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04/25/2022 12:00 AMThe Guilford baseball team hosted three games last week and came away with a pair of victories to improve its record to 5-5 on the year. The Grizzlies took a 9-8 loss to Hamden before earning an 11-4 win versus Foran and 3-1 victory versus Cheshire in their recent matchups.
Head Coach Nick Merullo said that his team has been making great strides throughout the first half of its season. The Grizzlies have played competitive baseball in all 10 of their matchups thus far in the 2022 campaign.
“We are 5-5 through our first 10 games. All five of our losses have been tight games. They have been decided by a combined eight runs, with three being one-run losses,” Coach Merullo said. “We are still learning how to win on a consistent basis against good teams, but it has been enjoyable to watch players grow and progress through the first half of our season. Our goal is to continue to improve as a team each day and, hopefully, be playing our best baseball in May. We are hopeful to make a run toward the state tournament.”
Guilford started off last week by taking a 9-8 defeat against Hamden in a home game on April 20. Junior Carter Williams had 4 hits for the Grizzlies, getting 2 doubles and 2 singles. Sophomore Bryce Meder had single and a double in the contest.
“It was a good back-and-forth game with five lead changes. Overall, we played well, but unfortunately, we just didn’t make enough winning plays to come out on top,” said Merullo. “We had a couple situations to really take charge in the game while playing with a lead. But we have to give Hamden credit for making some great defensive plays to kill some rallies we had going.”
On April 22, Guilford hosted Foran and notched an 11-4 victory over the Lions. Junior Andrew Shosho picked up the win on the mound by pitching 5 innings for Guilford, allowing 2 earned runs on 4 hits to go with 6 strikeouts. Williams hit a 3-run home run and also had a double in the victory. Sophomore Mike Buccaro had two hits, one of which was a 2-run triple. Senior Mike Torre had 2 hits with an RBI for Coach Merullo’s club.
“This was a great way to bounce back after a loss we felt had slipped away,” Merullo said. “We got a strong starting pitching performance from Andrew Shosho. He gave a up a couple hits and runs in the first inning, but really settled in nicely and kept their hitters off-balance for the remainder of the game. He is a great competitor on the mound and someone we can count on to keep us in any game he pitches. It was fun to watch the guys swing the bats in this one.”
The next day, Guilford played a home game versus Cheshire and defeated the Rams by a 3-1 score. Torre pitched 5 scoreless innings in the win, allowing no earned runs on 4 hits with 4 strikeouts. Junior Sam Ametrano closed out the contest by tossing 2 scoreless innings of relief. Torre also had a hit with 2 RBI, while junior Alex Vincent hit a double for the Grizzlies.
“It felt great to win a tight game and make all the key defensive plays necessary to do so,” said Coach Merullo. “It was an exciting way to close out our April vacation week and, hopefully, that one will go a long way for our confidence.”
Coach Merullo wants to see his team improve on its defense as the year progresses. It’s been a huge point of emphasis for Guilford all season long. Merullo believes with better defense, the Grizzlies will see more wins.
“The players are buying in and taking pride in their defensive fundamentals that we work on daily at practice,” Merullo said. “If we can limit the amount of free bases we allow the other teams, we will continue to give ourselves a better chance to win each day.”
Another one of Merullo’s goals is to continue strengthening the bonds between Guilford’s coaching staff and its athletes. Merullo wants to morale at a high in the dugout and is always looking to encourage his players.
“That is something that is always a constant, keeping tabs on the morale of individual players and the team as a whole. It is important to stay connected with each player on the team,” said Merullo. “I have also found myself getting more and more comfortable with all of the different game situations that arise throughout the course of a baseball game. It is so important to stay a move or two ahead and always be prepared for situations that can come up at any time.”
As for the rest of the season, Coach Merullo is hoping that the Grizzlies can qualify for SCCs and states and then make a nice run in both brackets.
“Our goal for the rest of the year is to continue to improve each day and qualify for the state tournament. None of our players have experienced postseason baseball in their careers yet, so that would be a big step as we continue to build our program,” Merullo said. “We certainly have the talent to make a run. We will need to continue to harp on our fundamentals and outexecute our opponents. We’re excited to see what the second half of the season brings.”