The West Haven baseball team won its third consecutive contest and improved to 10-8 with a 7-2 victory at Branford.
Dylan Supan picked up the win on the mound, throwing a complete game 4-hitter. The senior allowed two earned runs, struck out five and did not walk a batter.
Ray Gilbert led the offense with three hits, a run batted in, and a run scored. Gianni Gambardella and John Lindsay each had two hits, two runs batted in, and a run scored, and Tyler DeSanty had a pair of hits and scored twice.
West Haven fell to Fairfield Prep, 14-4, in Fairfield in a game stopped after five innings due to the mercy rule. The Westies trailed 7-4 after three innings, but the Jesuits put the game away with two runs in the fourth and five in the fifth.
Corey Coggins led the offense with two hits, one run batted in, and one run scored, while DeSanty had a hit and drove in a pair.
Jack Hay started on the mound for the Westies and allowed six hits and six earned runs in 3.1 innings of work. Hay walked six and struck out two in the loss.
Needing a victory over North Haven to qualify for the Southern Connecticut Conference tournament, the West Haven baseball team could not get the job done. Despite limiting the Nighthawks to just three hits, West Haven fell, 9-7, in the regular season finale at Piurek Field.
The loss dropped West Haven to 10-10 on the year and gave the final seed of the tournament to the Nighthawks.
West Haven, playing as the away team as North Haven’s field was not playable, was undone by the free pass as a trio of Westie hurlers combined to walk 15 batters in the contest.
The Westies took a 1-0 lead in the first as Gilbert walked with two outs, moved to second on an error and scored when Supan reached on an error.
With the game even at one, West Haven took a 5-1 lead in the top of the second as singles by John Lindsay, Gazzaneo, and Jones loaded the bases. DeSanty singled in Lindsay, before Gambardella doubled to left to clear the bases.
North Haven responded with five runs in the bottom of the inning on six walks, a hit batter and a two-run single for a 6-5 advantage.
Trailing 7-5, West Haven evened the game in the sixth on a two-out, two-run double by Gilbert to score Gazzaneo and DeSanty, but North Haven used five walks and two wild pitches in the bottom of the sixth to score twice and pull out the victory.
The West Haven rolled to a 20-8 victory over Wilbur Cross Tuesday evening on Senior Night at Biondi Field.
Paige Beurer led the offense with two hits, four runs scored, and two runs batted in, while Melanie Jimenez scored five times, Gianna Carrano drove in four and scored twice, Mia Rubirosa scored three times, and Brianna Miller scored twice and drove in a pair.
Scoring six times, West Haven never stopped, adding four in the fifth and five more in the sixth, to defeat Lyman Hall, 15-3, in a game stopped after sixth innings due to the mercy rule.
Mia Rubirosa led West Haven with four hits, three runs batted in, and two runs scored. Carrano had three hits, scored three runs, and drove in two, while Brianna Miller and Raccio each had a pair of hits.
The West Haven softball team was looking to close the regular season on a high note. Playing Jonathan Law, the Westies would surely be tested.
With an uncharacteristic four errors, West Haven fell to Law, 5-1, in the regular season finale. The Westies finished the regular season with a 16-4 record.
West Haven’s lone run came to tie the game in the third. Miller doubled with two outs, Beurer walked, and Raccio singled to short to score Miller.
The Westies could not break through again as they stranded a pair of runners in the fourth, went down quietly in the fifth and sixth, and stranded a runner in the seventh.
Rubirosa went the distance, allowing two earned runs on seven hits, while walking three and striking out four.
Rubirosa knows it is all about the will to win when it comes to postseason play. The sophomore certainly led the way against Cheshire.
Tossing a complete-game 3-hitter with seven strikeouts, while reaching base twice and scoring a run, Rubirosa led fourth-seeded West Haven to a 4-1 victory over fifth-seeded Cheshire in the quarterfinals of the Southern Connecticut Conference tournament at Biondi Field.
West Haven took a 1-0 lead in the first only to see Cheshire even the game in the third. The sign of a good team is how it responds, and West Haven did just that in the bottom of the third inning, scoring three times to take the lead for good.
Beurer and Raccio opened the inning with walks and both advanced on a ground out to second by Burrows. Carrano walked to load the bases, before Miller singled to left to score Beurer for a 2-1 lead.
An error on the play allowed Raccio to score, and also put runners on second and third with one out. Sophomore Taylor Alfano followed with a sacrifice fly to right to score Carrano for a 4-1 advantage.
“It helps our pitcher when you are up three runs,” West Haven coach Joe Morrell said. “You are not nail-biting everything. If you make a mistake, it is not the end of the world, so those three runs were really important for her as well.”
The rest was up to Rubirosa and the sophomore responded in style as she retired the final 12 batters after West Haven took the lead, and 14 straight overall.
The Westies took a 1-0 lead in the opening inning as Rubirosa led off with a single, stole second, moved to third on a sacrifice, and scored on Beurer’s single to right.
After West Haven stranded a pair in the second, Cheshire scored its only run in the third as Charlee Nagle walked with one out and Grace Lurz followed with a bunt single. A double steal put the pair in scoring position, before Jordan Chymbor singled to score Nagle with the equalizer.
The Rams put two more runners in scoring position in the inning, but Rubirosa escaped without further damage.
The run to the Southern Connecticut Conference finals came to an end for the West Haven softball team. Falling behind by six runs in the first inning, fourth-seeded West Haven never recovered and fell to top-seeded East Haven 9-1 at East Haven High Tuesday afternoon.
With the loss, West Haven fell to 17-5 on the year and will wait to play in the state tournament next week.
West Haven trailed 7-0 before getting on the scoreboard in the fifth. Carrano and Miller singled, Alfano walked to load the bases and Rubirosa hit a one-out sacrifice fly to center to score Carrano.
The Westies stranded two in the sixth and the bases loaded in the seventh.
For all your West Haven sporting news throughout the year, including game articles by Mike Madera, highlights, photos and more, visit www.westieblue.com.
