110 hurdles (16.1) and came in first for the javelin with a throw of 131 feet-3 inches. Fellow senior Ricky Tratnyek finished first in the 3,200 (10:06), junior Andrew Betzig won the 1,600 (4:56.6), and sophomore Kamryn Holmes placed first in the 200 (24.4).
Also earning first place for Branford were senior GianCarlo Giannini in the discus (111-8), senior Brandon Perez in the long jump (17-10), senior Hunter Girodano for the shot put (36-5), junior Sean Jansen in the pole vault (10-6), and sophomore Mekhi Barnette in the triple jump (38-0).
Branford also claimed first place in all three relays against West Haven. The Hornets’ 4x100 relay of junior Andrew Wirtz, senior Carlos McCaay, Holmes, and Perez recorded a time of 45.7; the 4x400 of senior Matt Daley, freshman Cheng Wu, Kropiwnicki, and Mastroianni finished with a time of 3:28.6; and the 4x800 of freshman Pat Zdunek, freshman Wyatt Reynolds, Betzig, and junior Nolan Scott clocked in at 8:42.
Freshman Pat Zdunek finished second the 1,600 (5:02), while Daley placed second in the 800 (2:05). Senior Jason Johnson took third place in the javelin (113-7), and sophomore Amari Phillips finished third in the discus (100-5).
On May 11, the Hornets set a school record in the 4x800 relay at the Glen Loucks Games in New York. Branford’s quartet of Daley, Mastroianni, Kropiwnicki, and Scott recorded a time of 8:01.11 to eclipse the mark of 8:07.93 set by Owen Bloomquist, Robbie Dextradeur, Cory Loftis, and Matt Casey in 2008.
Girls’ Outdoor Track
Branford finished up its regular season by competing in a meet at West Haven on May 7. The Hornets took an 87-50 defeat against West Haven to finish the regular season with a record of 2-8.
Senior Mary Nwagboli took first place in the 200 with a time of 27.5 for Branford. Junior Maya Kyriakides won the 1,600 (6:25), sophomore Steph Toste finished first in the 3,200 (15:23), sophomore Ashley Duong won the pole vault (6-0), and sophomore Jen Hincapie took first place in the javelin (63-3).
Also for the Hornets, junior Rose Lockery finished second in the 200 (28.3), Toste was runner-up for the 800 (2:53), and junior Juli Dillon placed second in the 3,200 (15:28). Junior Johnna Palmese finished third in the shot put (22-2) for Branford.
Golf
The Hornets took two defeats in their two matches last week and are now 2-11 on the year.
Branford lost a 154-193 home decision against Hand at Pine Orchard Country Club on May 7. Junior Spencer Engstrom shot a 45, while fellow junior Minsok Lee finished with a round of 46 for Branford. Luke Albinger scored a 50, and sophomore Billy Linder turned in a score of 52.
Two days later, the Hornets dropped a 182-203 decision versus Sheehan at Farms Country Club.