This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
06/27/2019 12:00 AMThe East Haven softball team put together an excellent postseason run that saw the Yellowjackets make it all the way to the Class L state final in 2019. Even though the Easties took a 2-0 loss to Masuk, it was a huge accomplishment for them to reach the championship game as the No. 16 seed in the tournament. East Haven finished its campaign with an overall record of 15-10.
East Haven went 11-9 during the regular season and was unable to qualify for the Southern Connecticut Conference (SCC) Tournament. However, when they entered the Class L bracket, the Yellowjackets got a huge boost by earning a 4-3, walk-off win versus Hand in the first round, after which they knocked off top-seeded St. Joseph by a 2-0 score in the second round. East Haven went on to learn lopsided wins over Barlow and Brookfield to advance to the final.
“We were three outs away from elimination in the first round, but we won on [junior Becky Flynn’s] walk-off home run. We didn’t have time to think about it, because the next day, we had to go to St. Joe’s. [Assistant coach Jeff Crisafi] told the girls, ‘We’re not going there to play well—we’re going to win,’” Head Coach Ed Crisafi said. “The run was not expected, but once we got by St. Joe’s, we figured we had a good shot of getting to the final.”
One of the most remarkable aspects of the Yellowjackets’ wild ride was the fact that they started so many underclass athletes down the stretch. Aside from seniors Megan Roberts and Jaime Gallo, and the junior Flynn, every other player in the starting lineup was either a freshman or a sophomore.
“Seeing the top pitchers in the SCC is not easy for a young team of mainly 14- and 15-year-olds. Once the weather warmed up, our bats came to life and our pitching and defense got so much better,” Coach Crisafi said. “We just got better in all phases of the game.”
Crisafi felt that East Haven’s stellar senior leadership was one of the biggest reasons why his team was able to turn the corner late in the campaign. The Yellowjackets were led by senior captains Taylor Myers, Jenna Esposito, and Megan Roberts, along with fellow seniors Jaime Gallo, Erica Colacino, Christina Fowler, and Selena DeFelice.
Roberts received East Haven’s Coaches’ Award and was selected to play in the Scholar Athlete Senior All-Star Game. DeFelice earned the Yellowjackets’ Sportsmanship Award.
“If you watch them practice, it’s a joy. They practice hard all the time. It’s the same drills all the time, which is why I think we got better defensively,” said Crisafi. “Our senior leadership, I’m sure it was difficult for some of the seniors that lost their starting positions, but a captain like Jenna Esposito became a courtesy runner and practiced hard every day. It’s something for the young kids to look up to. Our senior leadership was fantastic, and I hope the young kids feed off that for the next two years.”
East Haven’s breakout star of 2019 was sophomore Tori Heaphy, who was named the Yellowjackets’ Most Valuable Player, earned All-SCC First Team honors, and was also selected to the New Haven Register’s All-Area Team. Heaphy, who tied Allison Luzzi’s program record for hits in a season with 44, finished the year with a .473 batting average to go with seven doubles and four home runs. She only struck out four times all year.
Heaphy also made an immense impact on the mound this season, finishing the year with a record of 11-5 and a 2.49 ERA with 126 strikeouts in 116 innings pitched. Freshman Emilee Bishop tossed 65 innings for East Haven and notched four victories with a 3.31 ERA.
Heaphy and Bishop rotated throughout the first 18 games of the year. After Heaphy pitched well in victories over North Branford and Amity to finish the regular season, she got the nod to pitch in the State Tournament. Coach Crisafi likes the fact that the Easties have two reliable options in the circle.
“The big thing is they both play shortstop, so we don’t get hurt when they don’t pitch,” Crisafi said. “I think the way Tori ended will give Emilee some fire to step it up a notch next season, so maybe we can stick with the rotation.”
East Haven featured a prolific offense as the Yellowjackets batted .313 as a team, scored 177 runs, and hit 24 home runs. Junior Becky Flynn posted a .407 batting average on 35 hits, including three homers, to go with 26 runs scored and 26 RBI. Flynn made the All-SCC Second Team and was picked to play in the Connecticut High School Coaches Association Junior Select All-Star Game.
Freshman Magdelena Barthel was also an All-SCC Second Team honoree. Barthel had 36 hits, including four home runs, and scored 24 runs. Also providing solid contributions at the dish were sophomore Sammie Franceschi who had 27 hits, four homers, 20 runs scored, and 15 RBI; sophomore Brooke Clancy who had 24 hits, three home runs, and 24 RBI; and Gallo who had 21 hits, four of which were home runs. Freshman Jilien Ayala hit .293, Bishop had three doubles and a home run, while sophomore Kayla Rosario hit a home run, scored 13 runs, and drove in 11 runs for the Yellowjackets.
Coach Crisafi feels positive about the fact that East Haven has so many players returning next spring. He wants those athletes to work hard during the offseason and come back hungry to help the Yellowjackets take it the final mile in 2020.
“We have almost everybody back. We’re good on paper, but paper means nothing. You have to work hard and don’t rest,” Crisafi said. “Don’t forget: We didn’t win anything. We had a great run, but we didn’t win our division, we didn’t make the SCC Tournament, and we lost in states. We had a nice run, but next year we want to accomplish our goals.”
East Haven will be competing in the SCC Hammonasset Division with Cheshire, West Haven, Hamden, and Sheehan next season. It’s going to be a challenging schedule for the Yellowjackets, but that’s the way that Coach Crisafi and company like it.
“Out of your 20 games, you’re playing 16 in the SCC and probably eight- to 10 of those are versus top-notch competition,” said Crisafi. “If you want to be the best, you have to play the best. As this year went on, we got more confidence, and the young kids just got better. I’m excited for next year.”
From the Sidelines
The East Haven softball team’s varsity roster for the 2019 season included senior captains Taylor Myers, Jenna Esposito, and Megan Roberts; fellow seniors Jaime Gallo, Erica Colacino, Christina Fowler, and Selena DeFelice; juniors Stephanie Sorrentino, Becky Flynn, and Jillian Hay; sophomores Kayla Rosario, Carly Cardova, Tori Heaphy, Sammie Franceschi, Kayla Goodrich, and Brooke Clancy; plus freshmen Jilien Ayala, Magdalena Barthel, and Emilee Bishop. Head Coach Ed Crisafi was assisted by Jeff Crisafi, Jenna Gaudioso, and Ricky Narracci.
During the regular season, East Haven finished with an overall record of 11-9 and went 6-2 in the SCC Housatonic Division. The Yellowjackets won a pair of games against Sheehan (18-6 and 14-3) and Branford (7-2 and 16-2) to go with one win apiece versus Lyman Hall (11-10), Sacred Heart Academy (5-4), Norwich Free Academy (5-1), North Haven (6-3), Fitch (11-1), North Branford (15-3), and Amity (6-5). East Haven also took losses against Cheshire (8-5 and 3-0), West Haven (9-5 and 6-3), North Branford (15-10), Amity (13-6), Sacred Heart Academy (2-1), North Haven (2-0), and Lyman Hall (6-4).
In the Class L State Tournament, East Haven earned the No. 16 seed and defeated No. 17 seed Hand by a 4-3 score in the first round. The Yellowjackets followed that up with a 2-0 victory versus No. 1 seed St Joseph in a second-round game. In the quarterfinals, the Yellowjackets topped No. 9 Barlow by a 12-2 score. East Haven then defeated 4th-seeded Brookfield by an 11-0 final in the semis. In the final, East Haven lost a 2-0 contest against No. 2 seed Masuk.