The West Haven softball team continues to roll over state competition, improved to 9-0 and in the process qualified for postseason play last week. After their game with Shelton was postponed on Monday, the Blue Devils traveled to Wallingford on Wednesday with a chance to qualify for the playoffs against the Lyman Hall Trojans. The Westies got a big performance from Ivy Santos, who pitched a complete game in the circle, allowing one earned run on six hits, while striking out eight Trojans. Santos also helped with the bat, getting three hits, including a line-drive grand slam homerun to center in the fourth inning, and five RBIs. The Westies took an early 2-0 lead in the first inning, when Morgan Peryer singled, was sacrificed to second by Ashlynn O’Keefe and came around to score on a single by Veronica Lynn. Lynn scored when Kailey Carrano drew a throw attempting to steal second and during the ensuing rundown, Lynn scampered home before the out was made. The Westies increased the lead in the second inning when Dede Rodriguez and Paige Beurer singled and Peryer drove the runners in to make it 4-0. The girls put the game away in the fourth inning when Gigi Perkins singled, O’Keefe walked and Lynn singled to load the bases for Santos, who drilled a grand slam to center to put the Westies up 9-2 on their way to the 11-3 final.
On Thursday morning, the Blue Devils completed the home-and-home series with the Trojans. Things did not look good for the girls in the first inning when Lyman Hall struck for four runs on three hits and three Westie errors. The girls responded though with three runs of their own in the bottom of the inning and then went on to put up crocked numbers in the third and fifth innings to defeat the Trojans 12-5. Kailey Carrano led the Blue Devils with four hits and four RBIs, Ivy Santos and Paige Beurer each had two hits and two RBIs while Veronica Lynn had two hits, including her 100th of her career in the first inning. Santos went the distance again in the circle and did not allow an earned run while giving up eight hits and striking out seven.
This week, the girls hosted Hillhouse on Monday, traveled to Shelton for last week’s makeup game on Tuesday and finished the week when they hosted Hamden on Wednesday.
The baseball team suffered its fourth, straight loss on Tuesday afternoon at Piurek Field at the hands of the Hamden Green Dragons. The Westies fell behind 4-0 before they scratched out a run in the bottom of the third when Hunter Axelrod and Tyler Jones singled to set the table for Dom Cambino. Cambino singled but Axelrod was cut down at third. Mike Tonucci then singled to score Jones and cut the lead to 4-1. In the sixth inning after Hamden made it 5-1, JC Contreras doubled and Chris Cavallaro singled. Contreras scored when Gianni Gambardella reached on an error by the shortstop by make it a 5-2 game. Unfortunately for the Westies that would be the extent of their scoring in the loss. Freshman Gianni Gambardella pitched a complete game on the mound allowing three, earned runs on eight hits.
This week, the Blue Devils hosted Shelton on Monday, Bassick on Wednesday and finish the week with a trip to Middletown to face the Xavier Falcons on Friday at 7 at Palmer Field.
The boys’ lacrosse team split its two games last week. On Monday evening, the Westies traveled up the hill to Veterans Stadium to face cross-town rival Notre Dame. The Green Knights took a 3-0 lead after one quarter and added to their lead 52 seconds into the second quarter before the Blue Devils had an answer. Connor Fowler took a pass from Tyler Moscato and made a blind, over the shoulder shot to the lower corner of the net to cut the lead to 4-1 with 9:43 left in the half. Notre Dame tacked on goals with 3:44 and 3:31 left before Tyler Moscato scored 21 seconds later. The Knights added a goal with 2:14 left in the half to send the teams to the half at 7-2.
The Blue Devils got goals from Niko Kyle, Nick Camara, a second goal from Connor Fowler and a goal from Justin Rivera in the second half but the Green Knights got seven more for the 14-6 final. Kevin Moriarty continued to pile up the saves, making 37 between the pipes for West Haven.
The Westies bounced back with a victory over the Lyman Hall Trojans on Wednesday evening at Ken Strong Stadium. Niko Kyle gave the Blue Devils the lead with 1:48 left in the first quarter while Kevin Moriarty kept the Trojans off the board. Steve Moran made it 2-0 with 6:16 left in the second quarter when he raced up the field and rifled a shot from 25 yards out for the goal. West Haven extended the lead to 3-0 in the third quarter when Justin Rivera scored with 10:08 left and then Niko Kyle made it 4-0 with 6:28 left in the quarter. Nick Camara made it 5-0 just 36 seconds into the fourth quarter but the Trojans responded eight seconds later to break the shutout. Justin Rivera made it 6-1 with 9:25 left in the game but Lyman Hall added two goals with 4:26 and 1:46 left for the 6-3 final. Moriarty stopped 33 Lyman Hall shots to preserve the victory.
This week, the boys hosted Notre Dame of Fairfield on Monday, traveled to Milford to take on the Foran Lions on Wednesday and host the Windsor Warriors on Saturday at 11.
The girls’ lacrosse team broke through last week getting its first win of the season with a 6-5 OT victory over the Gaels in Shelton. Gianni Sliby, Maura Dowd, Morrighan Leavitt and Taylor Nowak scored first half goals to give the Blue Devils a 4-3 halftime lead. The Gaels scored 3:08 into the second half to knot the game up at 4-4 but, Keegan Riccio scored 1:56 later to put the Westies back in front 5-4. Shelton was able to get the equalizer with 4:23 left in the contest sending the game to overtime. CC Condon found the back of the net with 2:40 left in the OT to give the Blue Devils a 6-5 victory, their first of the season. Nicole Gaston made 13 saves between the pipes to preserve the victory.
On Thursday morning, the Westies traveled to Middletown to face the Mercy Tigers. The Tigers scored three goals in the first 6:17 before the Blue Devils responded with a goal by Keegan Riccio with 17:23 left in the first half. After Mercy scored two, more goals, Angela Borelli scored with 4:56 left in the half to get the Westies back within three at 5-2. Unfortunately for the girls, the Tigers scored the next, seven goals to go up 12-2 with 7:23 left in the game. Angela Borelli netted her second goal of the game with 5:25 left and Maura Dowd scored with a minute left for the 12-4 final. Nicole Gaston made 10 saves in goal for West Haven.
This week, the girls hosted the Amity Spartans on Tuesday and head to Lyman Hall to take on the Trojans on Thursday at 3:45.
The boys’ tennis team got a Panther double killing on Tuesday last week. On Tuesday morning, the Westies defeated the Platt Tech Panthers, 7-0, at Eisenhower Park. In singles action, Joseph Delgado won, 8-0, Zach Kerzner won, 8-2, Anthony Siaphong won, 8-1, Jonathan Saier won, 8-0, and Abdul Mohamadneur won 8-1. In doubles play, Nash Noble/Lucien Zheng were victorious, 8-3, and Jason Ramirez/Ron Wood won, 8-0.
The Westies hopped on a bus and headed back to Painter Park where the boys got their second victory of the day with a 7-0 triumph over the Career Panthers. Delgado won, 6-0, 6-0, Kerzner won, 6-0, 6-0, Siaphong won, 6-0, 6-1 and Saier won, 6-1, 6-1 in singles play. In doubles, the Westies pairing of Awaab Osman and Ben Sager were victorious, 6-0, 6-4.
This week, the boys traveled to Amity on Tuesday, headed to Jonathan Law on Wednesday and finish the week hosting the Hand Tigers on Friday at 3:45.
The girls’ tennis team suffered to 7-0 losses to North Haven and Mercy last week and will look to bounce back this week. The Westies hosted Platt Tech on Monday, Shelton on Tuesday and traveled to Career on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, the girls’ track and field team defeated Foran 76-74 but lost to Cheshire 98-52 last week at Cheshire. Tomalyn Williams won the 100, Brianna Sebastian took the high jump, Daniela Morales won the shot put and the 4 x 100 relay team was victorious.
On Thursday morning, the girls traveled to Milford to face Foran and Platt Tech. The Blue Devils got victories from Brianna Sebastian (100 and the high jump), Madison Barbieri (100 hurdles), Jime’Ra Howard (javelin) and Daniela Morales (discus).
The boys’ track and field team hosted Cheshire, East Haven and Guilford on Tuesday. Dontae Salvatore took the 100 and was a member of the victorious 4 x 100 relay team with Angel Cepin, Dontae Noel and Marlin Walker. Walker also took the 200, while Cepin won the long jump and Sebastian Villanueva won the 3200.