Glastonbury High School boys soccer coach Chris Vozzolo described senior standout Aiden Crean as a “great decision maker” and a “leader by example.”
Soon after his senior season ended, Crean made a decision on his future and will be setting an example on the soccer fields at his next destination in Rhode Island. “I’m excited to announce my commitment to Salve Regina to continue my academic and athletic career,” Crean announced earlier this year. “Thank you to everyone that has helped me in this process.” Crean was raised in a family that primarily played baseball, and he too dabbled in baseball, before discovering that his passion was on the pitch. After playing town soccer as a toddler and excelling at club soccer for Oakwood, Crean continued to thrive at the high school level. “Soccer is a part of my identity,” stated Crean, who also played Connecticut Football Club (CFC) soccer in the winter and spring, “I revolve my weekly schedule around it and it takes up 10-11 months out of the year, but I love the sport. I’ve made so many connections through soccer.” This past fall, he earned all-conference and was captain for a Guardians team that lost only once in the regular season and finished with the fourth-best record in Class LL. Crean noted that it’s the candid moments that he shared with his teammates at GHS that he will miss the most, also crediting both of his head coaches for making his time at the school an enjoyable one. For his first two years, Crean played under longtime coach Mark Landers before Vozzolo took over prior to his junior year. “I liked helping create a new identity for the program,” said Crean, who solidify the backline for the Guardians defense that shutout ten teams this past season. Vozzolo said that Crean was the ideal general on the defense end. “Aiden was a huge part of controlling the final third of the field on that end,” stated Vozzolo. “He is an extremely good tackler on the ball and an extremely good communicator.” Outside of athletics, Crean volunteered for Unified Sports for multiple years at GHS and was part of the Big Siblings program during his junior and senior years. When searching for a college, Crean said it was important to find a place that allowed him to blend school work and with his dedication to soccer. “Salve was a really attractive school because of that balance and because of location,” Crean said of the school in Newport. He will be joining a Seahawks team guided by longtime coach Craig O'Rourke II, who has led the program to a pair of conference titles, most recently in 2019. On Monday, Crean was one of 468 graduates at GHS. He now turns his attention to challenges beyond his home town. “I’m excited for the change,” said Crean, who was born and raised in Glastonbury. “I’m looking forward to meeting new people and continue playing soccer against players at the college level.”
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Cromwell High School seniors Lily Kenney and Grace McFarlin each connected on career hit #100 in the Panthers’ quarterfinals victory over Notre Dame-Fairfield on June 3.
Lily Kenney - Cromwell High School (Softball): Kenney turned in a trio of outstanding outings in the first three rounds of the Class S state tournament, combining to strike out 43 batters and allow only one run as the Panthers eliminated Hale Ray (10-1), Lyman Memorial (7-0), and Notre Dame-Fairfield (2-0). Kenney, a senior, also had a pair of hits and drove in four runs in the opening round win and scored runs in each of the next two games. In the win over Notre-Dame, Kenney registered her 700th career strikeout from the mound and connected on her 100th hit from the plate. Senior teammate Grace McFarlin also picked up her 100th hit in the quarterfinals victory at CHS, driving home the game-deciding runs on a single in the bottom of the sixth to send the Panthers to the state semifinals. Nick Kelley - Newington High School (Baseball): Kelley connected on a pair of hits, including a home run, and pitched six solid innings as the Nor’easters downed Danbury 5-2 in the second round of the Class LL tournament on May 31. Three days later, the Nor’easters defeated New Canaan, 4-2, in the quarterfinals behind eight strikeouts from pitcher Sam Drozd and a home run from Josiah Ross. Daniel DiTunno - Rocky Hill High School (Track and Field): DiTunno placed third in the 3200 meters at the Class M championships at Willow Brook Park in New Britain on May 30. DiTunno, a sophomore, finished in 9:55.27 to qualify for the State Open and senior teammate Joshua Fletcher also qualified for the State Open after finishing fourth in the 100 meter dash, running a time of 11.38. Christian Morales - Wethersfield High School (Baseball): Morales, a sophomore, connected on a walk-off hit down the right field line, sending home Ethan Lemos for the game-winning run as the Eagles defeated E.O. Smith 4-3 in the second round of the Class L tournament on May 31. Wethersfield, who entered the state tourney as the No. 22 seed, upset No. 11 Avon 13-1 on the road in the opening round before returning to WHS to eliminate the visiting Panthers from Storrs. Jacob Lawless - Newington High School (Volleyball): Lawless dished out 36 assists, registered a dozen digs, and had 10 kills as the No. 15 Nor’easters upset No. 2 Windsor in the first round of the Class M state tournament. The 10 kills were a season-high for Lawless, a senior setter who averaged 7.5 assists per set this spring. RHAM lacrosse senior Ciara Murray scored her 100th career point on May 22 in a victory over Rocky Hill. Murray is pictured with her teammates following her milestone achievement.
Double dose of Rivereast Standouts of the Week for the week of May 21 - 27: Ciara Murray - RHAM High School (Lacrosse): Murray scored three goals and dished out five assists as the Raptors beat Rocky Hill 25-12 on May 22. Murray’s eight points elevated her above the 100 point-mark, giving her 102 points (68 goals and 34 assists) for her career. Caitlin Rydel scored a team-high four goals in the victory, which was the Raptors ninth regular season win. Brady Lalonde - RHAM High School (Lacrosse): Lalonde was named all-conference after playing in all 16 regular season games this spring and is a two-year starter that tallied 40 points. Lalonde, a senior midfielder, was one of three Raptors to make the All-Central Connecticut Conference (CCC), joining junior Josh Weers and sophomore Ben Zigmund. Samuel LaMalfa - Portland High School (Track and Field): LaMalfa won the 400 meters at the Shoreline Conference (SLC) Championships at East Hampton High School on May 24. The speedy sophomore ran a 50.94 to hold off Ryan Newberry of Coginchaug, who finished in 52.09. LaMalfa then teamed with Parker Thompson, Andrew Johnson, and Noah Decker for a third place showing in the 4x400 relay as the Highlanders finished 6th out of the 12 teams that competed at the conference finals. Meghan McPhee - Portland High School (Track and Field): McPhee finished as the runner-up in both the 1600 meters and 3200 meters at the Shoreline Conference (SLC) Championships at East Hampton High School on May 24. McPhee, a junior, has personal best times in both events, running a 5:23.13 in the 1600 and 11:41.34 in the 3200 as the Highlanders placed 4th overall. Andrew Fenton - East Hampton High School (Golf): Andrew Fenton fired a career-best 42, finishing as the match medalist as East Hampton defeated Coginchaug (180-184) earlier this month as the Bellringers finished 5-5 in the Shoreline Conference (SLC). Fenton, a freshman, was one of five Bellringers to shoot under 50 in the match with Chelsea Woods (43), Chase Palmer (47), Brodie Babcock (48), and Jacob Woods (49) also shooting under the mark. Jordan Murphy - East Hampton High School (Track and Field): Murphy won the high jump at the Shoreline Conference (SLC) championships at East Hampton High School on May 24. Murphy, a senior, also placed second in shot put and fourth in javelin, achieving personal-best distances in both events. The Bellringers finished fourth overall at the conference meet. Mason Pingree - Bacon Academy High School (Baseball): Pingree pitched into the sixth inning, striking out eight and retiring a dozen straight batters as one point during the Bobcats 9-2 victory over Griswold in the first round of the Eastern Connecticut Conference (CCC) tournament. Pingree, a sophomore, also came up big at the plate, connecting on a pair of hits to drive in a run and score another. Steven Laliberte had a team-high three hits and Chris Lusignan added two. Jacob Ambrose picked up the save, registering the final out. Ashleen Walsh - William J Johnston Middle School (Track and Field): Walsh won the discus and finished 3rd in the shot put, setting personal-best marks in both, at the 15th Annual Connecticut Middle School Track and Field Championships at Manchester High School on May 27. Walsh, an eighth grader, won the discus by a wide margin, covering a distance of 96’ 03” to defeat the runner-up by nearly 10 feet to take home the first-place finish. To nominate some as an Athlete of the Week, or to offer sports-related comments, email joshhowardsports@gmail.com Portland High School junior Luke Stennett won the Shoreline Conference Championship last week, defeating a field of 55 golfers to finish atop the leaderboard in New Britain.
After finishing as the co-medalist at the Shoreline Conference (SLC) golf championships last year, Portland High School junior Luke Stennett was alone atop the leaderboard this spring, winning a conference title outright on May 23. Stennett shot a course-best 71, besting Cromwell’s Jack Wise by two strokes at Stanley Golf Course in New Britain. A year ago, Stennett tied with Colin Murphy of Cognichaug for a share of the conference crown. “I was just trying to have fun and play my game like I did last year and see what happens, and I was lucky enough to be by myself this time,” recalled Stennett, who is good friends with Wise and the other top finishers. “It was obviously nice to win, but I had a great time. It was fun playing with those guys.” After missing a five-foot putt and shooting a bogey on the second hole, Stennett rebounded by sinking a nearly identical birdie putt on the third hole. “I accepted it and moved on,” Stennett said of his missed putt on the second hole. “I got my redemption on the next hole.” With the wind at his back on the third hole, Stennett used his pitching wedge off the tee, landing the ball within five feet of the hole again. This time he sank the putt, finishing in two shots on a par-three. Stennett’s confidence and rhythm increased as the day grew on, shooting a one-under on back-nine thanks to eight pars and a birdie on 16. Despite leaving a few putts short, Stennett said the conditions and the course fit the way he plays. “I was hitting the ball really well, but I wasn’t able to execute on my putts sadly, but I was still happy with it.” Stennett said of his round. Along with Stennett bringing home some individual hardware, Portland also won the conference as a team, placing 20 strokes ahead of runner-up Cromwell (312-332) to win the conference for a third straight season. All five Highlanders that competed finished in the top-16 out of the 55 golfers that participated. Quinn Lapinski and Ben Fecteau (79) finished tied for 6th, Joe LaMalfa (83) placed 14th, and Gio Discenza (84) finished 16th. Stennett said it’s the “competitive factor” in practices that allows the group to thrive during competition. He also credited head coach Joe Santavenere with challenging the team by mixing it up in practice with a variety of drills. “We always compete in practice and we balance it by having fun. We just love playing the game,” stated Stennett. “We are lucky. We are able to have fun in practice and it carries over to the competition.” Now an upperclassman, Stennett noted that he has found himself mentoring the next generation of Highlanders. In a meeting to start the season, Stennett said he encouraged the younger golfers to use the team’s junior and seniors as a resource. The same day Stennett and the varsity team won a third straight conference, the program’s junior varsity team defeated Coventry (153-155) in a dual meet at Portland Golf Course. Four Highlanders shot under 41, with Julian Wilmer (36) leading the way. Jonah Lavallee (37), William Jahnke (40), and Frederick Bailey (40) each placed in the top-six overall. “[They] are the future to Portland and I want the dynasty to keep going,” added Stennett. “We have a solid JV team that is going to be really good in a few years and we are really proud of that.” Regardless of the level of competition, the Highlanders have created a culture of success in Portland. The conference win was the program’s seventh to go along with six state championships, five since 2016. “We just like proving that it doesn’t matter the size of the school, it’s just about the team and I think our team does a really good job.” stated Stennett. “We are able to compete with top-tier teams and if we play well, we can beat most of them.” Next up is a return trip to Stanley Golf Course for the Division III state championships on Tuesday, June 6. The Highlanders are seeking a third straight state title, winning the competition in both 2021 and 2022. Stennett is aiming for an individual three-peat as well. He won the state championship as a freshman, shooting an even-par to finish atop the leaderboard at the 2021, and last year he was the co-medalist — again tying Murphy for a share of the state title. Whether he was taking the state by surprise as a freshman or playing as the favorite going into the state meet, Stennett said his approach is the same. “I am obviously trying to help the team and do the best I can for the team,” added Stennett. “My goal as a captain is to show everybody that it doesn’t matter how you are playing, as long as you are having fun is what matters.” Cromwell High School sophomore Sharan Manick won the Shoreline Conference Tennis Tournament, proving to be the best singles player in the conference.
Sharan Manick - Cromwell High School (Tennis): Manick won the Shoreline Conference (SLC) tournament, defeating Joseph Morse of Morgan in the title game (6-3, 6-0) to finish as the conference's top singles player. Manick, a sophomore, finished the regular season undefeated — not dropping a single set all season — and that dominance continued in the SLC tourney where he easily took down four opponents in the 16-person bracket. Emelia Pacheco-Hagar - Rocky Hill High School (Track & Field): Pacheco-Hagar blew away the competition in the javelin at the Central Connecticut Conference (CCC) North Championship with a personal-best throw of 104’ 90”. Pacheco-Hagar, a sophomore, defeated the runner-up by over 10 feet to take home a conference championship and also took third place in the shot put with a personal-beat toss of 32’ 04”. Valeria Bolans - Newington High School (Lacrosse): Bolans made 19 saves as the Nor’easters defeated RHAM 15-4 in the first round of the Central Connecticut Conference (CCC) South first round. Bolans, a junior, provided the protection and the Newington offense got contributions from a variety of sources, led by Maeve Gunning’s four goals. Hailey Gaydos added three goals and an assist, while Jill Bouchard also tallied three goals. Mackenzie Hillman (two goals, two assists), Kailey Krusewski (two goals and an assist), and Leila Bikakis (a goal) also chipped in. Dennis Gega - Wethersfield High School (Track and Field): Gega ran a personal-best 2:01.62 to edge New Britain’s Yendri Ruiz (2:01.66) and win the 800 meters in dramatic fashion at the Central Connecticut Conference (CCC) North Championships on May 23. Gega, a senior, also teamed with Joseph Caruk, Thomas Brodowicz, and Ryan Gagne to win the 4x800 relay at the event held at Willow Brook Park in New Britain. Michael Anderson - Cromwell High School (Track and Field): Anderson took home three conference championship, winning the 300 meter hurdles, 110 meter hurdles, and joining forces with Jaden Wynn, Jared Semper, and Nassyr Andrade to win the 4x400 relay at the Shoreline Conference Championship at East Hampton High School on May 24. Wynn and Rashaan Rankins also took home individual conference titles with Wynn finishing first in the 200 meters and Rankins winning the high jump as the Panthers won the conference outright, securing the program's first SLC title. Glastonbury High School senior Brady Stone is pursed by Avon’s Ryan St. Onge last Tuesday at GHS during the Guardians 9-4 win in the semifinals of the conference tournament.
Glastonbury High School boys lacrosse advanced to a second straight conference championship, defeating Avon 9-4 in the semifinals of Central Connecticut Conference (CCC) Central tournament at GHS on May 23. In what turned out to be an highly-emotional game, the Guardians outlast the visiting Falcons behind three goals apiece from Parker Wallace and Braeden Saunders. “We just had to do what we know and do what we do best, and play as a team,” said Wallace, who broke a tie in the first half with a miraculous goal. With the game knotted 2-2 midway through the second quarter, Wallace fired a shot from straight away which ricocheted off the crossbar and deflected high into the air before bouncing in front of the goal and back spinning into the net. “I saw it go straight up and prayed it went in,” a smiling Wallace recalled. Wallace’s tie-breaker proved to be a huge confidence boost as the Guardians maintained the lead the rest of the way. Head coach Scott Hinchey said it took a while for his team to adjust to Avon’s ball control offense and credited opposing goalie Tyler Gresh for keeping the game close. “We thrive when we play fast and we get the ball going and create transition, and we weren’t really doing that in the first half,” added Hinchey. “We did a better job getting our transition game going a little bit in the second half.” Glastonbury came out of the halftime break with a more aggressive approach, scoring a pair of goals within the first four minutes of the third quarter to take a 5-2 lead. At the 10:10 mark of the third, Saunders found the back of the net thanks to terrific ball movement from the Guardians. Liam Doyle found a cutting Lucas Lavery, who quickly flipped it to Saunders for a point blank shot to double Glastonbury’s lead. Less than two minutes later, Doyle netted a goal after getting an assist from Michael Carroll. After Avon’s Jack Magel cut the deficit to 5-3, Wallace put the game out of reach with two straight goals, scoring off a deflection and then netting a highlight-reel goal when he got a feed from Doyle before spinning in the air and flipping the ball into the net. “Parker always hustles and always gets his nose dirty,” Hinchey said of his senior leader. “He made a couple of plays and made a big impact.” Wallace said the team leaned on the experience from the first time they played Avon in the regular season, an 8-4 road victory on April 20. “It was a close game the first time, but we knew we could play better and come out on top again. We just had to play as a team,” said Wallace. Saunders scored his third with 7:48 to play in regulation when he caught a pass near midfield, split a pair of defenders and then finished by faking high and firing a shot into the bottom left corner of the net. Saunders, a junior who is the team-leader in points this spring, also scored the first goal of the game when he scooped up a loose ball in front of the goal and backhanded into the net. “He had a great offseason, and he’s stepped up on attack and made a lot of great plays this year,” Hinchey said of Saunders. “He’s had a lot of goals that change the tide, and he did that again today.” After allowing a pair of goals within the first 16 minutes of the game, the Guardians defense was stout the rest of the way, only allowing two more goals over the final 32 minutes. Senior Drew Hazard manned the net for the first three quarters and junior Cayden Infantino played the fourth, combining for 11 saves. Things were chippy between the two conference rivals throughout the game, particularly in the second half. The teams combined for 14 penalties, nine of them from Avon. Wallace said it felt like a state tournament game and added that the intense play is a good thing at this point in the season, adding, “They help prepare us. It’s nice to have these games before state because it locks us in.” Hinchey agreed with Wallace, crediting is team for maintaining their composure and responding through their play in the second half. “[Avon] is a well-coached team and we needed that,” added Hinchey. “It’s good to have these playoff-style games this time of the year.” Two nights later, the Guardians fell short of a second straight conference title when they fell to Simsbury at Conard High School. For the third straight season, Glastonbury High School girls track and field won a Central Connecticut Conference (CCC) championship, bringing home the CCC West Division title after soundly defeating runner-up Southington (189-116) on May 23.
The GHS boys also performed well, placing fourth overall at the multi-school event held at Willow Brook Park in New Britain. “We’re very fortunate to have the depth that we had and the new athletes that joined the team,” stated GHS girls head coach Brian Collins. “It was a great accomplishment by the girls and it was great to see them focus on what the team needed each meet.” Senior Kelley MacElhiney led the way for the girls in the conference triumph, winning conference titles in the 3200 meters (11:32.95) and teaming with Jackie Caron, Jackie Dudus, and Brooke Strauss to win the 4x800 (9:33.61) meter relay. Senior Riley Carroll and first-year standout Audrey O’Hare also took home individual titles. Carroll won the 100 meter with a blistering time of 12.76 and O’Hare was victorious in the 400 meters with a time of 1:00.35. O’Hare is part of an “outstanding” freshman class that was forced to step up this season as Collins and his team navigated several obstacles this spring. “We were hit hard with injuries to some of our top athletes,” stated Collins, “We were able to cover some events with some of our other athletes as it seemed that many stepped up every meet.” Second place finishes at the conference championship included: Carroll (200 meters), Annika Paluska (800 meters), Lila Garbett (1600 meters), Alex Edwards (300 meter hurdles), and the 4x100 relay team of Carroll, Alyssa Healy, Alayna Taylor, and Jenna Fradin. Healy also placed third in the 400 meters, heading a group of third place finishes that also featured Strauss (800 meters), Dudus (1600 meters), Abigail Mathew (3200 meters), Fradin (long jump), and the 4x400 relay of Carroll, Healy, Paluska, and O’Hare. Dudus (3200 meters), Eloise Mulready (high jump), Anna Hilary (pole vault), and Fradin (triple jump) also placed fourth. Rounding out the top-five finishes were Taylor in the 200 meters, Caron in the 800 meters, MacElhiney in the 1600 meters, Edwards in the 110 meter hurdles, and Celia Ryan in both the high jump and long jumps. Collins said, despite the injury setbacks, the team has once again produced a “great season” and credited his entire roster for stepping up and filling the voids when needed. On the boys side, junior Tye Karpicky shined in the field by placing second in both the shot put and discus. Fellow junior Kiyah Atighechi placed right behind Karpicky in the discus, finishing third. Senior Dominic Pena was the runner-up in the 800 meters, crossing the finish line in 1:57.37, He also anchored the 4x400 relay team, joining Jackson Boyd, DeAndre Williams, and Jace Lewis as the team took fourth. The Guardians had several other fourth place showing as Crawford Cauthen (3200 meters), Nathaniel Lawrence (pole vault), Aiden Katzman (long jump), and Alex Bulger (triple jump) finished in the fourth spot. Fifth place showings included: Williams in the 400 meters, Sam Hageman in the 1600 meters, and Adam Pardo-Nasto in the javelin. Rocky Hill High School senior Mya Doyle (left) has been the team manager for the girls tennis team for the past two seasons. Doyle is pictured with senior tennis player Lejla Bestovic.
Behind every successful high school sports program is a great team manager, and Rocky Hill girls tennis has one of the best. Mya Doyle has been working her magic behind the scenes for Terriers tennis the past two years, making sure that team activities are smooth in both practice and during matches. “It’s a lot more work than I originally thought it would be,” said Doyle. “It’s a lot of organizing, but I really love organizing.” A four-year cheerleader at RHHS during both the fall and winter season, Doyle was looking to join a spring sport as a junior and originally planned to try out for the tennis team before coming to a realization. “I went with my friend to the tennis courts and I wasn’t very good at tennis,” joked Doyle. “I wanted to stay involved and decided to be the manager.” Rocky Hill tennis coach Mike Dudis stated that Doyle “has a great attitude and has been an awesome team manager.” Outside of managing the tennis team, cheerleading took up a bulk of her time and became a passion of hers since she first entered the high school. Unfortunately a concussion prevented her from competing during her final cheer season this past winter, yet she leaned on her experience from being a team manager to help out the cheer team in whatever way she could. “I kind of took on the role of manager,” recalled Doyle. “I couldn't partake in cheerleading, but I went to practices, I went to competitions, and I had knowledge that I could share with them.” Outside of athletics, Doyle was part of the De-stress Club and The Young Investors Club at RHHS, bettering herself both mentally in the present and financially in the future. Doyle will take all of these skills to her next destination where she will attend the University of Connecticut to study political sciences on a pre-law track. Doyle said she is “excited to meet new people and come across new opportunities” at Storrs, yet is feeling a little nostalgic at the thought of being away from the place she has called home her entire life. “I’ll miss all the connections I’ve made with other students, teachers and administrators at the school,” stated Doyle. “Smaller schools come with a sense of community within the school, so you know everybody and everybody knows who you are.” Following six innings of back-and-forth action, Newington baseball defeated Wethersfield 9-8 at Dunkin’ Park on May 22.
Because of a two and a half hour time limit at the venue, the game was called after a wild six inning in which the teams combined for five runs. It wasn’t the way either team wanted to end the game, yet the home of the Yard Goats in Hartford was hosting a double-header — featuring Ellington and Enfield in the night cap —- forcing the early game to wrap up an inning short. Newington head coach Ben Alaimo called the abrupt ending to the game a “very unusual situation.” “A couple of years ago we played a two and a half hour game and it ended an inning short, so we knew the time limit ahead of time, but I had no idea what time it was,” added Alaimo “I had no thought that the game was ending until the ump came over and said it was over.” Prior to the confusing conclusion, the rival schools put on fireworks show at the plate for the local fans that traveled to the capital city. Newington, the away team for the neutral site game, scored four runs in the top of the first inning. Leadoff hitter Josiah Ross singled off Wethersfield pitcher Christian Morales to start the game before stealing second and eventually reaching home after a wild pitch. Alaimo referred to Ross as the team’s “spark plug”, adding that his senior center fielder is the ultimate “five-tool” player. On May 11, Newington had lost to Windsor at Dunkin’ Park and Ross said it was important to get early runs in their return. “We definitely wanted to be aggressive and set the tone,” stated Ross. “It was good to get going early because we tend to play a little slow here and to get one early was big for us.” With two outs, Tony Suarez tripled, sending home a pair of runs. Suarez then scored following a single from Chase Leonard to complete the productive inning. Wethersfield got one back in the bottom of the first when Morales scored following a single by Jackson Kelly. The Eagles then scored three in the bottom of the second to tie the game. Zachary Melillo ignited the second inning scoring with a double on a deep shot towards the wall in center field before Ethan Lemos also doubled, sending home Melillo. Junior Cam Righi then ripped a shot to left, doubling and scoring both Lemos and Nick Farrelly. Righi, a University of Connecticut baseball commit, finished 4-4 with a pair of doubles and a triple. Alaimo joked that he’ll just have to walk Righi in future games. “We just couldn’t get him out. We threw every pitch at him and he hit all of them,” added Alaimo. “He almost single handedly brought them back late.” The team continued to trade haymakers for the next couple of innings before Newington’s J.D. Nazario drove in a run and later scored following a shot to the gap from Gavin Gray. Nazario finished 2-2 with a pair of doubles, driving in two runs. The run by Gray, who also earned the save on the mound, ultimately proved to be the difference. A triple from Righi scored Farrelly and Morales, and a sacrifice fly from Justin Bagdasarian scored Righi before Gray ended the inning and sealed the win with a strikeout. “Wethersfield is always tough. Coach [Mark] Bagdasarian is always good with his group,” stated Alaimo, who added this type of game can be used as a teaching tool for the tourney. “These tight games can prepare you and the more often you are in them the easier it will be to handle mentally and emotionally.” The win over Wethersfield was the Nor’easters 15th of the season. They closed the regular season with two more wins, beating Simsbury 10-9 and Vinal Tech 17-3. In the win over Simsbury, Suarez won it with a walk-off hit in the ninth innings to drive home Ross for one of his three runs. “We take these last games as a pre-tournament run so to have these final games be tough like this is great preparation for the tournament,” Ross said following the win over Wethersfield. “We have a lot of guys that can step up and make plays; it’s just about playing together and coming up in big spots.” Newington 17-3 record was the best in Class LL, earning them the top-seed in the state tourney. |
AuthorSports Editor for the Rare Reminder, Glastonbury Citizen, and Rivereast News Bulletin Archives
April 2024
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