The Savin Rock (West Haven) Seadogs 14U travel baseball team closed the regular season with three consecutive victories to finish with a 9-6 record and a fourth-place league finish in a field of 14. The Seadogs are the fourth seed in the upcoming playoffs and will open the postseason Friday evening.
After falling to the Connecticut Edge in the opening game of a doubleheader, the Seadogs responded with a 19-6 victory in the nightcap behind five runs batted in from Evan Jones.
Jones led the offensive attack with three hits and three runs scored to go along with the five runs batted in, while Ray Gilbert, Haygen Axelrod, and Ryan Robinson each added a pair of hits. Jesse Buonocore, Cam Cruz, Michael Madera and Fabrizio Nunez all added hits in the win.
Axelrod scored four runs, Gilbert scored three times, and Buonocore, Madera and Nunez each scored twice. Jones went the distance on the hill in a game stopped after five innings, allowing eight hits, while striking out seven and walking three.
The Seadogs took control of the contest in the first inning, scoring four times. Gilbert singled and scored on a triple to right by Axelrod, Jones delivered Axelrod with a single, and Buonocore tripled to score Jones. Cruz delivered Buonocore with a sacrifice fly to left.
Savin Rock took a 9-1 lead in the third with five more runs. With two outs and the bases loaded, Cruz singled to score Jones and Buonocore, Madera walked to load the bases, a balk scored Axelrod, Chase Supan walked to load the bases, and Robinson singled to score Cruz and Madera for a 9-1 lead.
Jones hit a bases-loaded triple in the fourth to score Nunez, Gilbert, and Axelrod, before Savin Rock put the game away with seven in the fifth. Anthony Constantinople walked to force in Madera, Supan scored on a fielder’s choice by Nunez, Axelrod walked to force in Constantinople, Jones singled to score Nunez, Gilbert scored on a hit batter, Josh Trager walked to force in Axelrod, and Jones scored on a single by Madera.
In the opening game loss, Buonocore led the offense with two hits, Axelrod drove in three runs, Nunez drove in a pair, and Robinson and Madera each scored twice.
The Seadogs picked up their eighth win of the season with a 4-2 victory over Boys of Summer. Robinson went the distance on the hill, allowing eight hits and two runs, while striking out four.
In a well-pitched game by both teams, the Seadogs managed just six hits, with Gilbert, Jones, Buonocore, Madera, Robinson, and Nunez each picking up one apiece.
Trailing 2-0 in the third, Robinson and Nunez sandwiched singles around a walk to Constantinople to load the bases, before a single by Gilbert scored Robinson to cut the deficit to 2-1. Axelrod delivered Constantinople with a sacrifice fly to center, and Buonocore singled to score Nunez for a 3-2 lead.
Savin Rock added an insurance run in the seventh when Buonocore scored on a passed ball.
The Seadogs closed the regular season with a 9-4 victory over Mayhem Saturday at East Shore. Buonocore and Jones combined on a four-hitter, allowing just one earned run on the hill.
Gilbert led the offense with three hits, while Buonocore had a pair, including a long home run to center, and Jones scored twice.
Trailing 1-0, Savin Rock took the lead for good with two runs in the bottom of the first and seven in the second. In the first inning, Gilbert singled to right and scored on Buonocore’s long homer to center.
In the second, Robinson singled to score Cruz, Madera scored on a fielder’s choice by Constantinople, and Nunez singled to center to score Robinson for a 5-1 lead. Gilbert doubled to score Constantinople, Buonocore singled to score Nunez, and an error and a wild pitch scored the final two runs of the inning.