Printer Friendly Version - North Haven Softball Gets Back to SCC Final

Senior Lauren Card pitched her second perfect game of the year to lead the North Haven softball team to an 8-0 victory against Sacred Heart Academy in the SCC Tournament quarterfinals. The Indians went on to defeat Law in the semifinals to advance to the championship game for the second year in a row. File photo by Kelley Fryer/The Courier

The North Haven softball team advanced to the championship game of the Southern Connecticut Tournament for the second-straight year by winning its first two games in the bracket last week. The Indians started off by earning an 8-0 quarterfinal victory over Sacred Heart Academy (SHA) on a day that saw senior Lauren Card pitch another perfect game. North Haven went on to defeat Law by an 11-3 score in the semis to get back to the final, while improving to 20-2 overall this season.

The top-seeded Indians, who are the defending SCC champions, will be playing No. 2 seed Cheshire in the title game at Biondi Field at West Haven High School at 6 p.m. on Friday, May 24. After SCCs, North Haven will kick off play in the Class L State Tournament this week.

North Haven hosted No. 8 seed SHA in the SCC quarterfinals and posted an 8-0 shutout on May 20. Card retired all 21 batters that she faced and struck out 10 on her way to tossing her second perfect game of the season. Card had previously thrown a five-inning perfect game when the Indians defeated Sheehan 17-0 on May 7.

North Haven and SHA were locked in a scoreless tie until the Indians broke loose for eight runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Senior Haylee Garthwait had two hits and two RBI, while fellow senior Peyton Davis also drove home two runs for the Indians.

The following evening, North Haven notched an 11-3 win over No. 4 seed Law in the SCC semifinals at Biondi Field. The Indians held a 3-0 lead after three innings and then broke the game open by plating seven runs in the sixth. Card struck out 11 on her way to getting the win. Senior Sarah Lombardi two singles and a double with three runs scored, junior Eryn Sheeley had a triple with an RBI, and Garthwait also had an RBI for North Haven.

The Indians earned a dramatic extra-inning victory versus Notre Dame-West Haven in the SCC Tournament quarterfinals, before losing against Cheshire in the semifinals last week. North Haven, which has an overall record of XX, is competing in the Class L State Tournament this week.

No. 5 seed North Haven posted a 5-4, 11-inning win at No. 4 Notre Dame-West Haven in an SCC quarterfinal game that took two days to complete. The Indians and Green Knights took the field on May 20 and were locked in a 3-3 tie in the seventh inning when thunderstorms rolled through the area, forcing the game to be postponed. When play resumed the next day, senior Matt Soloman blasted a two-run homer in the top of the 11th that gave North Haven a 5-3 lead. Senior Reid Kankel worked out of trouble in the bottom half to secure the one-run win for Head Coach Bob DeMayo’s club.

The Indians took a 3-0 lead in the third inning on a two-run single from junior Mark DeRosa and an RBI single by fellow junior Dave Christoforo. Notre Dame scored a run in the fourth and then tied the game scoring a pair of runs in the sixth. The game stayed tied 3-3 heading into the top of the 11th inning. Kankel led off with a single and advanced to second on junior Owen Silk’s sacrifice bunt. Soloman stepped up to the plate and hit a two-run shot to left field to put North Haven up 5-3.

In the bottom of the 11th, the Green Knights quickly cut it to 5-4 on a double and an RBI triple. With the tying run at third an nobody out, Kankel retired the next three batters to end the game and send North Haven to the SCC semis.

Senior Hunter Garthwait started on the mound and allowed three runs (2 earned) in six innings. Kankel earned the win in relief by pitching five innings and allowing just one run. Chrisotoforo went 3-for-6 with an RBI, Soloman went 2-for-5 with the home run, a walk, two runs, and two RBI; DeRosa was 2-for-6 with a run, two RBI, and a stolen base; and Kankel went 2-for-5 with a run and two stolen bases. Senior Gianni DiMartino had a single and drew two walks.

On May 23, North Haven traveled to Cheshire to take on the top-seeded Rams in the SCC semis and took a 13-4 defeat. North Haven had a 2-0 lead until Cheshire scored six runs in the third inning. The Indians cut it to 6-4 in the top of the fifth, but Cheshire came back a run in the bottom half and then scored six runs in the sixth to blow the game open. Silk hit an RBI double, while DiMartino and Chrisotoforo each had an RBI single for North Haven.

North Haven sent several competitors to the SCC Championship that was held at Lyman Hall High School on May 20.

The Indians saw three athletes place in the shot put at the SCC meet. Junior Matt Mullen took 10th place in the event by recording a throw of 40 feet-11 inches. Fellow junior Luke Maruca finished in 11th with a throw of 40-8. Junior Dominic Borrelli threw 39-2 and came in 16th place. Mullen also finished 21st in the discus with a toss of 98 feet.

In the pole vault, junior Jacob Wurm cleared a height of 10-6 to finish in 11th place. Senior Jack Opramolla finished 13th in the 400-meter dash with a time of 53.32 seconds, and sophomore Patrick Rourke placed 13th in the 800-meter run at 2:09.97. Senior Kevin Spencer ran a time of 19.01 to place 19th in the preliminaries of the 110 high hurdles.

In the 4x800 relay, North Haven’s quartet of Opramolla, senior Jobin Valiyaveettil, freshman Kevin Rourke, and Patrick Rourke finished in 11th place by posting a time of 8:42.20.

North Haven finished the 2019 regular season by earning a split of two matches during the final week of action. The Indians went 9-7 for regular-season play in their first year with Head Coach Kevin St. Pierre.

On May 21, North Haven took a 181-215 road loss against Amity. Junior Julia Raposo shot a 48 lead to lead North Haven. Senior Alex Kirtland shot a 53, junior Caleb Norris scored a 56, and junior Elliot Rastkhane finished with a total of 58.

The following day, the Indians hosted East Haven and claimed a 164-195 victory at the Tradition Golf Club.

North Haven completed its regular season by hosting Middletown on May 21. The Indians posted a 21-2 victory at North Haven Middle School to finish the regular season with a record of 6-10.

The Indians will open play in the Class M State Tournament this week. North Haven is coming off a regular season that saw the squad post an overall record of 9-7.

North Haven took a loss to Cheshire in the quarterfinals of the SCC Tournament last week. The Indians have an overall record of 13-6 as they get ready to compete in this week’s Class M State Tournament.

No. 6 seed North Haven dropped a 4-3 decision at No. 3 Cheshire in the SCC quarterfinals on May 20. Senior Julia Migliorini posted a 6-0, 6-0 shutout in the No. 1 singles match for the Indians. Freshman Ally Vollero won a 6-0, 6-1 decision at No. 2 singles, while junior Anna Wooton triumphed by a 6-1, 6-4 final in the No. 4 singles match.

The Indians lost to Hand in the SCC Tournament quarterfinals last week and will be competing at the Class L State Championship this week.

No. 8 seed North Haven took a 7-0 defeat at top-seeded Hand in an SCC quarterfinal contest on May 20. The Indians moved to 11-8 overall on the year with the loss.

Senior Matthew Soloman blasted a two-run home run that gave the Indians the lead in the 11th inning when they beat Notre Dame-West Haven 5-4 in the SCC quarterfinals. North Haven later took a loss to Cheshire in the semifinal round. File photo by Kelley Fryer/The Courier

Senior Jobin Valiyaveettil helped North Haven’s 4x800 relay post an 11th-place finish at the SCC Championship meet on May 20. Photo by Kelley Fryer/The Courier