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07/18/2022 11:09 AMThe North Haven Senior American Legion 19-U baseball team qualified for the State Tournament after putting together a solid regular season this summer. Post 76 competed in states last weekend, taking an 11-7 loss to Ridgefield and then losing to Danbury by a 14-4 score in the double-elimination tournament. North Haven finished its year with an overall record off 11-9, marking a 9-win improvement from the 2021 campaign.
Last week, North Haven completed its regular season by winning two of its final three games, taking a loss to West Haven before posting a win versus Milford and a victory over New Haven.
Head Coach Mike Busillo’s squad started off the week with a road game against West Haven on July 11. North Haven fell behind early and wound up taking an 11-8 loss in the contest. Trailing 11-1, Post 76 scored
2 runs in the fourth inning and 5 runs in the fifth to make it a game again. West Haven kept North Haven off the scoreboard in the sixth and seventh innings to hang on for the win.
Despite the loss, Coach Busillo was pleased with Post 76’s effort to come back late after getting off to a slow start in the game.
“We did not come out well. We struggled on the mound early, and we certainly weren’t sharp defensively, but after the second or third inning, we were probably a better team. We just kind of dug ourselves too deep of a hole,” Busillo said. “I really like the way we fought and battled. It’s just a matter of it seemed like we didn’t come out ready to play.”
Shaun Murray went 2-for-3 with 2 runs scored and an RBI for North Haven in the loss. Will Sullivan went 2-for-4 with a double and 2 runs scored, Derek Novicki was 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI, and Manuel Lopes went 1-for-2 with 3 RBI. Chris Hager drew 2 walks and scored a run, while Declan Finkle also drew a pair of walks for Post 76.
North Haven bounced back by claiming a 15-4 victory over Milford in a road game at Foran High School the next day. Coach Busillo’s club played a sharper game defensively and continued to produce at the plate on its way to its 11th win of the year. With its regular-season record of 11-7, North Haven finished in a tie for third place with Madison in the Zone 2 standings this summer.
Post 76 held a 6-0 lead after the second inning and never looked back en route to its lopsided victory versus Milford. Holding a 9-4 lead after the sixth inning, North Haven put the game away by plating 6 runs in the top half of the seventh.
Ryan Bauman got the start on the mound and earned the win by pitching 4 innings for North Haven. Bauman allowed 3 runs, only 1 of which was earned, to go with 4 strikeouts on the day. Shaun Murray tossed 2 innings in relief, after which Chris Hager closed out the game with a scoreless seventh.
“Ryan Bauman pitched well,” said Coach Busillo. “His performance kept us in there, and the bats exploded in the mid-innings.”
Post 76’s offense was led by Novicki, who went 3-for-4 with 2 doubles, 2 runs scored, and 4 RBI in the victory. Hager went 1-for-3 with a double, 3 walks, 3 runs scored, 2 RBI, and a stolen base for North Haven. Sal Giaimo went 2-for-5 with 3 runs and 2 RBI, while Ben Busillo was 1-for-5 with a run scored and 2 RBI.
Chris Tobin went 1-for-2 with a double and 2 RBI in the win. Tyler Signore was 1-for-4 with a double, a run, and an RBI; Jeremy Gordils drew 2 walks to go with a run and an RBI; and Mike Brandt was 1-for-2 with a run scored.
North Haven’s big win against Milford was a complete team effort that included contributions from everyone on the roster. Coach Busillo knows that it takes efforts like that to be a successful baseball team, and he said that Post 76 has received that type of effort throughout the 2022 season.
“It’s no secret. Like any team, when you get good pitching, timely hitting, and when you play solid defense, it gives you a chance to win,” Busillo said. “That’s kind of been the formula for baseball since the beginning of time. If we continue to do those things, we’ll be really in every game.”
North Haven finished off the regular season with a 12-2 win over New Haven on July 14.
Coach Busillo has emphasized the importance of putting pressure on the opposition all season long. By doing so, it’s helped ignite the bats on offense. Busillo also praised the performance of Post 76’s pitching staff this season.
“One of the things North Haven players have certainly heard is that is when you continually put pressure on the other team, things will usually work out well for you,” said Busillo. “If we kept our strikeouts down, keep our pressure on the other team, we’re throwing strikes, making the plays, we should be OK.”
On the heels of its solid regular season, the North Haven Senior Legion baseball team opened play in the State Tournament last weekend, competing in the Southern Division portion of the double-elimination bracket. In its first game, North Haven hosted Ridgefield and dropped an 11-7 decision at DeMayo Ballfield on July 16. The following afternoon, Post 76 played a road game versus Danbury and was eliminated from the tournament with a 14-4 loss at Rogers Park.
Coach Busillo felt proud of his team for qualifying for the State Tournament after North Haven won just two games last year. Busillo and his players were excited for the opportunity to compete in the postseason.
“It’s exciting. For us, it’s a great opportunity to play more games,” Busillo said. “In my opinion, the Southern bracket, which is the bracket we’re in, is probably the toughest or the tougher of the brackets, but that’s something you have to embrace as a competitor. You have to play against good teams and see how you measure up.”