The West Haven baseball team was looking to get off to a good start. Chase Supan gave the Westies everything they could have asked for on the mound.
The senior pitcher tossed a complete game, allowing just two runs on two hits, while striking out two and walking two.
Unfortunately for Supan and the Westies, Greenwich pitcher Troy Goodwin was just as good.
Goodwin also tossed a complete game two-hitter, striking out six and hitting a batter as Greenwich topped West Haven 2-0 in Greenwich Saturday afternoon. He did not allow a walk.
The difference in the game was the fourth inning as John McHugh led off with a home run to center, and a two-out single by Goodwin plated the second run.
That was all the offense on the day for Greenwich, but Goodwin made the two runs stand up. West Haven had just two hits, a sixth inning single by Mike Madera and a leadoff single by Ray Gilbert in the seventh inning.
West Haven’s first baserunner came in the third when Brady Price was hit by a pitch, but he was caught stealing. Supan was hit by a pitch to lead off the fifth, but he went no further.
Madera hit a one-out single in the sixth, but a fly out and a ground out left him stranded. Gilbert provided more life to start the seventh as he reached on a sharp single to third, but a pop out and two strikeouts ended any thought of a West Haven comeback.
Despite the Cardinals putting runners on base, Supan was in control of the contest. Supan picked off a runner in the first, worked around a two-out walk in the second, and picked off another runner in the fifth.
West Haven was looking to get its offense going and get in the win column in the process Monday afternoon in Hamden. While the offense showed life with seven hits, the initial win of the 2024 season did not follow as the Green Dragons posted a 9-2 victory over the Westies at Hamden High.
West Haven had its chances to score, but only capitalized in the first and fourth innings. Jose Padilla led the offense with three hits, while Supan and Price each had a pair of hits in the loss.
West Haven’s threatened early as Jose Padilla and Hudson Axelrod walked to lead off the game and Gilbert was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Supan singled to score Padilla, and with one out, Connor Hume hit a fly ball to right.
Axelrod appeared to score on the fly ball, but he was ruled out for not tagging up on the play.
Hamden then responded in the bottom of the inning, using a two-out, two-run double by Kam Gamm for a 2-1 lead.
West Haven threatened again in the second as Price and Padilla singled and Axelrod walked to load the bases, but West Haven could not get on the board.
The Westies evened the game in the fourth, but again left runners in scoring position. Price started the rally with an infield single, Madera reached on an error, and Padilla doubled to score Price and send Madera to third.
With two West Haven runners in scoring position, Hamden again got out of the inning with a pair of ground outs to end the threat.
The Green Dragons added single runs in the fourth and fifth innings, then blew the game open with five in the sixth for the 9-2 lead.
Supan singled, but was stranded at second in the fifth, and Padilla’s two-out single went for naught in the sixth.
Starting the season on the road, West Haven knew the importance of getting off to a quick start. Mia Rubirosa made sure to oblige.
The senior pitcher was dominant in the circle, allowing three hits, striking out 15 and walking three as West Haven topped McMahon 9-0 on the road Saturday afternoon.
The win was the first for head coach Bridget Figmic, while Rubirosa scored twice to set the school record for all-time runs scored.
Rubirosa led the offense with three hits, two runs scored and two runs batted in. Taylor Alfano had three hits, scored once and drove in a run, Olivia McDonnell had two hits and drove in three runs, while Sarah Davey scored twice and drove in two runs.
West Haven took a 3-0 lead in the third and put the game away with six more runs in the fifth. The Westies had 14 hits in the victory.
The Westies got going in the third as Davey led off with a single to right, and Rubirosa hit a one-out single to score Davey. After Natalie Gallo singled, Alfano doubled to score Rubirosa, and McDonnell grounded out to score Gallo.
Rubirosa doubled to lead off the fifth, went to third on a passed ball, and scored on a ground out by Gallo for a 4-0 lead. After Alfano singled, McDonnell homered for a 6-0 lead.
Holly Waibel doubled, Abigail Wynus walked, Davey walked with two outs, and Aniah Glover singled to score a pair for an 8-0 advantage. Rubirosa doubled to score Davey for the 9-0 lead.
West Haven was looking forward to playing its first home game on the newly turfed Biondi Field. Unfortunately for the Westies, North Haven spoiled the party.
Scoring twice to break a tie game in the fourth inning, and adding five runs in the fifth and four more in the sixth, North Haven topped West Haven 12-3 Monday afternoon.
West Haven (1-1) had seven hits in the game and was led by two off the bat of Alfano. Sarah Davey homered in the loss for the Westies.
Trailing 1-0 in the second, McDonnell led off with a single and scored the equalizer on a double to left by Shannon Hoey.
North Haven took a 3-1 lead in the fourth on a leadoff homer and a run-scoring ground out, before West Haven could not capitalize on singles by Alfano and Waibel in the bottom of the inning.
The Nighthawks broke the game open in the fifth on a grand slam by Alexandra Anquillare for an 8- 1 lead.
West Haven inched closer as Davey led off with a homer in the bottom of the inning and Alfano doubled to score Rubirosa as the Westies got within 8-3.
The West Haven boys tennis team opened the season with a 6-1 loss to Xavier at West Haven High Monday afternoon.
West Haven’s only victory came in singles play as fourth-seeded Johnny Chen Will Finch 6-4, 6-3. Top-seeded Jaycek Simko defeated West Haven’s Miguel Torres 3-6, 6-4, 7-5, second-seeded Nathan Philip topped West Haven’s Brandon Sihaphong 6-2, 6-1, and third-seeded Sam March won 6-2, 6-2 over Eshwar Balakumar of West Haven.
In doubles play, the Falcons swept all three matches. Top-seeded Nikhil Tailor and Aanay Chandra defeated West Haven’s Javon Huang and Caden Mateo 6-1, 6-0, second-seeded Will Despress and Bryson Hester topped David Guadarrama and Ali Hamza of West Haven 6-3, 6-3, and Petrus Paul and Ben Romero defeated West Haven’s Woobin Kim and Jordan Smith 6-0, 6-0.
For all your West Haven sporting news throughout the year, including game articles by Mike Madera, highlights, photos and more, visit www.westieblue.com.