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05/18/2019 12:00 AMThe Guilford baseball team had a slow start to the season that saw the squad lose five of its first six games. However, the Indians stayed strong in the face of adversity while new players gained experience and then turned the tide during the second half of their campaign. Guilford closed out the regular season by winning 11 of 14 to finish at 12-8 on its way to locking up berths in the SCC and Class L State tournaments.
The Indians came into this year featuring several varsity newcomers, as well as other players who were stepping into different positions. It took some time for Guilford to jell, and the team struggled early on. With their playoff hopes hanging in the balance, the Indians started playing better and began rattling off the victories. Guilford went on to clinch a berth in the Class L State Tournament and also earned a share of the SCC Housatonic Division title with Amity.
In last week’s matchups, Guilford played three games on the road and took two of three by defeating Hamden 4-2 on May 14, losing a 7-4 decision against Hand the next day, and then notching a 6-1 victory at Killingly in its regular-season finale on May 18. The Indians sealed their spot in the SCC tourney with their win against Hamden.
Head Coach Brian Hayden said that his players have seen a spike in their confidence after growing more comfortable with their new assignments. Hayden feels pleased that the Indians’ belief is translating to success in the win column.
“We started back in March and then we had that 1-5 start. We had guys learning new positions and some new varsity starters,” said Hayden. “Like anything, it’s a process, and the guys got comfortable with that they had to do and started executing. We went on that run after 1-5 and, with that, comes confidence and a better feeling from the boys about themselves.”
Coach Hayden believes that a defining moment in Guilford’s season came when the team took a 13-0 defeat against Foran on April 12. Hayden said the loss was an eye-opener that made the Indians realize they could never take anything for granted. After that, Guilford returned to the field with a new kind of enthusiasm.
“For the coaches, our message to the players since the beginning of the year has been them believing in themselves and that they can play at a high level,” Coach Hayden said. “We hit a low with that Foran loss, and then after we talked about us not cheating ourselves or taking plays off. We took a day off, and the guys had a different type of energy. They were more focused, and then we were able to start playing better baseball.”
Along the way, Guilford posted a 5-4 victory over SCC and Class LL powerhouse Amity on May 8, avenging a 6-0 loss to Spartans from earlier in the season. Coach Hayden felt the win demonstrated that the Indians can compete with anyone in the state.
“That game was a challenge to our guys. We have nothing but respect for Amity and everyone in the SCC, but…we won’t fear any team, and we will just play our game,” he said. “It’s a credit to our players. They are working hard and taking no shortcuts.”
In last week’s win against Hamden, senior co-captain Jack Strand pitched all seven innings in a complete-game performance to help Guilford claim a 4-2 victory. Strand improved his record to 5-0 on the mound. Senior co-captain Ben Panagoulias hit a two-run home run in the top of the sixth inning to give Guilford the lead. Junior Tyler Considine had two hits and an RBI for the Indians.
“This was a hard-fought win. Hamden put guys on every inning, and Jack made some big pitches to get out of innings,” Coach Hayden said. “Ben and Tyler were great at the plate and defensively tracking baseballs. Ben’s at-bat in the sixth was incredible. He fouled off some tough pitches and put a great swing on a curveball for the homer to put us ahead for good.”
The Indians begin the postseason by competing in the SCC Tournament this week. Guilford is the No. 6 seed in the draw and will play at No. 3 seed Hand (15-5) in a quarterfinal game on Monday, May 20 at 3:45 p.m. The winner advances to play either No. 2 Amity or No. 7 East Haven in a semifinal at Piurek Field at West Haven High School on Tuesday, May 21 at either 4 or 7 p.m. The SCC final is slated to be played at that same site on Thursday, May 23 at 6 p.m. After SCCs, Guilford will open play in the Class L State Tournament.
Coach Hayden feels proud of his club for grinding out a pair of playoff bids this year. After making the state semifinals last season, Hayden said the Indians are primed to go on another memorable run in 2019.
“Our first goal this season was to get to eight wins and make states. We wanted to try and win our division, and it’s a huge honor to be co-champs with Amity,” said Hayden. “It’s important to our seniors to carry on that winning legacy and keep the program in that upper echelon of the SCC. We will just go from there, and it would be nice to have another run like we did last year.”
From the Sidelines
The Guilford baseball team has posted two victories versus Branford (6-0 and 2-0), Cross (8-1 and 12-0), and Hamden (8-7 and 4-2), as well as one win apiece against Sheehan (7-6), East Lyme (3-2), Foran (4-2), Sheehan (6-4), Amity (5-4), and Killingly (6-1) this season.
The Indians have taken losses to Cheshire (6-2 and 10-6), Hand (19-13 and 7-4), Berlin (6-4), Darien (6-0), Foran (13-0), and Amity (6-0).
Guilford and Amity shared the SCC Housatonic Division title after both teams posted records of 6-2 in divisional play.
For the other half of the SCC Tournament, top-seeded Cheshire (19-1) is hosting No. 8 Cross (14-6) in one quarterfinal game. No. 4 seed Notre Dame-West Haven (12-8) plays host to No. 5 North Haven (11-9) in the other quarterfinal contest.