The West Haven baseball team was looking to clinch a postseason spot. The Westies were also looking to sweep their cross-town rivals for the second straight year.
Neither happened.
Taking advantage of 13 West Haven walks and three West Haven errors, the Westies fell to the Green Knights 13-2 at Piurek Field.
The loss was West Haven third in fourth games as the Westies fell to 7-5, remaining one win away from qualifying for the postseason.
Four West Haven pitchers combined to allow six hits and struck out five, but the walks proved crucial in the loss as did the West Haven errors.
Trailing 2-0 in the second, West Haven cut the deficit in half as Dylan Supan walked, John Lindsay reached on an error, and with runners on the corners, Corey Coggins delivered Supan with a sacrifice fly to right.
The Green Knights put the game away in the third with six runs on six walks and two hits.
Scoring five times in the sixth inning, Amity outlasted West Haven 8-1 at Amity High School Thursday afternoon.
The long inning spoiled what was a solid start by West Haven’s Jack Hay. The West Haven senior pitched well enough to keep the Westies in the game, but the West Haven offense could not string together much on offense, scoring its lone run in the first inning when Tyler DeSanty walked and came around to score on an error.
With the loss, West Haven dropped its fourth decision in its last five games.
West Haven has been struggling of late. Even the return of star Gianni Gambardella could not help get the Westies back on track.
Scoring three times in the first and adding another in the fourth, Hand held on to defeat West Haven, 4-3 in Madison.
For five innings, it looked as if the West Haven baseball team would be sealing the deal for the postseason. The sixth inning was a different story.
A pair of West Haven errors led to three Hamden runs in the sixth inning, before the Green Dragons scored four times in the ninth inning to defeat the Westies 9-5 at Piurek Field.
Struggling to come up with a big hit in its fourth straight loss, West Haven turned to some small ball. The end result was a 3-run fifth inning rally and a 5-2 lead over Hamden.
With the game even at two, Ray Gilbert led off the fifth with an infield single, moved to second on a sacrifice and third on a bunt single by Harp. John Lindsay followed with his second hit of the day to score Gilbert, before a bases loaded single by Coggins plated Harp and Lindsay for a 5-2 lead.
The rally broke open a tie game after Hamden scored single runs in the third and fourth innings to knot the game at two.
West Haven (7-8) got on the board first with two runs in the bottom of the first inning.
DeSanty started the rally when he reached on an error to lead off, and Gambardella singled to left to put two on. DeSanty stole third and scored on an error on the play, before Lindsay’s two-out single to right scored Gambardella for a 2-0 lead.
Th Westies failed to extend the lead, stranding the bases loaded in the second, and leaving one on in each of the third and fourth innings.
One day after suffering a disappointing extra inning loss against Hamden, the West Haven baseball team rebounded with a 19-2 victory over Platt Tech on Senior Night at Piurek Field. With the 19-hit attack, West Haven picked up its eight win and qualified for the postseason.
The Westies (8-8) took a 2-0 lead in the second, then scored 14 times in the third for a 16-0 advantage.
Senior Damian Gazzaneo led the offense with three hits, two runs batted in, and two runs scored, while Jones had three hits and three runs batted in.
Lindsay added two hits, four runs batted in, and two runs scored, while Gambardella had two hits, including a home run, drove in three runs and scored twice.
Behind a game-tying single from Gilbert in the seventh and a game-winning single by Dylan Supan one batter later, West Haven rallied to defeat the Rams 4-3 at Piurek Field in West Haven Monday afternoon.
The late rally made a winner out of sophomore relief pitcher Chase Supan, who tossed two scoreless innings, striking out a pair. Chase Supan relieved started Gambardella, who allowed six hits and three earned runs, while walking one and striking out six in five innings of work.
West Haven’s winning rally started with a one-out single by DeSanty, who advanced to second on an errant pickoff. After Gambardella was intentionally walked, Gilbert singled to right to score DeSanty with the equalizer. Dylan Supan followed with a ground single to score Gambardella with the winner.
The Westies took a 2-0 lead in the first, only to see Cheshire get a run in the third and two more in the fourth for a 3- 2 lead over the Westies.
After Gambardella escaped a pair of errors in the top of the first. West Haven got on the board first when DeSanty led off with a single to center, Gilbert reached on a one-out error, and Harp delivered both with a two-out single to center.
The West Haven softball team knew it was going to be in for a battle playing Foran, having suffered one of their two losses to the Lions earlier in the season. The Westies got what was expected.
Scoring single runs in each of the first two innings, the Westies went on to defeat Foran 3-2. Foran scored single runs in each of the final two innings, before the Westies hung on to improve to 10-2.
Mia Rubirosa went the distance in the circle for the Westies, tossing a complete game, allowing one earned run on two hits. Rubirosa walked two and struck out five.
Rubirosa and Jimenez led the Westies with two hits apiece.
West Haven won its sixth straight contest and improved to 11-2 with a 12-0 victory over Hillhouse in a game stopped after five innings in New Haven.
Three different players had multiple hits, led by Beurer with three hits, two runs batted in, and four runs scored. Rubirosa had two hits, drove in two runs, and scored twice, while Raccio had two hits, drove in a run and scored once.
Rubirosa, who tossed a perfect game the last time the two teams met, came within a walk of perfection again as she did not allow a hit, walked one and struck out eleven in four innings of work. Taylor Alfano struck out all three batters she faced in the fifth and final inning as the duo combined on the no-hitter.
With the postseason upcoming, it is all about seeding now for West Haven. Breaking a 2-2 tie with two runs in the fifth, West Haven went on to defeat North Haven, 6-3.
The victory was West Haven’s seventh in a row and helped the Westies improve to 12-2 on the year. Rubirosa went the distance in the pitching circle, allowing four hits and no earned runs, while walking two and striking out 11.
Rubirosa also led the offense with two hits, two runs batted in, and a run scored. Beurer, Raccio, Petruzziello, and Melanie Jimenez each had a pair of hits, while Petruzziello also scored twice.
It was another victory for the West Haven softball team. Then it wasn’t before it was again.
With all the craziness of the last few innings, and after giving up an 8-run lead in the seventh, West Haven rallied to defeat Sheehan 11-10 in eight innings Friday evening at Biondi Field in West Haven.
While the victory saw a late lead disappear, it also saw sophomore Alfano pick up the victory in the pitching circle. Alfano allowed one run in 1.2 innings of work as she did not allow a hit or walk. Alfano struck out one.
Alfano’s relief appearance became necessary as Sheehan scored eight times in the seventh to even the game at 10. After West Haven failed to score in the bottom of the seventh despite loading the bases, Carrano provided the heroics an inning later.
West Haven improved to 14-3 with a 13-7 victory over Lauralton Hall.
Petruzziello led the offense with three hits, two runs scored and two runs batted in. Beurer and Raccio each had a pair of hits, with Raccio scoring three times and driving in a pair, and Beurer scoring twice.
Raccio picked up the victory with four innings of six-hit ball, allowing four earned runs. Alfano pitched the final three innings, allowing one hit and two earned runs, while walking four and striking out two.
The West Haven girls lacrosse team snapped its four-game losing streak with a 10-9 victory over Jonathan Law Tuesday evening at Ken Strong Stadium in West Haven. The comeback victory allowed the Westies to improve to 4-7 on the year.
West Haven trailed 5-1 at the half, before rallying with a 9-4 advantage in the second half. Julia Tsakonas led the way for West Haven with three goals, while Olyvia O’Mara and Brooke Moscato each scored twice.
Moscato also added an assist, while Emma Walker and Delaney Johnston each had a goal and an assist, and Cassidy Dalton had two assists.
Chloe Konareski scored three times for Law, while Joe Johnson had two goals and two assists, and Lindsay Konlian scored twice.
West Haven held a 36-16 shot advantage in the contest. West Haven’s Amber Militrano made nine saves in the win.
The West Haven boys tennis team fell to 4-6 with a 5-2 loss against Hamden at West Haven Tuesday afternoon. Hamden improved to 10-0.
In singles action, Hamden’s Brian Oppenheim defeated Punar Garani 3-6, 6-2, 6-1, Quinn Northrup topped West Haven’s second seed Miguel Torres 6-0, 6-0, third-seeded Nolan Jermain defeated Benjamin Sager 6-2, 6-3, and fourth-seeded Josh Alexander of Hamden topped Brandon Sihaphong 6-3, 6-2.
In doubles play, Hamden’s Paras Dodd and Rayd Hussain defeated Eshwar Balakumar and Robert Vets 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.
West Haven’s second seed of Johnny Chen and Yousef Khan defeated Kaustuv Mohany and Keshav Menon 6-2, 3-6, 7-6, while third-seeded Valentin Diaz and Abdourahim Mbengue of West Haven topped Anshul Deval and Lucian Gaetjen 6-3, 6-3.
For all your West Haven sporting news throughout the year, including game articles by Mike Madera, highlights, photos and more, visit www.westieblue.com.