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Yellowjackets Kept Battling During Rebuilding Season

Head Coach Butch Johnson and the athletes on the East Haven baseball team understood that the 2021 season would be a bit of a rebuilding year. However, while his team saw some struggles in the win-loss column, Coach Johnson felt proud to see the Yellowjackets battle until the very end of the season and always gave their best effort on the diamond.

East Haven entered the year with only one player who had any varsity experience—senior captain pitcher Nick Furino. Coach Johnson said that the Easties used this season as a way for players to gain more experience and just enjoy being on the field.

“Going into the year we had no varsity experience outside of Nicky Furino, who was a pitcher only. We knew it was going to be a rebuilding year,” said Johnson. “We just tried to get a little better each game, learn the game, and have fun. That was the mindset.”

Once the regular season started, the Yellowjackets got out to a 3-4 start with wins over Branford, Wilbur Cross, and Career-Hillhouse. Unfortunately, East Haven was then forced to go into a quarantine period that lasted 17 days. When they returned to the field, the Yellowjackets had to complete their regular season by playing 10 games in a 13-day span. East Haven finished the regular season with a record of 5-11.

“We started off OK. We had a couple nice games. Then we got whacked with quarantine. We had to start all over again. The varsity kids had to sit out for 17 days,” Johnson said. “We had built our pitchers and now they had to start all over. We had to plan 10 games in 13 days. Nobody has that kind of pitching. But they played hard and did everything we asked. It was a fun season.”

Following the regular season, East Haven competed in the Class L State Tournament as the No. 31 seed. The Yellowjackets faced No. 2 seed Berlin in the first round and took an 8-0 defeat in a game that was scoreless through the fifth inning. Coach Johnson said that competing in states gave East Haven’s seniors a nice sendoff and also provided the team’s underclassmen with some valuable postseason experience.

“We went with Nicky. He was the heart and soul of our team. We knew he could keep us in any game against anybody. He did for five innings,” said Johnson. “Even though they piled it on later, we were in that game through the fifth inning. They didn’t quit. They didn’t get down.”

East Haven’s senior captains were Furino and first baseman CJ Lombardi. Furino earned All-SCC Second Team honors for the Yellowjackets this year. Coach Johnson said that Furino and Lombardi proved crucial in keeping the team together as East Haven battled through the ups and downs of the season.

“Furino brought the leadership. When Nicky took to the mound, it raised our play a level. It’s like when Jacob deGrom goes on the mound for the Mets. Anytime Nick took the mound, we thought we could win. He was a great leader,” Johnson said. “Lombardi was a kid that the players looked up to. Even if he struggled, he kept a good attitude up. He was always cheering the kids on and trying to make everyone better.”

East Haven’s senior class also included shortstop Trey Garea, pitcher/outfielder Tom Sabin, infielders Jake Cillo and Sam Cronk, third baseman Devin Guliani-Santiago, and outfielders Alec Madureira and Andrew Voira.

The Easties’ seniors got plenty of playing time this year. Coach Johnson said that they all brought their best every game and were always looking for ways to improve.

“They were a very tight group. We tried to give the seniors most of the playing time. They did everything we asked of them. They gave us their best. They didn’t complain,” said Johnson. “They kept up the good spirits and wanted to get better. They were a fun group. They were a good group.”

Heading into next year, East Haven will be returning numerous players who Coach Johnson expects to step up into bigger roles. Sophomore middle infielder Ryan Vallie led the team with a .370 batting average on his way to garnering All-SCC Second Team accolades this spring. Freshman shortstop Peyton Torre recorded a .345 batting average for the season.

“I think the future looks really, really good. Our leading hitter was a sophomore, our second leading hitter was a freshman. They just hit the ball hard and were good on defense,” Johnson said about Vallie and Torre. “We got some freshmen and sophomores that are going to fit well into the mix next year.”

East Haven’s junior class featured Tim Case, Dom Golia, Dave Riccio, and Marcello Proto. The other sophomores on the squad were Jake Angelo, Liam Hay, Aaron McIntyre, and Rocco Lombardi. The Yellowjackets’ freshman class included Jason Kapinos, PJ Carrangelo, Peyton Torre, Mason McCarroll, Jose Alvardo, and Jose Hernandez.

While this may have been a rebuilding year, Coach Johnson believes that the Yellowjackets are on their way to getting back on track. Johnson is hoping that East Haven’s returning players learned from this season and are ready to compete at the highest level when they come back next year.

“Next year, I think you’re going to see a big improvement. The younger kids got their feet wet. We’re going to get a little bigger and a little stronger. Over the next year or two, I think we’re going to be pretty good,” said Johnson. “They have a good work ethic. They’ve seen all the competition. They aren’t going to be intimated by anyone next year. They’ll come with more fire in their belly.”