After a tough loss at Shelton, the West Haven baseball team was looking to get back on the winning track. A solid pitching performance by junior Haygen Axelrod could not do the trick.
Despite Axelrod pitching a complete game, West Haven fell to Lyman Hall, 4-1, at Pat Wall Field in Wallingford..
Axelrod was on throughout the game using 87 pitches to move through six innings. The West Haven pitcher allowed six hits and two earned runs, while walking three and striking out three.
West Haven went down in order in the first three innings and trailed 1-0 entering the fourth.
KJ Harp started West Haven’s fourth when he hit an infield single and moved to second on an error on the play. Harp went to third on a wild pitch and scored on a single to right by Ray Gilbert to even the game at one.
Jose Padilla followed with a single to center, but a double play ball ended the inning for the Westies.
Lyman Hall took the lead with a run in the bottom of the fifth, and put the game away with two more runs in the sixth.
West Haven got back on the winning track with a 10-0 victory over Wilbur Cross in a five-inning mercy rule contest at Piurek Field.
Evan Jones picked up the victory with five strong innings, allowing just two hits, with one walk and four strikeouts. Jones threw 69 pitches, 45 for strikes.
Gilbert led the offense with three hits and three runs scored, Padilla had two hits, drove in a run, and scored once, while Harp added a hit, drove in two runs, and scored once.
Looking to build some momentum after a victory over Wilbur Cross, West Haven knew it was in for a tough contest against Hamden.
Hamden pitcher Aiden Jovia proved to be tough, allowing just three hits, while walking two and striking out eight in a 9-0 Hamden victory at Piurek Field in West Haven Friday evening.
Three Green Dragons scored four times in the second and added another in the fifth, before putting the game away with three runs in the fifth.
Hume started for the Westies, allowing seven runs, three earned, on six hits, while walking two in 4 1/3 innings of work.
Gilbert led the West Haven offense with two hits, while Jones added a double. West Haven also walked four times, but the Westies could not generate any offense.
West Haven baseball team dropped its third straight contest and fell to 3-8 with a 4-0 loss against Amity at Piurek Field in West Haven Wednesday afternoon.
Amity’s Brock Goodwin was the story of the game as the Amity pitcher tossed a no-hitter, allowing just three baserunners. Goodwin retired the last 16 batters in a row to close the gem.
West Haven did not mount much offense in the contest with Gilbert reaching on an error in the first, but he was left stranded.
The West Haven softball won 15-0 five-inning victory over Wilbur Cross. Despite managing just four hits, the Westies took advantage of 19 walks to pick up the victory.
Mia Rubirosa was the winning pitcher, allowing just one hit in four innings of work, while walking three and striking out nine. Taylor Alfano pitched the fifth, allowing one hit and striking out two.
Hannah Burrows led the Westies with three runs batted in and three runs scored, while Alfano scored three times, and Juliana Petruzziello and Shyanne Raccio each scored twice. Olivia McDonnell also drove in three runs for West Haven.
Just one game after putting up 15 runs, the West Haven softball team did even better. Pounding 20 hits and taking advantage of six Sacred Heart Academy errors, West Haven rolled to a 20-10 victory over the Sharks.
Every player in the starting lineup for West Haven had at least one hit, with Miller leading the way with four hits, five runs batted in, and two runs scored. Rubirosa added three hits, drove in three runs, and scored four times, Melanie Jimenez had three hits, two runs batted in, and two runs scored, while Raccio, Burrows, Carrano, and Natalie Gallo each had two hits.
Gallo scored four times and drove in two runs, Carrano scored three times and drove in a run, Raccio scored twice and drove in a run, and Burrows scored twice.
After scoring 35 runs in the last two games, the bats went silent for the West Haven softball team. Held to just four hits, West Haven fell to Cheshire, 7-0, in a road contest.
Not only were the West Haven bats silent, but four errors on the defensive side led to five unearned runs.
Jimenez led West Haven with two hits, while Rubirosa and Burrows added one hit apiece.
West Haven made the most of its opportunities. Despite having just six hits, West Haven took advantage of nine walks and defeated Mercy-Middletown, 14-2, in a mercy rule contest after six innings at Biondi Field.
Raccio and Alfano led the Westies with two hits apiece, while Carrano and Rubirosa each scored three times. Alfano and Gallo each scored twice in the win.
Rubirosa picked up the victory in the pitching circle, allowing six hits and two runs, one earned, while walking three and striking out four.
West Haven improved to 6-4 with a 5-2 victory over Amity at Biondi Field.
Raccio was stellar in the pitching circle, allowing two earned runs on seven hits, while walking two and striking out two.
Offensively, Rubirosa led the way with three hits, two runs scored, and a run batted in. Raccio also drove in a pair.
West Haven took a 1-0 lead in the second, added two more in the third, and matched Amity’s single runs in the fifth and sixth innings.
Alfano got West Haven going in the second when she led off with a single, moved to second on a sacrifice by Burrows, third on a passed ball, and scored on a ground out by Carrano.
The lead increased to 3-0 in the third as Rubirosa singled, and later scored on an error, before Raccio’s double scored Jimenez.
Raccio’s grounder to second scored Rubirosa, who had singled in the fifth, before Rubirosa singled to score Burrows, who had singled, in the sixth.
The West Haven boys lacrosse team fell to 0-5 with a 20-7 los to Hamden.
Hamden outshot the Westies 48-25 with West Haven goalies T.J. Levenduski making 13 saves and Ameir Durham making 15 saves.
Marcus Burrows recorded his first career hat trick, Nick Conlan scored twice, Zach Forbes recorded his first career goal, and Connor Hummel also scored in the loss.
West Haven scored three times in the opening quarter, with Burrows scoring at the 9:31 and 5:50 marks. Hummel scored off an assist from Conlan at the 2:40 mark of the opening quarter.
The Westies added three more goals in the second quarter as Forbes scored unassisted at 8:04, Burrows scored his third of the game off an assist from Khai Outhavong with 1:39 left and Conlan tallied 39 seconds later.
Conlan scored West Haven’s final goal with 9:24 remaining in the fourth.
West Haven team fell to 0-6 with a 15-2 loss against North Haven.
Conlan and Aedan Coe each scored for the Westies, while Levenduski made 12 saves. Victor Smith also played well defensively for the Westies.
North Haven outshot West Haven 35-16 in the contest, with both of West Haven’s goals coming in the fourth quarter. Coe scored with 3:30 remaining and Conlan added the final tally with 18.2 seconds to go.
West Haven is getting closer to that first win. Battling for three quarters, the Westies could not prevail in a 15-6 loss to Lyman Hall.
Conlan led the offense with three goals, Burrows added two goals and an assist, and Coe also scored.
Conlan opened West Haven’s scoring with 10:06 left in the opening quarter and Burrows followed suit with 4:53 remaining in the first quarter.
The Westies scored three times in the final 2:56 of the opening half on goals by Burrows with 2:56 remaining, Coe 1:05 later, and Conlan off an assist from Burrows with 53.3 seconds left in the half.
Conlan scored the final West Haven goal in the fourth quarter.
West Haven was outshot 35-18 in the contest. Levenduski made 10 saves and Durham finished with four saves for the Westies. Myles Cortes was solid on crease defense for West Haven.
West Haven battled, but the team could not prevail in a 13-9 loss at Branford.
Six different players scored for the Westies and eight players were in the scoring column. Conlan led the way with two goals and two assists, Connor Hummel and Outhavong each scored twice, while Zach Forbes, Coe and Burrows also scored.
In an offensive contest, Branford held a 39-22 shot advantage. Levenduski made 10 saves and Durham made six in the loss for the Westies.
The West Haven girls lacrosse team fell to 1-4 with a 15-14 loss at Mercy. Six different players were in the scoring column in defeat for the Westies.
Julia Tsakonas led the way for West Haven with six goals and one assist, Delaney Johnston scored five times, and Brooke Moscato added two goals and an assist. Melissa Tsakonas added one goal and an assist, while Chloe Whelan and Heather Fonda each added two assists.
West Haven improved to 2-5 with a thrilling 11-10 victory over Lyman Hall. Trailing 5-0, West Haven rallied for the victory as Whelan scored with 5:27 remaining.
Amber Militrano finished with seven saves, including several in the second half to help preserve the comeback victory.
Johnston scored six goals, Julia Tsakonas added three, and Moscato also scored for West Haven. Nada El Mouki and Melissa Tsakonas each had two assists in the win.
West Haven could not continue its winning ways, falling to Foran 14-7 in Milford Monday evening. With the loss, the Westies fell to 2-6 on the year.
Melissa Tsakonas and Johnston led the way with three goals apiece, while Julia Tsakonas also scored once. Johnston added two assists, while Whelan and Moscato added one assist apiece.
Militrano made 16 saves in the loss for West Haven.
The West Haven boys tennis team swept doubles play in a 5-2 victory over Foran at West Haven. With the victory, the Westies improved to 5-2 on the year.
In singles play, West Haven’s top-seed of Miguel Torres defeated Ryan Purviance. 6-4, 6-2, and second-seeded Brandon Sihaphong topped Arush Puri 6-3, 6-2. Foran won the next two singles matches as third-seeded Tristan Adorno defeated West Haven’s Eshwar Balakumar, 6-0, 6-0, and fourth-seeded Oscar Lin topped West Haven’s Johnny Chen 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.
In doubles play, West Haven’s top-seed of David Guadarrama and Javon Huang defeated Keith Pokornowski and Johann Chen, 7-6, 6-4, and second-seeded Valentin Diaz and Caden Mateo topped John Brown and Karth Lakoji, 6-3, 6-1. Third-seeded Ali Hamza and Yousaf Khan defeated Noah Held and Lennie Prue, 6-3, 6-3.
After suffering its first defeat of the year against Wilbur Cross earlier in the season, the West Haven boys tennis team had a second chance against the Governors Thursday afternoon. Unfortunately for the Westies, the Governors came out on top once again in New Haven.
With the loss, West Haven fell to 5-3 on the season, while Cross improved to 7-1.
West Haven picked up one of its victories in singles play as top-seeded Torres defeated JJ O’Garro, 6-3, 6-4. West Haven’s only other victory came in doubles action as second-seeded Diaz and Mateo defeated Krish Patel and Aki Hussian, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5.
In doubles play, top-seeded Mario Berrios and Cassius Morgan Co of Cross defeated, Guadarrama and Huang 6-1, 6-3, while third-seeded Vikram Dalal and Julian Theodore of Cross topped Hamza and Muhammad Tahir, 6-4, 6-3.
West Haven rebounded from a loss against Cross to defeat Career, 6-1, and improve to 6-3..
In singles action, Career’s top seed Marcus Duff defeated West Haven’s Torres, 6-4, 6-1. West Haven won the rest of the matches as second-seeded Sihaphong topped Terry Giles, 6-1, 6-2, third-seeded Balakumar defeated Ravi Dana, 6-0, 6-0, and fourth-seeded Chen also won.
In doubles play, top-seeded Guadarrama and Huang topped Chris Santiago and Jaylen Lopes, 6-0, 6-0, while second-seeded Diaz and Mateo, and third-seeded Hamza and Khan were also victorious.
West Haven knew it was in for a tough battle visiting undefeated Shelton. Behind a team effort, the Westies prevailed, defeating Shelton, 4-3, on the road.
In singles play, top-seeded Torres defeated Chase Graber, 6-3, 7-6, while second-seeded Sihaphong topped Ben Rhode,s 4-6, 7-5, 6-1. Shelton’s third seed Adam Klein topped West Haven’s Balakumar 6-0, 6-0, while West Haven’s fourth seeded Chen defeated Anthony Rivera, 6-2, 6-1.
In doubles play, Shelton’s top seed of Jack Mackniak and Jack Parkes defeated West Haven’s Guadarrama and Huang, 6-0, 6-2. West Haven’s second seed of Diaz and Mateo topped Ryan Ouloul and J. P. Kocotn 6-2, 6-1, while Shelton’s third seed of Dominik Guleviowski and Shoham Agrawal defeated West Haven’s Hamza and Khan, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.
For all your West Haven sporting news throughout the year, including game articles by Mike Madera, highlights, photos and more, visit www.westieblue.com.