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08/01/2021 12:00 AMThe Max Sinoway 14-U Babe Ruth baseball team embarked on a remarkable run this summer. North Haven’s team won the state championship and then competed in the New England Regional Tournament, ultimately advancing to the semifinal round.
Head Coach Angelo Romano said that his team was bolstered by excellent pitching and defense throughout its title run. More than anything, though, Romano felt that the strong chemistry and camaraderie among his athletes was what helped Max Sinoway succeed.
Prior to playing in the State Tournament, the Max Sinoway Babe Ruth team competed in the inaugural Southington Independence Day Tournament. Sinoway went 4-1 during the tournament and captured the crown with a 9-2 victory versus the All Access Black Knights in the championship game at Massarelli Field in Southington on July 5.
With this being the first tourney that his team competed in this year, Coach Romano felt that taking the title gave Max Sinoway some serious momentum moving forward.
“We went 1-1 in pool play and just made it into bracket play. We won three games in a row to win the championship. They were all tight games,” said Romano. “It was the first tournament we had done as a team. It was pretty exciting.”
Heading into states, Coach Romano knew that North Haven’s players understood what they needed to do to succeed. Riding a wave of momentum, everyone on the Sinoway team was excited to go after a state title and believed that they could win it all if they played their game.
Max Sinoway had to go up against East Lyme, Stamford, and Trumbull in the early goings of the tournament. North Haven defeated all three teams by earning a 9-0 win over East Lyme, a 9-1 victory versus Stamford, and a 3-1 win against Trumbull to set up a rematch with Trumbull for the title.
Sinoway claimed a 12-7 victory over Trumbull in Naugatuck on July 16 to claim the state’s Babe Ruth championship. The team won the game in the eighth inning after escaping a major jam in the bottom of the seventh.
“We were tied 7-7 going into the eighth inning. We opened it up in the top of the eighth and scored five runs,” Coach Romano said. “We were one hit away from losing it in the bottom of the seventh. They had a runner at third, and all they needed was one hit. But we held them and were able to score five runs and win it.”
The athletes on this year’s Max Sinoway 14-U Babe Ruth baseball team are Jordan Higgins, Phil Huntington, Avery Karasinki, Andrew Manzo, Jimmy Marshall, Bryce Montabanna, Jaden Nguyen, Jordan Oliveira, Nick Romano, Ryan Semple, John Slais, and Jaden Wells. Coach Romano’s assistant coaches are Mike Karasinki, Rob Manzo, and Dan Semple. Two years ago, Romano was head coach of the Max Sinoway 12-U All-Stars team that advanced to the championship game of the State Tournament. This spring, he became head coach of the freshman team at North Haven High School.
By virtue of winning the State Tournament, Max Sinoway advanced to play in the Babe Ruth New England Regional Tournament in Rochester, New Hampshire. In addition to Sinoway squad, teams from New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maine, and Vermont participated in the tournament. Max Sinoway had the best record of 3-0 going into bracket play following its pool-play victories versus Franklin County, Maine (4-3), North Providence-Smithfield (7-3), and Keene, New Hampshire (7-6). After receiving a bye through the first round of the single-elimination bracket, North Haven took on Keene, New Hampshire again in the semifinals on July 28.
Keene scored four runs in the top of the first inning before Sinoway responded with four runs in the bottom half of the frame. In a back-and-forth game, the two teams were tied 7-7 heading into the sixth inning. Keene put together a big inning in the sixth and went on to win the game by a 15-7 score.
Despite the loss, Coach Romano said that he was impressed with his team’s performance at the New England Regional. Romano appreciates the fact that his players were able to gain some valuable experience competing on the big stage.
“It was a great experience. The boys had a great time. We have always been about pitching and defense. Our pitching keeps team in check, and our defense is great. It’s what we hang our hat on,” said Romano. “We knew we had a chance. We knew we could hang with them. If we beat that team, we could have went all the way.”
Most of the athletes on this year’s team have been playing baseball together since they were nine. Coach Romano said that the bonds on his squad, along with each athlete’s desire to improve, helped North Haven make it as far as it did.
“They’re a great group of guys. They’re dedicated and have always been team players,” Romano said. “They’re like a band of brothers. They’re ready to go to war for each other. They’re afraid to fail, because they’re afraid of letting each other down. We have had a great run.”
Many of the athletes on the Max Sinoway Babe Ruth team will soon be entering their freshman years at North Haven High School. As his players advance in their baseball careers, Coach Romano said that this year’s team demonstrated why North Haven is such a great baseball town.
“North Haven has always been a baseball town. I think they’re always going to be a baseball town. We have strong players who have great work ethic. They love the game,” said Romano. “Next year, most of these kids are going to be freshmen. They’re really going to accelerate and be something to contend with at North Haven High School.”