After a slow start, the West Haven baseball team rallied for its sixth win of the season with an 8-4 victory over Wilbur Cross. The victory means the team needed two wins to qualify for the postseason.
Jose Padilla led the West Haven offense with four hits, two runs scored, and one run batted in. Haygen Axelrod had three hits and three runs batted in, while Evan Jones scored twice.
Jones also picked up the victory, tossing the final 3.2 innings, allowing one unearned run on three hits, while striking out four.
Looking to get closer to qualifying for the postseason, West Haven appeared on the verge of doing so. Hamden had something to say about that in the fifth inning.
Trailing 4-0, Hamden took advantage of plays not made by the Westies and scored seven times to defeat West Haven, 7-5.
The Westies took a 2-0 lead in the fourth as Cruz reached on an error, Gilbert singled, and Supan was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Padilla followed with a single to score Cruz, and Jones lifted a sacrifice fly to score Gilbert for a 2-0 advantage.
The lead grew to 4-0 in the fifth as Harp singled with one out, Cruz walked, and Gilbert doubled to score Harp. A wild pitch scored Cruz for a 4-0 advantage.
Hamden took the lead in the fifth with six singles and four walks, and a wild pitch. West Haven added a single run in the seventh when Supan’s sacrifice fly scored Harp.
Falling behind early, West Haven dropped a 6-2 decision against Hand at Piurek Field.
Haygen Axelrod took the loss, allowing five hits and three runs, while walking three and striking out four in six innings of work. Padilla and Jones led the offense with two hits apiece.
West Haven inched closer to the postseason with a 15-0 five-inning mercy rule victory over Bassick Wednesday evening at Piurek Field. The Westies improved to 7-12.
Connor Hume pitched a complete game, allowing one hit and striking out 13, while Padilla led the offense with three hits. Cruz and Hume each had a pair of hits, while Padilla, Harp, Hume and Haygen Axelrod scored twice.
West Haven closed the regular season with its third straight victory, a 19-4 decision over Platt Tech, Friday evening at Piurek Field in West Haven. With the victory, the Westies improved to 8-12 on the year and qualified for the state tournament.
Padilla led the offense with three hits and two runs scored, Hume had three hits and two runs scored, while Harp, Jones, and Malangone each finished with two hits.
The Westies took advantage of nine Platt Tech errors to go along with 18 West Haven hits. West Haven scored 10 times in the first inning and never looked back.
The West Haven softball team faced a scrappy Sacred Heart Academy team. Unable to come up with a clutch hit, the Westies fell 7-5 in eight innings.
Trailing 5-3, West Haven forced extra innings with single runs in the sixth and seventh innings. With two outs in the sixth, Holly Waibel reached on an error to score Gianna Carrano and get the Westies within a run.
West Haven rallied in the seventh as Melanie Jimenez led off with a single, Brianna Miller walked, before West Haven loaded the bases with one out. A passed ball allowed Jimenez to score the tying run, but the Sharks used a two-out rally in the eighth to prevail.
Raccio took the loss in the pitching circle, allowing five earned runs on eight hits, while walking one and striking out 10.
West Haven fell to 10-7 with a 7-6 loss to Sheehan in eight innings.
Rubirosa, Raccio, Juliana Petruzziello, and Carrano each had a pair of hits, while Raccio and Alfano each drove in a pair.
Sheehan won with single runs in each of the final three innings.
West Haven improved to 11-7 with a 22-6 victory over Lauralton Hall in Milford. The Westies scored 14 times in the sixth inning to pull away and end the contest after six innings due to the mercy rule.
Miller led West Haven with four hits, four runs batted in, and three runs scored. Jimenez scored four times, Alfano scored three times, McDonnell had three hits, three runs batted in and two runs scored, while Carrano scored twice.
Raccio picked up the victory, allowing seven hits and two earned runs, while walking five and striking out nine.
West Haven improved to 12-7 in dramatic fashion. Trailing by one run entering the last of the seventh inning against Cheshire, West Haven posted the victory on Miller’s walk-off homer at Biondi Field.
Trailing 4-3 to start the seventh, Rubirosa reached on an error and scored on another error to even the game at four. Four pitches later, Miller launched a homer to center for the game-winner.
West Haven closed the regular season with an impressive 15-0 five inning Senior Night victory over Hamden at Biondi Field.
Jimenez and Miller led the offense with two hits apiece, while Rubirosa and Emma Davey each scored three times. Jimenez, Petruzziello, and Carrano each scored twice.
Raccio picked up the win, tossing a complete-game 3-hitter, walking three and striking out eight.
West Haven put the game away early, scoring eight times in the first inning. Miller singled to score Rubirosa and Jimenez, Petruzziello singled to score Miller and Abigail Wynus, Carrano grounded out to score Hannah Burrows, Petruzziello scored on a wild pitch, Davey scored when Rubirosa reached on an error, and Jimenez tripled to score Rubirosa.
The West Haven boys lacrosse team saw its potential first win of the season in its grasp. Then, it slipped away.
Despite a late fourth quarter goal to force overtime, West Haven watched as Wilbur Cross scored in double overtime to defeat the Westies, 7-6. West Haven fell to 0-10 on the year.
Cross held a 44-40 shot advantage in the contest with West Haven goalie T.J. Levenduski making 25 saves.
After a hard-fought overtime loss against Wilbur Cross, West Haven was looking to build off that solid play. Unfortunately for the Westies, too many penalties hurt in a 14-4 loss at Jonathan Law.
West Haven was outshot in the contest 38-15, with Levenduski making 17 saves. Conlan scored twice, and Ullah and Burrows also tallied in the loss.
Despite jumping out to an early lead, the team could not seal the deal and fell, 13-9, to Lyman Hall at Ken Strong Stadium.
West Haven led 6-3 as Conlan scored off an assist from Outhavong at the 10:31 mark of the first quarter, Burrows scored off an assist from Hummel 1:42 later, Hummel scored from Forbes with 6:21 left in the first quarter and Outhavong scored off an assist from Ullah with less than 10 seconds remaining in the opening quarter. Outhavong and Ullah scored unassisted goals in the second quarter for the three-goal lead.
West Haven did not score again until the fourth quarter on tallies by Conlan, Burrows and Hummel. Ullah assisted on the Burrows goal and Burrows assisted on Hummel’s tally.
Levenduski made 15 saves as the Westies were outshot 28-17.
Playing in another close contest, West Haven fell at Montville, 10-9.
Montville held a slight 41-36 shot advantage, and Levenduski made 20 saves in goal for the Westies.
Outhavong led West Haven with three goals and one assist, Hummel had two goals and an assist, and Burrows finished with a goal and an assist.
West Haven closed the regular season with a 15-1 loss against Berlin on Senior Night at Ken Strong Stadium in West Haven Friday evening.
Outhavong scored the lone West Haven goal at the 5:55 mark of the second quarter. Levenduski made nine saves in the loss as the Westies were outshot 49-10.
The girls lacrosse team won for the second time in three games and improved to 3-6 with a 10-9 victory at Lyman Hall.
Delaney Johnston led the way with three goals and two assists, Julia Tsakonas had three goals, and Chloe Whelan added two goals and an assist. Melissa Tsakonas finished with four assists.
Brooke Moscato and Juliana Gonzalez each scored one in the victory. Amber Militrano finished with 10 saves.
After winning two of three contests, West Haven fell to Shelton, 17-6, and fell to 3-7 on the year.
Johnston led West Haven with five goals, while Julia Tsakonas had a goal and an assist in the loss. Melissa Tsakonas and Moscato each added an assist for the Westies.
Militrano made six saves for West Haven.
West Haven got back on the winning track with an 18-6 victory over Jonathan Law at Ken Strong Stadium. West Haven improved to 4-7 with the win.
Johnston led the West Haven offense with six goals and one assist, Julia Tsakonas had three goals and three assists, Nada El Mouki and Cassidy Dalton each scored twice, and Whelan added one goal and five assists. Moscato had two goals and an assist, Melissa Tsakonas finished with a goal and three assists, and Juliana Gonzalez finished with one goal.
Militrano finished with three saves in the win.
West Haven won its second straight contest and improved to 5-7 on the year with a 12-11 victory at Jonathan Law.
Johnston led the way with four goals and two assists. Julia Tsakonas scored three goals, Dalton added a goal and two assists, and Melissa Tsakonas, Whelan, and Moscato each finished with one goal and an assist. Gonzalez added one goal, and Militrano finished with eight saves.
West Haven saw its two-game winning streak come to an end with a 17-6 loss against Foran. West Haven fell to 5-8 with the loss.
Johnston led the offense with three goals, Whelan added two goals and an assist, and Julia Tsakonas also scored. Melissa Tsakonas, Heather Fonda, and Moscato each added one assist.
Militrano made 12 saves in the loss.
The boys tennis posted a 4-3 victory over Lyman Hall.
West Haven (10-4) split the four singles matches with Lyman Hall as Lyman Hall’s top seed Nate Rininger defeated Miguel Torres, 7-5, 6-4. West Haven’s Brandon Sihaphong won at the second seed over Joe Marrone, 6-4, 7-5, and third-seeded Eshwar Balakumar topped Ethan Tuxbury, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1. Lyman Hall’s fourth seed Michael Masteionni defeated Johnny Chen, 6-4, 7-5.
In doubles action, West Haven lost the top match as Lyman Hall’s Kevin Dvong and Wes Delucia defeated David Guadarrama and Javon Huang, 6-0, 3-6, 7-5.
The Westies then won the second and third seeds as second-seeded Valentin Diaz and Caden Mateo defeated Jacob Marrone and Jordan Macri, 6-1, 6-1, and third-seeded Ali Hamza and Muhammad Tahir topped Dylan Stackpole and Zubear Khan, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.
West Haven has been playing well throughout the whole season. Unfortunately for the Westies, Sheehan was ready to go Monday afternoon, sweeping the Westies 7-0 at Sheehan High to drop West Haven to 10-5 on the year.
West Haven lost its second straight match and fell to 10-6 on the year with a 4-3 defeat against Jonathan Law at West Haven High Tuesday afternoon.
The Westies lost three of four singles matches, with only fourth-seeded Chen, posting a 6-3, 6-3 win over Siodarth Dash. Law’s top seed of Rishabh Nair defeated Torres, 6-2, 6-3, second-seeded Dean O’Donnell topped West Haven’s Sihaphong, 6-2, 4-2, and third-seeded Jon Uruchioa topped Balakuma,r 6-3, 6-4.
In doubles action, Law’s top seed of Alistair Balin and Arshaq Ahmed sealed the win as they defeated Guadarrama and Huang, 6-4, 4-6. 6-4.
West Haven’s second seed of Diaz and Mateo topped Srivarsh Guolavalli and Saharsh Bhatia, 5-7, 6-3, 6-2, and third-seeded Hamza and Tahir defeated Parth Gokhale and Sean Luxender, 7-5, 3-6, 10-7.
West Haven hit a bit of a slump, falling 7-0, and then dropped its fourth straight match and fell to 10-8 on the year with a 7-0 loss against Xavier.
West Haven dropped its fifth straight match and fell to 10-9 on the year with a 5-2 defeat against North Haven at West Haven High Thursday afternoon.
West Haven’s lone victories came in singles play as second-seeded Sihaphong defeated Seth Tobin, 6-2, 4-6, 7-5, and fourth-seeded Chen defeated Jack Segna, 6-0, 6-2. North Haven’s top seed Lucas DeLencastre topped Torres 6-0, 6-0, and third-seeded Minh Nguyen defeated Balakumar 6-0, 6-1.
North Haven swept doubles play as top-seeded Jess Hansard and Billy Lipinski defeated Guadarrama and Huang, 6-2, 6-2, second-seeded Evan Looney and Alex Ranciato topped Diaz and Mateo, 6-4, 7-5, and third-seeded Jonathan Chin and Oscar Hammarcund defeated John Diaz and Muhammad Tahir, 5-7, 6-2, 6-2.
For all your West Haven sporting news throughout the year, including game articles by Mike Madera, highlights, photos and more, visit www.westieblue.com.