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05/28/2021 12:00 AMSoftball
The North Branford softball team won its first two games in the Shoreline Conference Tournament to reach the championship contest last week. The T-Birds earned a quarterfinal victory versus Hale-Ray and then defeated Coginchaug in the semifinals to advance to face Old Lyme in the final.
On May 24, 3rd-seeded North Branford hosted No. 7 Hale-Ray in the Shoreline quarterfinals and won the game by a 13-1 score. Junior Bella Hills started on the mound and pitched five innings, allowing just three hits and one run while striking out six. Freshman Kiley Mullins threw one inning for North Branford, striking out all three batters that she faced.
Junior Lauren Ackerman had three hits with one RBI and one run scored, and senior Erica Piercey had two hits to go with one run and four RBI in the victory. Senior Jada Miconi had two hits, two RBI, and two runs scored, while junior Hanna Senerchia produced two hits and scored four runs.
The next day, the T-Birds played a road game against No. 2 seed Coginchaug in the Shoreline semifinals. North Branford scored the lone run of the game in top of the seventh inning and hung on for a 1-0 victory versus the Blue Devils. Miconi had a base hit that drove home Piercey with the go-ahead run. Mullins earned the win by pitching 6.2 innings for the Thunderbirds, allowing just four hits and striking out five.
North Branford hosted No. 5 seed Old Lyme in the Shoreline Conference final on May 27, earning a 5-0 win to improve to 18-2 overall. The Thunderbirds are competing in the Class M State Tournament this week.
Baseball
The North Branford baseball squad took a loss Cromwell to in the quarterfinals of the Shoreline Conference Tournament last week.
On May 25, No. 5 seed North Branford hit the road to face No. 4 Cromwell and lost the game by a 1-0 score. The T-Birds’ offense was limited to four hits in the loss. Next up for North Branford is the Class S State Tournament that gets underway this week.
Girls’ Lacrosse
The North Branford girls’ lacrosse squad advanced to the Shoreline Conference title game after earning a victory over Morgan in the semifinal round of the tournament last week.
No. 2 North Branford hosted Morgan in the Shoreline semis on May 25 and defeated the Huskies 16-2 to move on to the final. Junior Braeden LeBeau had four goals and three assists, while junior Olivia Toto scored four goals to go with two assists for the T-Birds. Senior Gabrielle Gibilisco and juniors Marissa Raffone and Grace Marra each scored two goals in the win. Senior goalie Sofia Votto made seven saves.
The Thunderbirds took on top-seeded Old Lyme for the conference crown at the Indian River Complex in Clinton on May 27, claiming a 9-3 victory to move to 15-3 on the year. North Branford is playing in the Class S State Tournament this week.
Boys’ Lacrosse
The North Branford boys’ lacrosse team squared off against Haddam-Killingworth in the Shoreline Conference Tournament semifinals last week. On May 25, the 4th-seeded T-Birds faced top-seeded H-K on the road and lost the contest by the final score of 9-8.
Junior Jake Saldutti had four goals and an assist, while sophomore Elias Defarnos scored a goal to go with two assists for North Branford. Senior Ethan Raymond handed out three assists, and fellow senior Tyler Waligroski had a goal with an assist in the loss. Sophomore goalie Dradon Brindisi made eight saves in net.
With their overall record of 8-9, the T-Birds will participate in the Class S State Tournament this week.
Boys’ Golf
The T-Birds’ boys’ golf team played its last two matches of the regular season and also competed at the Shoreline Conference Championship last week. North Branford lost both regular-season contests, but turned in a strong fourth-place showing at Shorelines.
On May 24, North Branford hosted Maloney and took a 189-195 loss at Indian Springs Golf Club. Freshman Jack O’Brien shot a 41 to lead North Branford. Senior Dakota Cooper shot a 50, while juniors Jalen Rossicone and Ryan Monde both posted a score of 52.
The next day, the T-Birds competed in the Shoreline Conference Championship at Stanley Golf Course in New Britain, finishing fourth out of nine teams with an overall score of 368. Cooper tied for third place in the meet with a score of 78. O’Brien finished in a tie for seventh by scoring an 83.
Then on May 26, the T-Birds faced Haddam-Killingworth for a road match at Black Birch Golf Club in their regular-season finale. North Branford lost the matchup by the score of 188-199 to finish with a record of 6-6 for the regular season. O’Brien shot a 46 for North Branford. Rossicone scored a 48, Cooper carded a 49, and Monde finished with a 46.
Girls’ Outdoor Track
The North Branford girls’ outdoor track team was represented by a few athletes at the Shoreline Conference Championship at Lyme-Old Lyme High School on May 26. The Thunderbirds scored 12 points to finish in 11th place at the meet.
Senior Nadia Becker placed fourth in the 100-meter dash (13.16) and took seventh place in the 200-meter dash for North Branford (27.38). Senior Onna Gott finished 10th in the 400 (1:06.17), while sophomore Carolyn Heffernan came in 21st place for the 800 (2:46.07). Sophomore Sophie Gambardella finished 23rd in the high jump (4-0) for the Thunderbirds.