This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
04/10/2022 12:00 AMSoftball
The Hand softball team played three games during the opening week of its spring season and claimed victories in all contests. The Tigers earned wins against Guilford, Hillhouse, and Branford to begin their first year with new head coach Mike Ferraiolo with a 3-0 record.
Hand notched an 8-6 road win versus Guilford in its season opener on April 4. Freshman Alexa Young went 2-for-4 with a double, 2 runs scored, and 2 RBI for the Tigers. Freshman Grace Hall was 2-for-3 with 3 RBI, while senior Lily Perry went 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI. Sophomore Reese Ciecko went 1-for-4 with 2 walks, a run scored, and an RBI. Hall pitched a complete game on the mound to get the win for Hand.
On April 6, the Tigers hosted Hillhouse and won the game by a 19-0 final in 5 innings. Hall pitched 1 inning, freshman Erin Cerny pitched 2 innings, and sophomore Kate Fiorelli threw 2 innings to combine for the shutout.
Young went 2-for-4 with 2 walks, 3 runs, and an RBI; and junior Annie Goodrich was 2-for-3 with a triple, 2 runs, and 2 RBI. Perry and fellow senior Carly Brasky both had 3 RBI, freshman Taylor Ferraiolo scored 3 runs and had 2 RBI, and Ciecko and freshman Izzy Bowler each had 3 walks and 2 RBI.
Two days later, Hand claimed a 12-11 victory over Branford in a home game. Freshman Erin Cerny went 3-for-3 with a walk, 3 runs scored, and 3 RBI. Young was 3-for-4 with 3 runs; Brasky went 2-for-4 with a walk, 2 runs, and an RBI; and Ciecko was 2-for-4 with a double, 2 runs, and 2 RBI. Goodrich and Perry both drove home a pair of runs for the Tigers.
Baseball
The Hand baseball team improved to 3-1 on the season after winning all three of its games last week. The Tigers rallied for a 10-9 victory over Guilford and then earned wins versus Jonathan Law and St. Joseph to sweep the week.
On April 4, Hand hosted Guilford and defeated the Grizzlies by a 10-9 final in an 8-inning game. The Tigers trailed 9-4 entering the bottom of the seventh inning, but tied the game by scoring five runs in the frame and then won it in walk-off fashion with a run in the bottom of the eighth.
Senior Troy Piascik went 3-for-4 with 2 doubles and 2 RBI for Hand in the victory. Senior Connor Powell, senior Jeff Pinover, and sophomore Ben Kuja had 2 hits apiece. Pinover also picked up the win in the relief for the Tigers.
On April 8, Hand claimed a 13-3 victory in 6 innings versus Jonathan Law in a road game. Senior Connor Powell went 4-for-4 with a double and 2 RBI for the Tigers. Senior Will Kranzler and Piascik both went 2-for-4 with 3 RBI for Hand, while Pinover and junior Cole Daignault added 2 hits apiece. Senior David Antonetti earned the win on the mound.
The next day, the Tigers hosted St. Joseph and won the contest by a 3-1 score. Senior Ryan Knight pitched 5 strong innings to pick up the win on the hill, allowing just 3 hits to go with 5 strikeouts. Sophomore Brandon SanMarco closed out the game for the Tigers to get the save.
Senior Axl Pildner hit a two-run single for Hand. Powell had a double, and Piascik hit an RBI double in the victory.
Girls’ Tennis
The Hand girls’ tennis team won its first two matches of the 2022 season last week. The Tigers posted victories over Lauralton Hall and Guilford for a 2-0 start in their first campaign with new Head Coach John Gage.
Hand claimed a 5-2 win at Lauralton Hall in its season opener on April 4. Senior Claire Langille earned a 6-2, 6-3 victory at No. 1 singles for the Tigers. Junior Laila Haraj-Sai netted a 6-0, 6-1 win at No. 2 singles; while freshman Ella Helfrich posted a 6-1, 7-5 victory in the No. 3 singles match.
The Tigers’ No. 2 doubles team of senior Bella Vejar and junior Libby Rogers claimed a 6-2, 6-2 win; and the No. 3 doubles team of senior Ella Scarice and freshman Juliana Jorens earned a 7-5, 6-2 victory.
The next day, Hand hosted Guilford and won a 4-3 decision versus the Grizzlies. Langille notched a 6-3, 6-1 victory at No. 1 singles; and Haraj-Sai posted a 6-1, 6-2 win in the No. 2 singles match.
Hand’s No. 1 doubles team of senior Breanna Colonese-DiBello and senior Zhu Zhu Berger earned a 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 victory; while the tandem of Vejar and Rogers won its No. 2 doubles match by a 6-0, 6-1 score.
The Tigers posted an overall record of 19-3 on their way to making the SCC final and then winning the Class L state title in 2021.
Boys’ Tennis
The Hand boys’ tennis team is 2-0 to begin the season after earning victories in its first two matches of the year. The Tigers defeated Xavier and Fairfield Prep during the opening week of the 2022 campaign.
On April 4, Hand hosted Xavier and won the matchup by a 6-1 score. Sophomore Elliott Booth earned a 6-0, 6-1 victory in the No. 1 singles match for the Tigers. Senior Max Gulla netted a 6-1, 6-1 win at No. 2 singles, while sophomore Matt Vetter was a 6-1, 6-0 winner at No. 3 singles.
Hand’s No. 1 doubles team of senior Will deChabert and senior Will Fumex earned a 6-2, 6-3 win. The No. 2 doubles duo of senior Robbie Washburne and senior Patrick Hennessey claimed a 6-1, 6-0 victory, and the No. 3 team of senior Ethan Speerli and sophomore Will Dodd recorded a 6-0, 6-0 win for the Tigers.
On April 8, Hand hosted Fairfield Prep and won a close contest by a 4-3 final. Senior Sebastien Lowy claimed a 6-2, 6-1 victory in the No. 1 singles match. Gulla notched a 6-2, 6-4 win at No. 2 singles,, and Vetter posted a 6-4, 6-2 victory at No. 3 singles. The No. 1 doubles team of deChabert and Fumex won a 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 decision to help the Tigers get the narrow victory.
Hand finished with a record of 16-0 in the regular season and then claimed its third-straight conference title last year. Dawn Fagerquist is back for another year as Hand’s head coach.
Boys’ Lacrosse
The Hand boys’ lacrosse squad notched a pair of victories during the first week of its spring season. The Tigers earned wins versus Conard and Sheehan last week to start off the year with a 2-0 record.
Hand hosted Conard for its season opener and won the game by a 15-4 score at the Surf Club on April 5. Junior Sam Sisk scored 3 goals to go with 3 assists for the Tigers, while fellow junior Will Kleine had 3 goals and 2 assists in the victory. Sophomore goalie Jack Orlando made 6 saves for Hand in the win.
Two days later, Hand played a road game against Sheehan and defeated the Titans by the final tally of 20-6. Kleine scored 7 goals and had 4 assists for the Tigers. Sisk scored 3 goals to go with 5 assists. Senior Patch Flanagan netted 5 goals in the victory. Orlando made 6 saves in the game.
Hand finished with a record of 15-6 while advancing to the SCC final and the Class M state final last year. John Orlando returns for another season as head coach of the Tigers.
Girls’ Lacrosse
The Hand girls’ lacrosse team moved to 2-2 on the season after winning one of its three games last week. The Tigers notched a win over Sacred Heart Academy to go with losses against Weston and Guilford recent action.
On April 4, Hand took an 11-9 home loss to Weston in a home game at the Surf Club. Then on April 6, the Tigers hosted Sacred Heart Academy and won the contest by the final score of 13-3. The next day, Hand faced Guilford on the road and took a 13-7 defeat to the Grizzlies.
Boys’ Outdoor Track
The Hand boys’ outdoor track team swept a tri-meet at North Haven High School on April 6 to kick off its 2022 season. The Tigers notched a 115-35 victory over Wilbur Cross and defeated North Haven by a 103-47 score the open up the year at 2-0.
Girls’ Outdoor Track
The Hand girls’ outdoor track team opened its spring season by competing against two teams in a quad-meet at North Haven High School on April 5. The Tigers came away with a split at the meet by earning a 73-65 victory versus North Haven and taking a 72-63 defeat to Wilbur Cross.
Boys’ Volleyball
The Hand boys’ volleyball squad played three road matches last week and came away with one win to move to 1-3 on the year. The Tigers defeated Kolbe Cathedral before losing to Masuk and Norwich Free Academy in last week’s action.
On April 4, Hand claimed a 3-2 victory over Kolbe Cathedral in a road match. Two days later, the Tigers traveled to Monroe to face Masuk and lost the contest by a 3-0 score. Then on April 8, Hand was back on the road for a match versus Norwich Academy and took a 3-0 defeat to the Wildcats.