Having been shut out its last two games, the West Haven softball team was looking for a spark. That spark could not have come at a better time.
Scoring twice in the bottom of the seventh inning, West Haven rallied to top East Haven 5-4 at Biondi Field in West Haven last Thursday evening. With the win, West Haven snapped a two-game losing streak, improved to 8-9 on the year, and qualified for the postseason.
Veronica Lynn led West Haven with four hits, one run scored and one run batted in, and Ashlynn O’Keefe had two hits and two runs scored. Both were part of the last inning rally.
West Haven trailed 4-3 before O’Keefe led off the seventh with a bunt single, and Lynn tripled to right to plate O’Keefe with the tying run. After Kailey Carrano and Makenna White were intentionally walked to load the bases, Morgan Peryer singled to center, scoring Lynn, and sending West Haven to the postseason.
The Westies took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when White led off with a double to center, Peryer grounded out to advance White to third, and Ivy Santos grounded to third to score White.
East Haven took a 2-1 lead in the third on Jessica Stettinger’s two-run homer, but the Westies evened the game in the bottom of the inning with a two-out rally. O’Keefe, Lynn and Carrano singled with two outs to plate O’Keefe for a 2-2 tie.
East Haven took advantage of a West Haven error to score twice in the fifth for a 4-2 lead, but West Haven chipped away in the bottom of the inning. Brianna Sebastian led off with a walk, moved to second on a sacrifice, third on a single by Lynn, and scored on an error.
Santos went the distance, allowing two earned runs on nine hits, while walking two and striking out five.
Less than a week after rallying to qualify for the postseason, the West Haven softball team is already looking to improve its state tournament seeding. Capitalizing on seven Branford errors, West Haven rolled to a 10-1 victory over Branford Monday evening at Biondi Field in West Haven.
The Westies (9-9) managed only five hits in the contests, but scored twice in each of the second, third, and sixth innings, along with four times in the fourth to post the lop-sided victory.
Santos was stellar in the pitching circle, allowing one unearned run on three hits, while walking one and striking out seven in a complete game effort.
Santos also led the offense with two hits, two runs scored, and one run batted in. Kasey Marron drove in two runs, while Kailey Carrano, Makenna White, and Morgan Peryer each scored twice. The Westies also drew seven walks in the contest, with Veronica Lynn and Carrano gaining two free passes apiece.
West Haven took a 2-0 lead in the second as Peryer reached on an error to lead off the inning, Santos singled to center, and Marron walked to load the bases. Peryer scored the first run on a wild pitch, and Santos scored on a sacrifice fly by Ashlynn O’Keefe.
The Westies increased the margin to 4-0 in the third inning with two more runs. Carrano walked, and Santos hit a two-out single to score Carrano. Marron singled later in the inning to score Santos for a 4-0 lead.
West Haven put the game away in the fourth inning with four more runs for an 8-0 advantage.
O’Keefe was hit by a pitch with one out, Lynn walked, Carrano walked to load the bases, and White singled to score O’Keefe. Lynn and Carrano scored on an error, and Peryer singled to score White for an 8-0 advantage.
Marron delivered White with a sacrifice fly in the sixth, before Peryer scored on Michelle Madar’s grounder for a 10-0 advantage.
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