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North Haven Softball Achieved its Goals This Spring

The North Haven softball team accomplished what it wanted to this spring and enjoyed a season that everyone in the program could feel proud about. North Haven recorded 11 victories on its way to winning the SCC Housatonic Division title and qualifying for both the SCC Tournament and the Class L State Tournament in 2021.

Head Coach Karen Castagnola said that North Haven wanted to make a name for itself this year. Castagnola’s squad entered the season with a lack of varsity experience, but her players were determined to show the rest of the SCC that North Haven was going to be a formidable foe for any opponent.

“We were extremely proud of the girls. This was a team that came in with no experience and was able to reach its goals. We held our own and did well against the tough teams, and the experience that we gained will help us next year,” said Castagnola, whose team finished at 11-9 overall. “They were motivated. They wanted to prove to themselves and rest of the league that they could do it. We were elated that they wanted to work so hard and compete.”

North Haven had to overcome some adversity in order to produce its solid season. After splitting its first two games of the campaign, North Haven went into quarantine for two weeks due to potential exposure to COVID-19. When North Haven returned to the field, the team was faced with a grueling stretch that featured 16 games in a 20-day span with four doubleheaders.

North Haven stepped up to the challenge and went 10-6 during that stretch, including a doubleheader sweep of Jonathan Law that proved huge in terms of securing the Housatonic Division title. North Haven wound up going 7-1 in divisional play on its way claiming the Housatonic crown.

Following the regular season, North Haven took a 6-1 loss to Amity in the quarterfinals of the SCC Tournament and then a 6-3 defeat against Bristol Eastern in the first round of states. Despite those losses, Coach Castagnola felt that winning the Housatonic Division was a major achievement for North Haven, especially considering that the team had to sit out for two weeks.

“I thought that it was pretty significant to win the division. They were very excited to accomplish that. It was a boost of confidence for our younger kids,” Castagnola said. “It was disappointing to get shut down for 14 days, but the kids kept each other up by doing workouts on Zoom and, when they came back, it seemed like they were working even harder. We had some big obstacles, but we came through.”

Castagnola said that North Haven’s four senior captains, who were the only seniors on the team, did an excellent job of keeping the squad together during both the quarantine and the season in general. North Haven’s captains were shortstop Alex Ferriouolo, pitcher/outfielder Olivia Olson, first baseman Sydney Maenza, and catcher/designated hitter Jordan Maenza.

“They were great leaders. They kept the team up. They were mentors to these younger kids. All the young kids looked up to them. When they saw fight in these four girls, they wanted to work hard for them,” Castagnola said of her captains. “We had great chemistry. Our unity was like a family. We came together as one unit.”

Ferriouolo was the one player who came back to North Haven with significant varsity experience, and she wound up putting together a phenomenal senior season. The senior captain shortstop posted a .433 batting average with a .493 on-base percentage and a .776 slugging percentage on the year. She had 29 hits that included eight doubles, three triples, and three home runs—a couple of which were game-winning homers—to go with 15 runs scored, 13 RBI, and five stolen bases. She only struck out three times for the entire season.

Ferriouolo earned All-SCC First Team honors, made the Senior All-Star Game, and was also named North Haven’s Most Valuable Player. On top of that, she received the Todd Carr Memorial Scholarship and the Emily Doyle Scholarship on behalf of the team. Ferriouolo will continue her softball career at Western New England College.

“Alex had an outstanding season and was a great mentor to the younger kids,” Coach Castagnola said. “Alex got called up to varsity midway through her freshman year and never looked back. She has an unbelievable work ethic, and that pays off. She’s still working hard.”

Olson stepped into the circle for the first time at the varsity level and gave North Haven plenty of quality innings on the mound. Olson pitched in 17 games and threw 91 innings on her way to recording nine of the team’s 11 victories.

Olson also had a good year at the plate by hitting .286 with a .352 on-base percentage. At the end of the season, Olson was presented with North Haven’s Sportsmanship Award.

“Olivia had an excellent year on the mound,” said Castagnola. “She was a workhorse. She wanted to be out there and kept us in a lot of games.”

Sydney Maenza had a .362 batting average with a .496 on-base percentage and a .510 slugging percentage for North Haven. She drew 12 walks, scored 16 runs, and had 10 RBI for the season.

“Sydney waited for her opportunity to play varsity and did a great job,” Castagnola said. “She played a great first base and was a leader on the field, always yelling out how many outs there were and leading the infield with Alex.”

Coach Castagnola went on to praise the leadership of Jordan Maenza, particularly the way the senior captain went about taking sophomore catcher Kayla Balisciano under her wing.

“Jordan became a mentor to our younger catcher and was a great mentor,” said Castagnola. “Jordan would stay in the dugout and talk with her and was always giving her bits and pieces of how to do stuff.”

Junior center fielder Caroline Toni garnered All-SCC Second Team accolades for her solid play this spring. Toni became the leader of North Haven’s outfield after moving from the infield, making several diving catches throughout the season.

At the dish, Toni hit for a .353 clip with a .397 on-base percentage and a .485 slugging percentage. She recorded 24 hits, including seven doubles, and also had 13 RBI. In addition to going All-SCC, Toni made the Junior Select All-Star Game and was named North Haven’s Most Improved Player.

“We needed a strong leader in the outfield, and Caroline fell in love with the position. She made some unbelievable catches, and I had other coaches come up to me and tell me how great of an outfielder she was,” Coach Castagnola said. “Caroline also had a great year at the plate and really came through this year. We were all ecstatic that she made All-SCC and the Junior Select Game. She deserved it.”

Fellow junior Jamie Swiatek also made the All-SCC Second Team after switching from third base to second base. Swiatek batted .276 with a .333 on-base percentage, hitting three doubles and scoring 10 runs on the year. She also hit a homer.

“Jamie was nervous at the beginning, but I told her to go out and play her best ball. She embraced playing second base and did a great job,” said Castagnola. “We were all very proud that Jamie made All-SCC.”

North Haven’s junior class also included first baseman Megan Cross, who had a walk-off single in a 5-4, eight-winning win against West Haven; along with outfielders Anna Schepisi, Alexys Signor, and Juliana DeAngelo.

Sophomore Maria Lockery played third base and posted a .315 batting average with a .393 on-base percentage and three doubles this year. Fellow sophomore Balisciano earned her role as North Haven’s starting catcher. Sophomore Juliana Galasso saw some at first base and in the outfield.

Freshman Gabby Blanchard started in the outfield and also did some pitching for North Haven. Blanchard batted .306 with a .392 on-base percentage and a .490 slugging percentage, hitting seven doubles and scoring 10 runs. She also notched a pair of wins on the hill.

Fellow freshmen Reece Hebert and Nina DeMennato also pitched in a few games for the varsity team this season. Freshman Isabella Blanchard got some playing time behind the plate and in the outfield. Avery Berney was another freshman who appeared in multiple games for the varsity squad.

North Haven’s assistant coaches were Roy Castagnola, Vinny Cretella, and Sarah Lombardi. Cretella and Lombardi shared the head coaching duties for the JV team. Frank Maher was North Haven’s statistician.

On the heels of a solid season, Head Coach Karen Castagnola feels that North Haven is set up for another successful run next year, especially after so many underclass athletes gained pivotal varsity experience. North Haven’s athletes are planning to continue sharpening their skills by playing some fall ball in order to be in peak form when it’s time for the first pitch of 2022.

“I think we’re looking pretty good for next year,” Castagnola said. “They know what is expected of them. They have played in some big games, and they know what they have to do to be successful. The experience that these kids gained and the lessons they learned were extremely valuable.”