This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
05/15/2016 12:00 AMBoys’ Outdoor Track
The North Haven boys’ outdoor track team completed an undefeated regular season and clinched the outright Oronoque championship by sweeping a tri-meet at Vanacore Field on May 10. The Indians defeated division opponent Branford 100-50 to go 4-0 in the Oronoque and also beat Lyman Hall 90-60 and put a bow on an overall record of 13-0.
Recording first-place finishes against both opponents were Omar Gebril in the 200 (22.9 seconds) and 400 (52.2), Ryan Brennan in the 800 (2:03.2) and 1,600 (4:28.4), Shane O’Connor in the high jump (5 feet-4 inches) and shot put (51-4), Nick McCreven in the pole vault (10-0), and the 4x100 relay of Brian Daly, Ryan Harvey, Michael Greene, and Emadi Okwuosa (45.8).
Capturing first place versus Branford were Okwuosa in the 100 (11.4), plus Gabe Durante in the 3,200 (10:56.3). Taking first against Lyman Hall were O’Connor in the discus (107-10.75) and Gebril in the triple jump (37-5.5). The Indians’ 4x400 relay of Brennan, Greene, Okwuosa, and Gebril ran a 3:28.7 to defeat one of their opponents, while the 4x800 went 9:18.8 to do the same with Brad Schweickert, Jordan Tong, Forest King, and Brennan comprising that unit.
North Haven also had several athletes post second-place finishes against both Branford and Lyman Hall. Doing so were Okwuosa in the 200 (23.4), Greene for the 400 (52.9), Daly in the long jump (17-10.75), and Caleb Crosby in the shot put (42-1.75). Eric Millard also threw 42.175 in the shot put and placed third versus both squads.
Girls’ Outdoor Track
North Haven concluded its regular season by taking a 95-55 loss at division opponent Branford on May 10. The Indians went 6-4 overall and 2-2 in the Oronoque.
Softball
Junior left-hander Ava Mattei pitched a no-hitter when North Haven prevailed at Cross 15-0 on May 9 to give the Indians their eighth win of the season and a berth into the Class L State Tournament. Two nights later, North Haven had a chance to clinch a share of the Oronoque title with a win against East Haven, but the Indians lost to the Yellowjackets by a 7-1 final at home and finished at 6-2 in divisional play. Sally Maher’s club then wrapped up the week dropping a 2-0 home decision versus Amity for a record of 8-9.
Mattei struck out seven and walked two in throwing the no-no versus Cross to get her fourth win of the season. The Indians scored eight runs in the third inning to blow the game open. Overall, Olivia Affinito singled and tripled with three RBI, Caroline Gabrielle tripled and had two RBI, Rachel Card hit two singles, Ariana DelVecchio doubled, and Olivia Peterson tripled for North Haven.
Baseball
North Haven played four games last week and grabbed one victory as the Indians stand at 6-11. The Indians took a 5-3 home defeat to East Haven on May 9 and then lost at Hamden 4-1 the next day. On May 11, North Haven pulled off a 10-9 victory under the lights at DeMayo Ballfield. The Indians closed the week with an 8-2 loss at home against Hamden on May 14. North Haven needs to win two of its three final regular season games to qualify for the Class L State Tournament.
In the East Haven game, the Indians trailed 3-2 in the top of the fifth, when the Yellowjackets used a two-run home run to extend the lead and go on to the Oronoque win. Giovanni Torres had three hits with a run, an RBI, and a stolen base to lead the Indians’ offense. Mike DeRosa singled and doubled with an RBI, while Christian Somma had two hits and scored a run. Preston Young started on the mound and threw 4.1 innings and then Mark Tantorski pitched scoreless ball the rest of the way.
In the first game against Hamden, Tom Myjak pitched all six innings for North Haven, allowing two runs in the first inning and two in the sixth. North Haven scored its run in the third, when Torres doubled and scored on Brendan Clark’s single.
The Guilford game was a burn-burner that saw North Haven take the lead for good in the sixth and then hang on in the seventh. Torres homered to lead off the first and North Haven later scored five runs in the third inning for an early command. Clark had an RBI single, DeRosa hit a sacrifice fly, Joe Ireland clubbed a two-run double, and Chris Stevens plated a run on a groundout in the big inning. However, Guilford retaliated by scoring six runs in the fourth and the game wound up going to the sixth knotted at 7.
In the bottom of the sixth, Ireland hit a two-out, two-run bloop single to left field that scored Torres and Somma for a 9-7 lead. Stevens followed with an RBI single that scored Clark and it was 10-7. With two outs and nobody on in the top of the seventh, Guilford rallied and brought home two runs to cut it to 10-9 with runners at the corners. However, Young struck out the game’s final batter and North Haven emerged with the nail-biting victory. Young worked the final three innings to pick up his second win.
Torres had three hits, including the homer, to go with a single, a double, a walk, three runs scored, two RBI, and a stolen base. Ireland went 3-for-3 with two doubles, four RBI, and a run.
In the rematch with Hamden, North Haven was up 1-0 going to the fifth before the Green Dragons scored four runs in the fifth, two in the sixth, and two in the seventh.
Prior to the Guilford game, there was a ceremony that honored the five North Haven teams that won state championships with Coach DeMayo in 1975, 1982, 1985, 2003, and 2015. The Tomahawk Club and the North Haven High School administration donated five signs that represent these championships and they were unveiled at DeMayo Ballfield that night with various players from each of the five teams in attendance.
“It was like a trip down memory lane. We had a nice crowd and it was great to see a lot of people who I hadn’t seen in God knows how many years,” DeMayo said. “[Athletic Director] Todd Petronio did a nice job of getting the whole thing set up, the players were introduced with their teams, and it was a great feeling for me.”
Girls’ Tennis
The Indians wrapped up a spot in the Class M State Tournament by defeating Cheshire 6-1 at home on May 10. North Haven later took a 5-2 home loss versus Hand on May 12 to stand at 9-6.
In the Cheshire victory, Julia Migliorini prevailed 6-0, 6-0 at No. 1 singles; Olivia Hoyt was a 6-2, 6-0 winner at No. 2; Hillary Hoyt posted a 6-3, 6-2 win at No. 3; and Rachel Petry won 6-1, 6-1 at the No. 4 spot. On the doubles side of the court, all three matches wound up going to a third and final set. North Haven’s No. 1 team of Julia Gill and Sejal Atluru won 6-3, 3-6, 6-1; Sophie Bates and Nina Padro dropped a 4-6, 6-1, 6-1 contest at No. 2; and Amber Jean-Guillaume and Avery Hill claimed a 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 victory in the No. 3 match.
Facing Hand, the Indians’ two wins came from their singles lineup as Migliorini won 6-1, 6-0, while Petry came away with a 6-4, 6-4 victory. Olivia Hoyt took a 6-4, 6-2 loss and Hillary Hoyt also gave a great effort in her 1-6, 7-6, 6-1 defeat. The Indians’ three doubles teams lost their matches in straight sets.
Girls’ Lacrosse
After losing a 7-5 contest at non-conference opponent Masuk on May 9, North Haven rebounded to post a 10-9 overtime victory at previously undefeated SCC foe Sheehan the following night and move to 9-3.
The Masuk game was tied 2-2 at halftime before Masuk outscored the Indians 7-5 in the second half. Annie Uyeki scored two goals, Kylie Brandt netted a goal and had an assist, and Samantha Kwieraga and Catherine Babbidge also scored goals for North Haven. Samantha Langner made seven saves and Deja Sperman had one.
In the Sheehan game, North Haven led 5-2 at halftime, but the Titans won the second half 7-4 to send the game to overtime. Langner made a few enormous saves late in regulation and OT to keep the Indians alive and then Erica Salvo’s free position goal won it for North Haven in the extra session. Langner made 17 saves. Uyeki had a monster offensive game by recording five goals and two assists, Haley Murray and Kylie Brandt each scored twice and had a pair of assists, and Salvo scored the OT winner.
Boys’ Lacrosse
North Haven split a pair of games last week and is now 8-6. The Indians lost at Cheshire 10-5 on May 10 and then beat Amity 9-4 at home on May 12.
Against Amity, Bowen Brennan led North Haven by netting three goals with one assist, Zach Orth and Christian DeRubeis both scored two goals and had an assist, Max Sullivan and Korbin Pecora both scored goals, and Jason St. Peter added an assist for the Indians. Josh Back made five saves in net for North Haven, which outshot the Spartans 23-17.
Golf
The Indians lost two matches last week and are now 3-8. On May 10, North dropped a 201-210 home decision to Foran at Wallingford Country Club. Then on May 12, the Indians took a 170-214 defeat to Branford at Pine Orchard County Club.
Against Foran, Matt Mezzano shot a 52, Rocco DiTullio and Gianni Abate both recorded their lowest score of the season by shooting a 52 and 53, respectively, while Kameron DeMartin also posted a 53 to account for North Haven's scoring. Steve Pugliese was just one stroke behind at 54.
In the Branford match, DeMartin turned in his season-best score with a 50 and was followed in the scoring column by Pugliese (52), Abate (54), and DiTullio (58). Mezzano shot a 59 for the Indians.