Seymour’s Becca Johnson, right, hopes to lead Seymour to the Class M state championhip. (Catherine Avalone — New Haven Register)

5 STORY LINES TO WATCH

1. BUCKLE UP

Plot line: For the first time since 2012, there are no undefeated teams in either Class LL or L. It should make for wide open tournaments. Defending Class LL champion Cheshire went wire to wire as the No. 1 team in the Register Top 10 poll and enters the Class LL tournament as a favorite, although Norwich Free Academy is the No. 1 seed. The top-seeded team has won each of the last four LL titles. Reigning Class L champion Fitch isn’t as dominant as it was a season ago, but is still a team to be reckoned with. SWC tournament champion Masuk will also be a factor, while SWC power Pomperaug is the top seed. Three SCC teams are top eight seeds in Class L. With Griswold’s loss in the ECC tournament final, that leaves Wilcox Tech as the only undefeated team heading into the Class M tournament. Wilcox scored at least 10 runs in every game this season until Saturday’s 8-4 win over Norwich Tech in the CSC title game. The Indians figure to get tested early facing either Wolcott out of the NVL or St. Joseph out of the FCIAC in the second round.

2. GUNNING FOR HISTORY

Plot line: Holy Cross has a chance to go somewhere only a select six programs have gone before. If the Crusaders win the Class S title, they will join Seymour as the only NVL teams to win three consecutive state titles. The Wildcats won Class L championships in 2004 and 2005 and captured the Class M title in 2006. Southington is the most recent team to accomplish the three-peat winning the Class LL crown from 2013-15. The Blue Knights also won the LL title from 1981-83 and won an unprecedented four consecutive state championships from 1985-88. Other three-peat winners include Amity (Class LL champions from 2001-03), Coginchaug (Class S champs from 1997-99), Berlin (winner of Class M title from 1986-88) and Ledyard, which won the Class L title in 1993 before winning the Class LL crown in 1994 and 1995.

3. PLANTING THE SEEDS

Plot line: In the previous five tournaments just two double-digit seeds have walked away with state titles. No. 12 seed Waterford won the 2013 Class M championship and in 2015, 10th-seeded East Haven fought its way to the Class L crown. This year among the most dangerous teams could be the No. 11 seeds in the LL and L fields. Darien, seeded 11th in Class LL, rode the rock-solid pitching of Sophie Barbour to its first FCIAC tournament title since 2012. Winners of 18 of its last 20, Darien won’t have an easy road with potential matchups against top 10 ranked teams Southington, Middletown and Cheshire just to reach the final. Defending Class LL champion Fitch has won the last three ECC tournament crowns in addition to advancing to the last two Class L title games. Caroline Taber, who recently completed her freshman season at Princeton, did much of the heavy lifting in the pitcher’s circle in 2015 and 2016. Senior Jayden Delaporta’s clutch pitching and timely hitting has helped Fitch navigate an ambitious non-conference schedule. The senior-laden Falcons certainly seem poised for another deep postseason run.

4. WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES

Plot line: Familiar names seem to find their way to the championship games year after year, but there are a couple of teams who have made remarkable one-year improvements to keep an eye on. Bristol Eastern’s win total improved by nine games in the regular season, the largest jump in the state. North Haven is close behind having gone from 9-11 to 17-3 in one year’s time. It could be just the start of things for both programs. Bristol Eastern has been led by precocious freshman pitcher Erin Girard, while pitcher Lauren Card headlines a talented sophomore class for North Haven.

5. HAMDEN’S POSTSEASON BONANZA

Plot line: A year ago just one of the three CIAC programs from Hamden qualified for the state tournament as Sacred Heart Academy was seeded 25th in Class L. Sacred Heart will have some company as Hamden returns to postseason play after a one-year absence, while Whitney Tech will make the first state tournament appearance in program history. Sacred Heart Academy qualified for the Class L field with a 14-2 win over city rival Hamden on May 17. That came a day after Hamden clinched a postseason berth by beating Bassick. Whitney Tech played 17 regular-season games meaning that seven wins were required to earn a spot in the tournament. The inventors were sitting at 3-10 before ending the regular season with four wins in a row knowing that the next loss would end their postseason dreams. A 22-1 win over Public Safety secured the spot in the Class S tournament as the No. 29 seed.

5 PLAYERS TO WATCH

• Abby Abramson, Cheshire, P: The senior tossed a no-hitter with 13 strikeouts and reached base four times as the Rams topped Guilford 8-0 to win the SCC tournament for the second year in a row. The Penn commit has enjoyed a dominant senior season, and since suffering the only loss of the season to Guilford on May 8, the Rams have played eight games with Abramson striking out 15 batters in four of them.

• Beth Fleming, Norwich Free Academy, P: The senior became the Wildcats’ all-time leader in strikeouts this season and has one last chance to lead NFA to that elusive state title. The Wildcats saw their season end at the hands of Cheshire each of the last two seasons, falling in the quarterfinals in 2015 and semifinals last year. The teams are on opposite sides of the bracket this time around.

• Becca Johnson, Seymour, OF: Junior leads the Wildcats with a .627 batting average, 40 stolen bases (on 41 attempts) and 48 runs scored. She has already scored more than 100 runs and recorded more than 100 hits and has a .546 career batting average with a full season remaining and as many of five games to play in the Class M tournament.

• Gabby Laccona, Westhill, SS: Leadoff hitter is batting .587 with seven home runs and 16 stolen bases and has earned a reputation as one of the state’s best fielding shortstops. The Ithaca commit received valuable experience playing with the Stratford Brakettes over the summer and recently was named the winner of the Allyson Rioux Memorial Award presented annually to the top female athlete in the city of Stamford.

• Briana Marcelino, Barlow, SS: The UConn signee and former Madison resident has enjoyed a sensational senior season. She is hitting .662 with 10 doubles, 10 homers, 39 RBIs and 19 stolen bases and has only committed four errors. She has multiple hits in eight of the last nine games driving in 20 runs during that span and figures to be pitched to rather carefully in the postseason.

Cheshire defeats Guilford, 8-0, in the SCC softball championship game, Saturday, May 27, 2017, at West Haven High School. (Catherine Avalone — New Haven Register)

SCC Champion Cheshire takes the No. 1 ranking into the 2017 state tournament, followed by neighbor and rival Southington, which jumped from No. 4 to No. 2 this week.

Also contending in Class LL are No. 4 Middletown, No. 5 NFA and No. 8 FCIAC runner up Westhill.

2017 CIAC Softball Tournament Pairings, Schedule

Seymour righted its ship to win the NVL tile and is the favorite in the Class M tournament. They’ll be challenged by the likes of No. 10-ranked Griswold, among others.

In Class L, No. 7-ranked Masuk and surging, No. 8-ranked Fitch are the top teams to watch. Despite its NVL title loss to Seymour, No. 6-ranked Holy Cross is a favorite to win Class S.

	TEAM	REC	1st	PTS	LAST	CLASS
	1. CHESHIRE	22-1	10	300	1	LL
Latest result: Defeated Guilford 8-0 in SCC final. Bottom line: Senior Sam Simione had a pair of two-RBI games as the Rams defeated Amity and then Guilford to win the SCC title.
	2. SOUTHINGTON	18-2		252	4	LL
Latest result: Defeated Conard 15-0. Bottom line: Knights have not only won seven games in a row since their loss to Fitch, but they haven’t surrendered a run during that stretch.
	3. SEYMOUR	21-2		250	6	M
Latest result: Defeated Holy Cross 2-1 in NVL final. Bottom line: It’s been 11 years since the Wildcats won back-to-back state titles, but that could change in the next two weeks.
	4. MIDDLETOWN	19-1		242	5	LL
Latest result: Defeated Berlin 12-1. Bottom line: It’s been quite the four-year run for the seven seniors going from a 9-12 freshman season to being a contender for the Class LL title.
	5. NFA	20-2		229	2	LL
Latest result: Lost to Fitch 5-3 in ECC semifinals. Bottom line: Shea Gendron’s impressive junior season continues with home run and two RBIs in loss to Fitch in ECC tournament.
	6. HOLY CROSS	21-2		192	3	S
Latest result: Lost to Seymour 2-1 in NVL final. Bottom line: With the Brown sisters at the top of the lineup and ace pitcher Sarah Lawton also ripping the ball, a third straight Class S title is a definite possibility.
	7. MASUK	20-3		158	10	L
Latest result: Defeated Pomperaug 5-4 in SWC final. Bottom line: Alexa Bacoulis’ RBI double lifted Masuk to the SWC title. It was the 100th career hit for the junior infielder.
	T8. FITCH	18-6		129	NR	L
Latest result: Defeated Griswold 13-2 in ECC final. Bottom line: Seems like a lifetime ago since Fitch wast outscored by NFA and Pomperaug 26-8 to start the season 1-2.
	T8. WESTHILL	20-3		129	7	LL
Latest result: Lost to Darien 6-3 in FCIAC final. Bottom line: Pitcher Edyliese Aquino had a homer and a game-winning RBI single in win over St. Joseph in FCIAC semifinals.
	10. GRISWOLD	22-1		116	8	M
Latest Result: Lost to Fitch 13-2 in ECC final. Bottom line: Wolverines’ dream of perfect season ended in ECC tournament, but a run at Class M title is up next.
First-place votes in parentheses and points tabulated on a 30-28-26-24-22-20-18-16-14-12-11-10-9-8-7 basis.
Dropped out: Stamford (7). Others receiving votes: Stamford (18-3), 113 points; Torrington (18-4), 75; Darien (18-5), 73; East Granby (19-1) and Pomperaug (19-3), 63; South Windsor (17-3), 58; Bristol Eastern (18-2), 51; Granby (17-3), 24; Guilford (17-6), 16; North Haven (18-4), 9; Amity (16-6), 8.
The following voted: Marc Allard, Norwich Bulletin; Tony Calcagni, Coginchaug; George DeMaio, WELI; Vickie Fulkerson, The Day of New London; Mike Madera, Elm City Newspapers; Ken Pereiras, Seymour; Dave Phillips, Shoreline Newspapers; Lori Riley, Hartford Courant; Marc Robbins, CT Sports Now and Mike Suppe, The HAN Network.

Staff reports

Tyler Popp tied the game in the bottom of the seventh with a two-out, two-run single, then Haddam-Killingworth went on to defeat Brookfield 5-4 on a bases loaded hit batsmen in the first round of the CIAC Class M state tournament Tuesday.

Owen Marica had four hits and Popp three for HK, which plays host to Seymour today at 3:30 p.m.

Dave Albanese put Brookfield up in the fourth with a three run homer.

Softball

East Hampton 15, Goodwin Tech 0 >> Jenna DeMartino had two home runs, a triple, and five RBIs to pace the Bellringer offense, and Lindsay Dickerman allowed only 1 hit while striking out 10 to get the victory

COGINCHAUG 5, WATERFORD 4
(at Waterford)
Coginchaug 200 030 0 — 5 9 1
Waterford 110 010 1 — 4 7 1
WP: Carly Lane. LP: Ashley Goldstein.
Team records: Coginchaug 13-10; Waterford 14-9.
Comments: Destiny Helmedach had an RBI Single and scored the winning run on safety squeeze by Alex Grenier, who went 2-for-2 for Coginchaug.

ELLINGTON 4, VALLEY REGIONAL 2
(at Deep River)
Ellington 000 100 3 — 4 8 1
Valley Regional 000 000 2 — 2 5 1
Meg Beebe and Kelsey Grant; Addy Bullis and Rylee Da Re.
WP: Meg Beebe. LP: Addy Bullis. 2B: (ELL) Kaitlin Johndraw. 3B: (ELL) Meg Beebe.
Team records: Ellington 12-9; Valley Regional 13-9.
Comments: Olivia Kollmer and Julia Jenkins were both 1 for 3 with an RBI in the seventh inning for Valley.

HADDAM-KILLINGWORTH 15, PLAINFIELD 3
(at Higganum)
Plainfield 201 000 0 — 3 6 2
Haddam-Killingworth 408 300 X — 15 20 0
WP: Brooke LaTouche. LP: 2B: (HK) Amanda Minervino . 3B: (HK) Ari Masotti, Shannon Nelson, Rachel Senechal . Hr: Faith Mauri (HK);
Team records: Plainfield 11-11; Haddam-Killingworth 16-7.
Comments: Rachel Senechal and Faith Mauri each had 4 hits and 3 RBI for H-K.

HALE-RAY 21, HMTCA 0 (5)
(at Moodus)
HMTCA 000 00 — 0 3 7
Hale-Ray 2145 0X — 21 16 0
Karina Laboy and Liznerys Zayas ; Hannah Lemke and Aidan Fiala .
WP: Hannah Lemke. LP: Karina Laboy. 2B: (HR) Isabelle Hajek. 3B: (HR) Nicole Trapp. Hr: Skyler Rapuano, Erin Molkenthin (HR);
Comments: Rapuano had six RBIs for Hale-Ray.

SEYMOUR 15, CROMWELL 3
(at Seymour)
Cromwell 100 000 2 — 3 2 0
Seymour 100 581 X — 15 14 0
Kaitlyn Snyder/Cassidy Simmons; Jenna Geffert/Kolby Sirowich.
WP: Jenna Geffert (16-0). LP: Kaitlin Snyder. 2B: (SE) Findley, Cripps, Adamo. Hr: Kaila Donadio (CRW); Molly Adamo (SE); RBI: Donadio (2) (CRW); Adamo (2), Becca Johnson (4), Shari Minalga (2), Tori Kellogg (2), Kolby Sirowich, Sierra Cripps (2) (SE);
Team records: Cromwell 8-13; Seymour 22-2.
Comments: Geffert 2 hitter 16 k’s, Becca Johnson 3 hits 4 RBIs, Sierra Cripps, Beca Findley both had 2 hits, Molly Adamo 2 hits including a home run., Kaila Donadio homered for Cromwell.

Baseball

IMMACULATE 7, COGINCHAUG 0
(at Durham)
Immaculate 103 111 0 — 7 13 0
Coginchaug 000 000 0 — 0 5 2
WP: Fahey. LP: MacGuire O’Sullivan. 2B: (IM) Demko 2, Giorgio.

Boys golf

Old Lyme 158, Cromwell 178, Hale Ray 193

At Black Hall Par 35

Medalist: Graham Aird, Old Lyme, 35. Best round at Black Hall by someone from OL in Kirk Kaczor’s 11 years as coach.
Old Lyme: Matt McCarthy 39; Mason Swaney 41; Peter Macadam 43
Cromwell: Jackson Mantel 46; Colin Kenney 38; Kyle Bucher 48; Matt Sbriglio
Hale Ray: Brian Rasmias 44; Julia Flannery 54; Reilly Cahill 52; Jake Soucier 43

Old Saybrook 172, Portland 178
(at Fenwick GC)
Co-Medalists: Kyle Savino (OS), Drew Tammaro (P) Ben O’Dell (OS), 41
Old Saybrook: Jack Walsh 44; Dean Nobile 46; Jason Rothman 52
Portland: John Lucas 47; Ben Kelley 45; Stephen Vincellete 49; Steven Fickett 45

Boys tennis

Qualifying Round: Joel Morales (Middletown) def Sean Cox (Notre Dame WH) 8-3; Rithik Rayi (Hall) def Harish Patel (Middletown) Forfeit

First Round: Justin Pace (Hand) def Joel Morales (M) 6-0, 6-0; Maxwell Thompson (Hand) def Payton White (Middletown) 6-0, 6-1; Pasquale Giardina (Middletown) def Aidan Sullivan (Fitch) 6-0, 6-0

Doubles:

First Round: Frankie DelCampo/Gabe Messina (Fitch) def Sofian Albayati/Mason Moua (Middletown) 6-2, 6-0; Matthew Adamou/Jack Dwyer (New Milford) def Dylan Myers/Nolan O’Reilly (Middletown) 6-1, 6-3; Chris Greene/Jack O’Connor (New Cannan) def Kuba Alicki/Michael Flynn (Middletown) 6-0, 6-0

Singles 2nd Round: Quentin Thouvenet (Wilton) def Pasquale Giardina (Middletown) 6-1, 6-3

Girls tennis

Glastonbury 7 Mercy 0
At Glastonbury

Singles: Lexi DeNucci (G) def. Molly Garcia (M), 6-0, 6-0; Maddy DeNucci (G) def. Juliette Piazza (M), 6-0, 6-1; Rielly Malz (G) def Lorenza Inserra (M) 6-0, 7-6(3); Sydney Baird (G) def Katie Schumann (M)6-1, 6-1

Doubles: Kim Lao/Gretta Hartman (G) def Kathryn Hanley/Kate Hall (M) 6-1, 6-0; Eden Baker/Alexa Desaulniers (G) def Megan Brodeur/Julia Wenceslao (M) 6-1, 6-0; Emily Jacy/Ara Kavard (A) def Alex Porczak/Julia Pitruzello (M) 6-0, 6-1

Glastonbury advances to quarterfinal of Class L

NORWALK >> Much is to be said about the way a team ends the regular season. Just ask the West Haven softball team.

Winners of their last four regular season games and five of their last six, the Westies went into the Class LL state tournament as the 17th seed. With 14 wins, one would think the Westies would get a home game.

Such was not the case as West Haven had to travel to face No. 16 Norwalk in the opening round of the state tournament in Norwalk.

Behind the hitting of Kailey Carrano, who finished with three hits and two runs scored, West Haven posted a 6-3 victory over host Norwalk and advanced to the Class LL second round where it will face top-seeded Norwich Free Academy Wednesday on the road at 4 p.m.

“This is a big win for us,” Morrell said. “When you win 14 games, you do not expect to go on the road and face another 14-win team. But that is exactly what we did. Last year, we lost a lot of kids from a team which we thought we had a good team with. These kids have just filled those spots and done a great job.”

While Carrano led the way with three hits, freshman Ivy Santos chipped in two hits and scored twice, while Kristal Rivas also had two hits and drove in two runs.

Santos went the distance in the pitching circle. She allowed three earned runs on eight hits, while walking four and striking out three.

For the Westies (15-7), the first-round game was all about getting on the board first and just building on that lead. West Haven had runners on base in just about every inning and opened up the game with three runs in the third inning.

Leading 1-0 after Rivas singled to score Veronica Lynn in the first inning, West Haven extended the lead to 4-0 in the third inning.

Carrano led off with a double to right, Makenna White walked to put runners on first and second, and Santos singled to right to load the bases. Rivas followed with a single to center to score Carrano for a 2-0 lead, and Dianesse Rodriguez singled to center to score a pair to extend the margin to 4-0.

“This one is really important for us,” Carrano said. “We proved ourselves today. We did what we had to do. Tomorrow is another day. We will play our game. Getting off to an early lead was really big. We got the lead and just had to keep it going.”

The three runs in the third were big for West Haven as Norwalk (14-7) came back with a run in the bottom half of the inning. Brenda Garcia let off with a single, moved to second on a ground out, and scored on Katie Sciglimpaglia’s single to right with two outs.

After both teams squandered scoring opportunities in the fourth, the Bears got within 4-2 in the fifth with one run. Samantha Troetti started the rally with a one-out walk, moved to second on a grounder, and scored on Dina DiBlasio’s double to left. Santos got out of the inning when she got Jessica Otto to pop out for the final out.

West Haven got that run back in the sixth as Carrano singled to center with one out, and scored on White’s double to right for a 5-2 lead.

“I thought that run was big,” Morrell said. “They had just scored a run, and we were able to get that run back. We were worried because we were giving up too many runs. We got a couple with the late rallies, and they help. That is a situation you don’t want to go into the seventh up by just one run.”

The Westies tacked on an insurance run in the seventh when Santos led off with a double and scored when Sadie Roberts tripled to right.

Norwalk did not go down without a fight as Skyler Suda opened the seventh with a single, went to second on a ground out, and scored on a single by DiBlasio to get Norwalk within three.

Santos did the rest for West Haven as she recorded a strikeout and a grounder to end the game and send West Haven to the second round.

DiBlasio led Norwalk with two hits and two runs batted in.

HAND 10, NAUGATUCK 0
(at Madison)
Naugatuck 000 000 0 — 0 0 0
Hand 110 053 X — 10 14 0
Megan Schofield and Kate Jaroneczyk; Abby Geshwind and Lily Geshwind.
WP: Abby Geshwind (14-4). LP: Megan Schofield. 2B: (HD) Abby Geshwind, Caroline Schreck. 3B: (HD) Christina Coric. RBI: Hannah Martin (4), Kelly Cody (3), Abigail Geshwind, Caroline Schreck, Hollis Wivell (HD);
Team records: Naugatuck 8-13; Hand 16-5.
Comments: Abby Geshwind pitched a perfect game and struck out 14 for Hand. Hannah Martin went 3-4 with 4 RBIs, Kelly Cody went 3-4 with 3 RBIs, and Hollis Wivell and Abby Geshwind each had a pair of hits to lead the offense for Hand.

NORTH HAVEN 15, BUNNELL 0 (5)
(at North Haven)
Bunnell 000 00 — 0 0 2
North Haven 1014 0X — 15 11 0
Kylie Zack, Riley Matto and Emma McNamarra ; Lauren Card, Caroline Gabrielle, Eryn Sheeley and Gigi Russo.
WP: Lauren Card (16-4). LP: Kylie Zack (8-3). 2B: (NH) Laurissa Amaker, Ariana DelVecchio . Hr: Caroline Gabrielle, Sarah Lombardi (NH);
Team records: Bunnell 8-13; North Haven 19-4.
Comments: Card and Sheeley combined on a no-hitter,
Caroline Gabrielle went 2-for-3 with 5 RBIs, Caitlin Ranciato was 2 for 3, Sarah Lonbardi was 2 for 2 with 3 RBIS.

AMITY 11, FAIRFIELD LUDLOWE 4
(at Woodbridge)
Fairfield Ludlowe 003 010 0 — 4 3 2
Amity 303 023 X — 11 13 2
Brittany Romero and Boci; Grace Whitman and Rachel Crow.
WP: Grace Whitman (). LP: Brittany Romero (). 2B: (AM) Carly Marchitto. Hr: Brittany Romero (FFLDL); Brooke Matyasovsky, Rachael Crow (AM)

CHESHIRE 16, HAMDEN 0
(at Cheshire)
Hamden 000 00 — 0 2 0
Cheshire 851 2X — 16 8 0
Carissa Poole, India Rivera, Alex Flores; Abby Abramson and Jade Barnes.
WP: Abby Abramson (). LP: Poole ().
Comments: Abramson, Sara Mulligan, Sam Simione, Sara Mulligan, Kinsey Ratchelous, Lexi Hemstock, Lizzy Vignola, and Emma Watkinson all had hits for Cheshire.

COGINCHAUG 5, WATERFORD 4
(at Waterford)
Coginchaug 200 030 0 — 5 9 1
Waterford 110 010 1 — 4 7 1
WP: Carly Lane. LP: Ashley Goldstein.
Team records: Coginchaug 13-10; Waterford 14-9.
Comments: Destiny Helmedach had an RBI Single and scored the winning run on safety squeeze by Alex Grenier, who went 2-for-2 for Coginchaug.

ELLINGTON 4, VALLEY REGIONAL 2
(at Deep River)
Ellington 000 100 3 — 4 8 1
Valley Regional 000 000 2 — 2 5 1
Meg Beebe and Kelsey Grant; Addy Bullis and Rylee Da Re.
WP: Meg Beebe. LP: Addy Bullis. 2B: (ELL) Kaitlin Johndraw. 3B: (ELL) Meg Beebe.
Team records: Ellington 12-9; Valley Regional 13-9.
Comments: Olivia Kollmer and Julia Jenkins were both 1 for 3 with an RBI in the seventh inning for Valley.

ELLIS TECH 22, WHITNEY TECH 3 (5)
(at Killingly)
Whitney Tech 000 21 — 3 3 6
Ellis Tech 936 4X — 22 11 0
WP: Light. LP: Adriana Tejada. Hr: Karrae Streater (WT); Tetrautt (ET)

FITCH 4, MERCY 2
(at Groton)
Mercy 101 000 0 — 2 5 2
Fitch 100 003 X — 4 8 0
Natalie Scotto and Michelle Theilgard; Delporta and Wolfgang.
WP: Delporta (). LP: Natalie Scotto ().
Comments: Woods was 3 for 4 with 2 RBIs for Fitch. Michelle Theilgard finished her career with 102 hits for Mercy.

HADDAM-KILLINGWORTH 15, PLAINFIELD 3
(at Higganum)
Plainfield 201 000 0 — 3 6 2
Haddam-Kill.408 300 X — 15 20 0
WP: Brooke LaTouche. LP: 2B: (HK) Amanda Minervino . 3B: (HK) Ari Masotti, Shannon Nelson, Rachel Senechal . Hr: Faith Mauri (HK);
Team records: Plainfield 11-11; Haddam-Killingworth 16-7.
Comments: Rachel Senechal and Faith Mauri each had 4 hits and 3 RBI for H-K.

HALE-RAY 21, HMTCA 0 (5)
(at Moodus)
HMTCA 000 00 — 0 3 7
Hale-Ray 2145 0X — 21 16 0
Karina Laboy and Liznerys Zayas ; Hannah Lemke and Aidan Fiala .
WP: Hannah Lemke. LP: Karina Laboy. 2B: (HR) Isabelle Hajek. 3B: (HR) Nicole Trapp. Hr: Skyler Rapuano, Erin Molkenthin (HR);
Comments: Rapuano had six RBIs for Hale-Ray.

KILLINGLY 5, PLATT TECH 0
(at Milford)
Killingly 011 300 0 — 5 7 1
Platt Tech 000 000 0 — 0 6 4
Ashley Veillette and Mckenzie Jackson ; Brainna Scarantino and Julia Duprey .
WP: Ashley Veillette. LP: Brianna Scarantino.
Team records: Killingly 12-9; Platt Tech 14-7.

LYMAN HALL 3, SOUTH WINDSOR 0
(at South Windsor)
Lyman Hall 000 201 0 — 3 5 0
South Windsor 000 000 0 — 0 7 0
WP: M Shura (). LP: M Hanchuk (). 2B: (LH) Tuscano; (SWN) Darby. Hr: Hastings (LH)
Comments: Shura struck out nine for Lyman Hall.

NORTH BRANFORD 9, MONTVILLE 1
(at North Branford)
Montville 001 000 0 — 1 1 1
North Branford 000 063 X — 9 11 4
(P) Alexis Michon (C) Abigail Diamartini; (P) Julia Haeckel (C) Kayla Despres.
WP: Julia Haeckel (10-2). LP: Alexis Michon (9-13). 2B: (NoBfd) Danielle Ramada. RBI: Kayla Despres (2), Danielle Ramada (2), Katy Pedersen, Emily Muzkya (NOBFD);
Team records: Montville 9-13; North Branford 19-5.
Comments: Julia Haeckel recorded 10 strikeouts. Danielle Ramada (2 RBI) and Emily Muzyka (1 RBI) each went 2-3. Kayla Despres had 2 RBI and Sydney Senerchia was 3-3 with a run scored.

NOTRE DAME-FAIRFIELD 17, WINDSOR LOCKS 8
(at Fairfield)
Windsor Locks 003 030 2 — 8 6 3
Notre Dame 450 035 X — 17 16 3
Sophie Olivieri and Hannah Farr ; Breana Brown and Michaela Luk .
WP: Breana Brown (). LP: Oliviera (). 2B: (NDF) Ashley Papapietro. 3B: (NDF) Lucy Grant. Hr: Lucy Grant (2) (NDF);
Comments: Lucy Grant had 4 hits, including 2 Hrs and a triple, and 6 RBIs and Ashley Papapietro had five RBIs for Notre Dame.

SEYMOUR 15, CROMWELL 3
(at Seymour)
Cromwell 100 000 2 — 3 2 0
Seymour 100 581 X — 15 14 0
Kaitlyn Snyder/Cassidy Simmons; Jenna Geffert/Kolby Sirowich.
WP: Jenna Geffert (16-0). LP: Kaitlin Snyder. 2B: (SE) Findley, Cripps, Adamo. Hr: Kaila Donadio (CRW); Molly Adamo (SE); RBI: Donadio (2) (CRW); Adamo (2), Becca Johnson (4), Shari Minalga (2), Tori Kellogg (2), Kolby Sirowich, Sierra Cripps (2) (SE);
Team records: Cromwell 8-13; Seymour 22-2.
Comments: Geffert 2 hitter 16 k’s, Becca Johnson 3 hits 4 RBIs, Sierra Cripps, Beca Findley both had 2 hits, Molly Adamo 2 hits including a home run., Kaila Donadio homered for Cromwell.

Pitcher Ali DuBois gave up just three hits in Torrington’s Class L second round state tournament win over Rockville Wednesday at Torrington High School. Photo Peter Wallace.

TORRINGTON >> Torrington’s softball team overcame a slow start for a third win this season, 4-1, over Rockville in a Class L second round state tournament game at Torrington High School Wednesday afternoon.

“You kind of know what to expect,” said Torrington first baseman Amanda Thiel (2-for-3, 2 RBI), returning to the field after missing several games with an ankle sprain.

“It really makes no difference,” said third baseman Carissa Carbone (2 RBI, 2 runs). “Teams play differently on different days.”

Experience called both players right.

In a double encounter with the Rams on an early-season trip to Florida’s ESPN Sports Complex, the No. 4 Red Raiders (19-4) handled No. 13 Rockville (14-8) easily in a first unofficial game with several Ram starters missing. An official game that followed, with Rockville’s whole team in place, went nine innings for a 2-1 Torrington win.

Wednesday’s game between the NVL and CCC rivals figured to be a scramble.

The first two innings leaned toward the Rams. Torrington pitcher Ali DuBois (7 innings, 1 earned run, 3 hits, 9 strikeouts, 1 walk) struck out two Rams in the first inning, but Rockville’s Chelsea Chatterton slammed a 2-2 pitch up the middle for the game’s first hit.

Amanda Thiel drove in two runs in Torrington’s win over Rockville in a CIAC Class L second round game at Torrington High School Wednesday afternoon. Photo Peter Wallace

After Torrington went down in order with two strikeouts by Ram pitcher Morgan Bolduk (6 innings, 3 earned runs, 8 hits, 2 hit batters), Rockville pushed a run across in the top of the second on a leadoff walk to Shannon Skivington, a groundout and an RBI single by Allison Alleano.

DuBois got Torrington’s first hit in the bottom of the inning, but a Rockville double play erased her pinch runner. When a hit batter and Rockville error in the bottom of the third got Torrington runners Alyssa Dowd and Alexis Tyrrell only as far as second and third, Torrington’s outlook seemed cloudy.

“We started flat, but our senior leadership is unbelievable,” said Torrington Coach Maryann Musselman.

DuBois tightened up on the mound, allowing just one more hit in the game.

“Seeing a team three times has advantages and disadvantages,” she said. “I know who’s a good hitter and what pitches they like.”
This time, her changeup was devastating.

Carbone gathered her hitters in the dugout, telling them to move up in the box against Bolduk’s riser.

“They made an adjustment. They moved in on her,” said Rockville Coach Frank Levick.

A two-base Rockville error and an RBI single by Thiel tied the score in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Next inning, hits by Dowd (run), Tyrrell (2-for-4, run), Carbone (2 RBI) and Thiel (RBI) combined with a Rockville error and hit batter for three more runs and the game.

“They weren’t cheap shots. They hit the ball,” said Musselman.

“They’re a good team. They could go all the way,” said Levick.

No. 5 North Haven is Torrington’s next obstacle, in the quarterfinals Friday at Torrington High School, 4 p.m.

No. 4 Torrington 4, No. 13 Rockville 1

At Torrington High School
Rockville 010 000 0 – 1 3 3
Torrington 000 130 X – 4 8 1
WP: Ali DuBois. LP: Morgan Bolduk.
Records: Rockville 14-8; Torrington 19-4.

MIDDLETOWN >> History will record it as a major upset, but maybe it wasn’t an upset at all.

The only game Middletown High’s softball team lost in the regular season was a 4-3 decision to E.O. Smith.

On Wednesday, Smith did it again. The 14th-seeded Panthers stunned No. 3 ranked Middletown 4-2 and knocked the Blue Dragons out of the Class LL tournament at Henry Hiller Field. E.O. Smith advances to face sixth-seeded state powerhouse Southington in the quarterfinals on Friday at Southington.

“No, you can’t call it an upset,” Middletown High coach Sal Morello said. “Their pitcher [Hailey Golembiewski] had our number, not once but twice. Both times she kept us off-balance.”

Golembiewski, who is only a sophomore, did more than keep the Dragons off-balance. She held the power-hitting Dragons to five hits, three going to the seventh inning. More than that, she struck out seven, including two in the last inning when MHS tried to mount a last-ditch rally. Her defense played errorless ball behind her.

“That last strikeout [with two on and two out] was clutch,” E.O. Smith coach Nicole Cote said. “Her seven strikeouts were all important and came at times we needed them, Her work ethic is phenomenal and the noise from the Middletown dugout only amped her up.

“She’s the kind of kid you want pitching for you.”

Besides not hitting well, the Middletown defense was shoddy. The Dragons committed three errors which led to three unearned runs. Morello also acknowledged that starting pitcher Sam Pizzonia didn’t have her best day.

“We haven’t played defense like that (all) year,” Morello said. “But even so, I would like to think we can score more than four runs. But like in baseball, good pitching shuts down good hitting. Pitching and defense wins.

“This loss was frustrating, gut-wrenching.”

Pizzonia went the distance, allowed six hits, walked four and didn’t strike out anyone. But again, she gave up just one earned run.

Middletown (20-2) took a short-lived 1-0 lead in the second inning. Kelsey White (2-for-4) led the inning with a fly-ball triple over the right-fielder’s head. After a strikeout, Briana DiMartino got the run home with a ground ball to second base.

The lead lasted only until E.O. Smith came to bat.

With an out, Cassi Palmberg reached when second baseman Kayla Pieta and first baseman Carley Gessaro mis-communicated on a pop-up which Pieta dropped.

After Gabby Petrone walked, another defensive mix-up allowed Madi Shea to reach on an infield single, although it appeared the throw from Gessaro to Pieta beat Shea. Karley Haggan got a run home with a single to tie the game and Christine Guyette put the Panthers ahead to stay with a sacrifice fly.

Smith took a 4-1 lead in the fourth and again, bad defense and an umpire’s call fueled the two-run rally.

Keely Flanagan reached when White didn’t field her ground ball to third. Taylor Verhaven then bunted and appeared to be out, but was called safe.

“How does she [the base umpire] miss that?,” Morello asked afterward. “I’m not saying it meant the game in which there were 175 pitches, but it was crucial.”

Flanagan went to third and she scored on a passed ball. A walk and a bunt put two more runners on and a run scored when Dominique Highsmith booted Shea’s ground ball.

Middletown got a run back in the fourth on White’s two-out single and Rachel Thompson’s double up the gap in right center. But Golembiewski retired the next 10 batters before the Dragons got two on with two out in the seventh on singles by DiMartino and Highsmith.

But Golembiewski ended it with a flourish with a strikeout.

“I had a feeling coming in,” Cote said. “As I told the kids, they might be ranked No. 3 and we were ranked No. 14, but the seeding doesn’t matter because we were the only team to beat them.”

Make it twice.

CHESHIRE 5, RIDGEFIELD 2
(at Cheshire)
Ridgefield 000 002 0 — 2 4 0
Cheshire 040 010 X — 5 8 1
Westington and Rogoff; Abby Abramson and Jade Barnes.
WP: Abby Abramson (). LP: Westington (). 2B: (RF) Rogoff; (CH) Sam Simione, Mia Juodiatis, Sara Mulligan. Hr: Abby Abramson (CH);
Comments: Abramson struck out 16.

HAND 3, RHAM 1
(at Madison)
RHAM 100 000 0 — 1 5 1
Hand 000 102 X — 3 5 1
Kristi VanMeter and Alley Taylor; Abby Geshwind and Lily Geshwind.
WP: Abigail Geshwind (). LP: Kristi VanMeter (). 3B: (HD) Hollis Wivell. Hr: Lily Geshwind (HD); RBI: Orler (RHAM); Geshwind (2) (HD);
Comments: Hollis Wivell tripled and Lily Geshwind belted a two-run homerun in the bottom of the 6th inning to lift Hand to a 3-1 victory over visiting RHAM. Kristi Van Meter was 2-4 at the plate and struck out 12 for RHAM, and Abby Geshwind had 9 strikeouts for Hand.

NORTH BRANFORD 11, HADDAM-KILLINGWORTH 0
(at North Branford)
Haddam-Kill. 000 000 0 — 0 3 0
North Branford 002 450 X — 11 13 0
(P) Hannah Theriault, Brooke Latouche, Adelle Biondi (C) Faith Mauri; (P) Sydney Senerchia (C) Kayla Despres.
WP: Sydney Senerchia (9-3). LP: Hannah Theriault (). 2B: (NoBfd) Danielle Ramada, Angelina Ramada, Brianna Raccio. RBI: Emily Muzkya (4), Olivia Hemstock (2), Angelina Ramada (2), Sydney Senerchia (2), Katy Pedersen (NOBFD);
Team records: Haddam-Killingworth 16-8; North Branford 20-5.
Comments: Sydney Senerchia threw a 10 K shutout while adding 2 RBI at the plate. Emily Senerchia had 2 hits and 4 RBI along with Olivia Hemstock who went 3-3 with 3 Runs scored and 2 RBI. Angelina Ramada also had 2 hits, 3 runs scored, and 2 RBI

NORTH HAVEN 7, FARMINGTON 4
(at North Haven)
Farmington 000 301 0 — 4 6 2
North Haven 102 121 X — 7 6 3
A. Mihaley and B. Sargent ; Lauren Card and Caroline Gabrielle.
WP: Lauren Card (17-4). LP: A Mihaley (14-8). 2B: (Farm) Wolkuff ; (NH) Olivia Peterson. Hr: Caitlin Ranciato, Lauren Amaker (NH);
Team records: Farmington 14-8; North Haven 20-4. Comments: Ranciato went 2-for-2 with four 4 RBIs for North Haven.

POMPERAUG 7, FORAN 2
(at Southbury)
Foran 020 000 0 — 2 5 5
Pomperaug 340 000 X — 7 7 1
Makenna Prete and Alexis James; A. Antonazzo and K. Flood.
WP: A. Antonazzo. LP: Makenna Prete.
Comments: Lexa Mendillo went 2-3 and Kalie Mendola went 3-3 for Foran. Flood and Antonazzo each went 2-3 for Pomperaug.

SEYMOUR 7, ELLINGTON 1
(at Seymour)
Ellington 000 000 1 — 1 1 1
Seymour 000 250 X — 7 9 0
Megan Beebe/Kelsey Grant; Jenna Geffert-Molly Adamo(7)/Kolby Sirowich.
WP: Jenna Geffert (17-0). LP: Meg Beebe. 2B: (SE) Johnson,Kellogg, Cripps, Avila. 3B: (SE) Findley. RBI: Becca Johnson (2), Shari Minalga, Tori Kellogg, Chelsea Avila (2), Beca Findley (SE);
Team records: Ellington 12-10; Seymour 23-2.
Comments: Geffert 1 hitter 6 k’s; Becca Johnson 3 hits 2 rbi’s; Chelsea Avila 2 hits; Alexandra Dzen singled in the 3rd for Ellington only hit.

TRUMBULL 5, LYMAN HALL 1
(at Trumbull)
Lyman Hall 000 100 0 — 1 5 4
Trumbull 011 102 X — 5 6 1
WP: A. Szabo. LP: M Shura.

Photo by Peter Wallace
Pitcher Ali DuBois brought her best stuff in Torrington’s Class L state quarterfinal win over North Haven Friday afternoon at Torrington High School.

TORRINGTON >> Torrington softball pitcher Ali DuBois and North Haven’s Lauren Card battled for five innings with four hits between them before the Red Raiders scored in the bottom of the sixth inning for a 2-0 Class L state quarterfinal win Friday afternoon at Torrington High School.

The win was a touch of revenge for Torrington’s nine seniors — especially DuBois — who lost a 1-0 quarterfinal game in the top of the seventh inning two years ago in DuBois’s first year as Torrington’s starter.

On Friday, DuBois brought it all, allowing just two hits and no walks with 13 strikeouts, including 10 of 12 batters in one stretch between the second through fifth innings.

“My rise ball was working,” grinned the Division I Boston University recruit.

“We knew it was going to be a struggle. She’s the best pitcher we’ve seen all year,” said North Haven Coach Sally Maher.

Still, Card (1 earned run, 2 strikeouts, 0 walks), a sophomore who took over the Indians’ starting spot last year at mid-season, had similar success for five innings, relying on her defense. Torrington’s Carissa Carbone (2-for-3, RBI) and DuBois (2-for-3, double) each singled in the first inning. For five innings, nothing else got through the infield except a no-harm double by DuBois in the fourth.

By the top of the sixth, with the threat of extra innings, a troublesome index finger began to bother DuBois.

“Let’s slam the door on them, then,” said Torrington Coach Maryann Musselman.

Sophomore Alyssa Dowd, ninth in the batting order, came up first in the bottom of the inning — the same spot she had Wednesday when she slapped a key hit in Torrington’s win over No. 13 Rockville.

Friday, she slapped a bunt into short left field for another leadoff hit.

Alexis Tyrrell was up next after grounding out in her first two at-bats.

“We had to stay in the middle of the batter’s box against (Card’s) drop ball,” she said.

This time, she slammed a double down the third-base line, sending Dowd to third. Dowd scored on an infield error off Nina Julian’s bat, still no outs.
Carbone then smashed a grounder through the left side of the infield, scoring Tyrrell for the inning’s second run.

“You learn a pitcher’s movement and her delivery,” said Carbone in her third look at Card.

Nevertheless, a glance at history said this one wasn’t over until the top of the seventh inning was done.

“Before the game, everybody was talking about how well they hit,” said Musselman.

Seventh-inning leadoff batter Caitlin Ranciato proved the point, nailing a line drive single up the middle for North Haven’s second hit of the game. Sarah Lombardi, with the Indians’ first hit in the second inning, hit a shot even harder — right to Torrington center fielder Taylor Rogers.

This time, DuBois made sure history didn’t repeat. Two more strikeouts ended the game.

“Our team was playing the game they love with the kids they love. Ali showed what kind of pitcher she is,” said Musselman.

The No. 4 Red Raiders (20-4) play their second straight semifinal game Monday or Tuesday at a time and place to be announced. They face No. 1 Pomperaug (20-2), the team they beat in last year’s quarterfinals.

TORRINGTON 2, NORTH HAVEN 0
(at Torrington)
North Haven 000 000 0 — 0 2 1
Torrington 000 002 X — 2 6 2
Lauren Card and Gigi Russo; Ali DuBois and Alissa Dowd. WP: Ali Dubois (20-3). LP: Lauren Card (17-5).
Comments: 2B- Torrington-DuBois ; Torrington – DuBois threw a 2 hitter, 13 strike outs, no walks, 2-3 at plate, CC Carbone 2-3.

Dave Phillips — For the Register
The Seymour softball team celebrated its 2-1 Class M state quarterfinal round win Friday night against Granby.

pHOTO BY DAVE pHILLIPS
Seymour’S Chelsea Avila drove in the deciding RBI in the bottom of the seventh inning to lift Seymour over Granby into the Class M semifinals.

SEYMOUR >> Chelsea Avila hasn’t been able to play in the field all season due to an ankle injury, but she let her bat do the talking Friday night.

The Seymour junior laced a single to center field to drive in the winning run as 4th-seeded Seymour rallied to score two runs with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning to beat 5th-seeded Granby 2-1 in the quarterfinals of the CIAC Class M softball tournament.

The Wildcats (24-2) will meet 17th-seeded St. Joseph in the semifinals either Monday or Tuesday night at a site and time to be determined. St. Joseph ousted Watertown 11-5 Friday afternoon.

“It was the most stressful situation,” Avila said after her single scored Shari Minalga with the winning run. “All I was thinking was make contact with the ball, make sure it touches the grass, take deep breaths and get the job done.”

Seymour had struggled all night to get runs across the plate. After the Wildcats stranded runners on second and third in both the fifth and sixth inning off Granby righthander Kari Marks, they finally came through in their last at-bat.

Molly Adamo reached to lead off the bottom of the seventh when Granby shortstop Shelby Smith let a pop up fall in the infield. A wild pitch moved Adamo to second and two outs later, Minalga delivered a double off the wall in center field that easily tied the game at 1-1.

“I was just ecstatic,” Minalga said. “This is my last at bat on this field after four years. I wanted to finish it and get the job done.”

Beca Findley followed by getting hit by the first pitch from Marks and then Avila worked the count to 3-2 before Avila came up with the game-winner.

“Avila comes through she’s been out half the season with the ankle injury,” Seymour coach Ken Pereiras said. “She’s still not moving really well, but her bat is really solid.”

Granby scored its lone run in the opening inning when Smith doubled with one out and came around to score on a single to right by Anna-Marie Groskritz. The Bears left runners in scoring position four times, but Seymour pitcher Jenna Geffert minimized the damage and didn’t allow another run.

“That’s a heartbreaker for these kids who put the time and effort in all year,” Granby coach Brian McDermott said. “That’s a great team over there and it’s unfortunate. Hats off to them.”

It is the fourth consecutive season defending champion Seymour has reached the semifinals of the Class M tournament. The Wildcats won the title in both 2014 and 2016. Ironically, the Wildcats fell to St. Joseph in the semifinals in 2015.

“There’s no doubt this was toughest one,” Pereiras said. “Their pitcher was great and I thought we were in trouble the way she was throwing.”

SEYMOUR 2, GRANBY 1

(at Seymour)
Granby 100 000 0 — 1 6 1
Seymour 000 000 2 — 2 7 2
Kari Marks and Erin Henebry.; Jenna Geffert and Kolby Sirowich. WP: Jenna Geffert. LP: Kari Marks. 2B: (GRNB) Shelby Smith (2), Madeleine McGee; (SE) Shari Minalga. RBI: Groskritz (GRNB); Chelsea Avila, Shari Minalga (SE);
Team records: Granby 19-4; Seymour 24-2.

Cheshire pitcher Abby Abramson throws a no hitter to lead the Rams to the SCC title over Guilford, 8-0, Saturday, May 27, 2017, at West Haven High School. (Catherine Avalone — New Haven Register)

From press release:

In its 32^nd year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, today announced Abby Abramson of Cheshire High School as its 2016-17 Gatorade Connecticut Softball Player of the Year.  Abramson is the first Gatorade Connecticut Softball Player of the Year to be chosen from Cheshire High School.

The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Abramson as Connecticut’s best high school softball player. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Softball Player of the Year award announced in June, Abramson joins an elite alumni association of past state softball award-winners, including Catherine Osterman (2000-01, Cy Spring High School, Texas), Kelsey Stewart (2009-10, Arkansas City High School, Kan.), Carley Hoover (2012-13 D.W. Daniel High School, S.C.), Jenna Lilley (2012-13, Hoover High School, Ohio), Morgan Zerkle (2012-13 Cabell Midland High School, W. Va.), and Rachel Garcia (2014-15, Highland High School, Calif.).

The 5-foot-10 senior right-handed pitcher had led the Rams to a 19-1 record and a berth in the Class LL state tournament at the time of her selection. Abramson owned an 18-1 record and a 0.93 ERA in the circle and also compiled a .391 batting average, .631 on-base percentage, five home runs and 15 RBI through 20 games. She also struck out 242 batters in 122 innings pitched. As a junior, Abramson was named Player of the Year by the Connecticut High School Coaches Association, the New Haven Register and the Hartford Courant, while also earning Class LL state championship MVP honors.

President of the Best Buddies club at her school, Abramson has volunteered locally on behalf of a food pantry, youth softball clinics and Unified Sports and Theater programs. “Abramson is a one-man wrecking crew,” said Amanda Acampora, head coach at Lauralton Hall High School. “She’s the last person you want to see at the plate with the game on the line and the last pitcher you want to face in a big situation. There’s no one in the state who throws harder or with more movement.”

Abigail Abramson (center) of Cheshire celebrates with teammates. Photo by Arnold Gold/New Haven Register agold@newhavenregister.com

Abramson has maintained a 4.68 weighted GPA in the classroom. She will attend the University of Pennsylvania this fall, where she will play softball.

The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport.  The selection process is administered by the Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee, which work with top sport-specific experts and a media advisory board of accomplished, veteran prep sports journalists to determine the state winners in each sport.

Abramson joins recent Gatorade Connecticut Softball Players of the Year Caroline Taber (2015-16, 2014-15 & 2014-15, Fitch High School), Tatum Buckley (2013-14 & 2012-13, Masuk High School), Kelli Connors (2011-12, Waterford High School), Brianna Turgeon (2010-11 & 2009-10 Fitch High School), Rachele Fico (2008-09 & 2007–08, Masuk High School), and Lauren Bespuda (2006-07, Amity High School) among the state’s list of former award winners.

As a Gatorade Player of the Year, Abby will be able to select a national or local youth sports organization to receive a grant as part of the Gatorade Play It Forward program. Every Gatorade Player of the Year state winner receives a $1,000 grant to donate and will have the opportunity to enter for an additional $10,000 spotlight grant by writing a brief essay explaining why their selected organization deserves additional support. 12 spotlight grants – one for each sport – will be announced throughout the year.

Hand’s Lily Geshwind. (Catherine Avalone/New Haven Register)

The 2016 Connecticut High School Coaches Association All-State Softball teams.

The players will be honored at the annual All-State Softball Banquet at the Aqua Turf Club in Southington, 6:30 p.m. on Monday, June 19.

Final out as North Branford defeats Northwestern Regional 7-1 in #ctsb Class M semifinal pic.twitter.com/H8v8NxlDCt

— Jim Fuller (@NHRJimFuller) June 8, 2017

STRATFORD >> With each stride Northwestern Regional center fielder Ellie Olsen took towards the center-field fence drove Sydney Senerchia that much closer to a state of speechlessness.

The junior left-handed pitcher was already painting the corners en route to leading the North Branford softball program to its first state championship game in 42 years, but the thought of her first career home run being a grand slam was simply too much for her to comprehend.

By game’s end, Senerchia tossed a three-hitter and was 4 for 4 to lead seventh-seeded North Branford to a 7-1 win over No. 3 Northwestern Regional in the Class M semifinals on Wednesday at DeLuca Field.

“I haven’t even hit a home run before, let alone a grand slam in a semifinal state game,” Senerchia said. “It is really awesome, it is good to know that all of our hard work was paying off.

“I just hit it and said, ‘oh my God, I think that is going to go over’ and then I was kind of shocked for the next few innings.”

It didn’t show in her pitching as she set the Highlanders down in order in the third, fourth and fifth innings. Senerchia took a one-hit shutout into the seventh inning and finished the game in style, recording her seventh strikeout to end the game.

“Biggest moment I’ve ever had in softball,” Senerchia said. “I will tell my grand kids about this.”

Senerchia received all the offense she needed in the third inning when the Thunderbirds had six hits during a five-run outburst.

Brianna Raccio started it with the first of two doubles. She would score on a Julia Haeckel sacrifice fly. Senerchia delivered the biggest blow as singles by Angelina Ramada, Olivia Hemstock and Emily Muzyka loaded the bases to set the stage for Senerchia.

“We’ve been talking about our approach at the plate, zoning in the pitches we need to hit in certain situations, certain counts and we had some big hits today,” North Branford coach Nick DeLizio. “Raccio was huge, Sydney come up with the bases loaded and puts it right over the center-field fence, you talk about a momentum setter and plus how she pitched today, it was awesome to see that. It was awesome to see the girls rally around one another and pull this game out.”

Danielle Ramada had an RBI single and Angelina Ramada walked with the bases loaded in the seventh inning to cap the scoring. That was more than enough for Senerchia, who improved to 11-3.

“She was awesome, and we got caught back on our heels whether it was because it was a lefty pitcher, whether it was nerves or whatever the reason, we sat up there and watched a lot of pitches go by,” Northwestern Regional coach Stacey Zematis said. “She did a great job. She deserves all the credit in the world. They hit the heck out of the ball. They also hit the ball where we weren’t.”

Jana Sanden had a one-out single and scored on Harley Jasmin’s double in the bottom of the seventh inning for Northwestern Regional (21-3) to get the Highlanders on the board. Jasmin had two of Northwestern Regional’s three hits.

Muzyka, Kayla Despres and Raccio had two hits each for North Branford (22-5) which advances to its first state title game since falling to Sheehan in the 1975 Class M title game.

“I wasn’t born yet,” DeLizio said with a laugh. “We talk about growth, coming up with our own identity, going through growing pains. We talk about being a family, families go through their struggles and we overcame a lot of things, you could see them coming together, a tight bond with one another, supporting one another and playing awesome softball.”

The Highlanders had a memorable run winning its previous two games by a combined three runs.

“The girls had a great year,” Zematis said. “If you asked me at the beginning of the year if we would make it to the semifinals, I would have laughed at you. They worked hard all season right up to the last pitch. They gave it their all, and they are heartbroken, because it was just a taste away. But they never gave up.”

NORTH BRANFORD 7, NORTHWESTERN 1
(at Stratford)
North Branford 005 000 2 — 7 13 1
Northwestern 000 000 1 — 1 3 1
Sydney Senerchia and Kayla Despres; Kate Matava,Jana Sanden (7) and Kate Wald .
WP: Sydney Senerchia (11-3). LP: Kate Matava (). 2B: (NoBfd) Brianna Raccio; (NW) Harley Jasmin. Hr: Sydney Senerchia (NOBFD)RBI: Senerchia (4), Haeckel, Ramada, Ramada (NOBFD); Harley Jasmin (NW);
Team records: North Branford 22-5; Northwestern 21-3.

Molly Adamo records final out of sixth inning to leave bases loaded as Seymour advances to #ctsb Class M final pic.twitter.com/M0cEJ4RqV6

— Jim Fuller (@NHRJimFuller) June 8, 2017

STRATFORD >> Scoring opportunities certainly came early in often as perennial postseason rivals Seymour and St. Joseph stepped onto DeLuca Field on Wednesday night eyeing a spot in Saturday’s Class M title game.

Senior second baseman Shari Minalga made certain that fourth-seeded Seymour capitalized on their chances while the Class M semifinal was one of missed opportunities for No. 17 seed St. Joseph.

Minalga, who drove in the tying run in a quarterfinal win over Granby, drove in key run in the fifth inning with a double and added a two-run single in the sixth inning in the Wildcats’ 6-3 victory.

“I am so overwhelmed with excitement,” said Minalga, who pushed her team-leading RBI total to 44. “I try to lead the team the best I can and at the plate, if there are runners on, I have to be productive.”

If there is one statistic that best sums up the night’s festivities it would have to be at bats with runners in scoring position. Seymour was an impressive 4 for 8 with five of its six runs coming in those situations.

Meanwhile, St. Joseph finished 1 for 16.

“You get a couple of key hits and it is a different ball game,” St. Joseph coach Jeff Babineau said.

The seventh inning was the only time St. Joseph didn’t have runners on base as the Cadets left multiple runners on in the first, second and sixth innings.

The run of failing to come through with runners in scoring position was snapped on Melissa Bike’s infield single with two outs in the sixth inning to pull St. Joseph within a run. Catcher Jovanna Hillman, who already had a home run and double, received the old fashioned unintentional, intentional walk to load the bases for Kayla Giacobbe. Molly Adamo, who came on in relief in the third inning, got Giacobbe to pop up to end the threat.

Both teams used two pitchers and with 16 hits and nine walks between them, there were plenty of chances for players with previous postseason success to come up to the plate with runners in scoring position.

“It was nerve wracking honestly,” Minalga said. “It is all about timing in the game, you have to have hit after hit and come up clutch.”

Seymour struck first a Becca Johnson led off with a walk and scored with the aid of a pair of passed balls.

Chelsea Avila added an RBI single to give the Wildcats a 2-0 lead in the first inning.

St. Joseph (16-10) got a run back in the top of the second inning when Allie Petronchak, the No. 9 hitter, drew a bases-loaded walk.

In the third inning, St. Joseph catcher Jovanna Hillman, who is from Seymour, tied the game with a solo home run to center field. Giacobbe followed with a double leading to a pitching change for the Wildcats with Adamo coming in for Jenna Geffert.

St. Joseph led two runners on in the first inning and after plating their first run, had the bases loaded with nobody out in the second inning but a pair of strikeouts by Geffert enabled her to prevent further damage.

Johnson reached base three times and had her 47th stolen base of the season while Minalga was the only player with more than one hit for Seymour (25-2).

Hutchinson and Hillman had two hits each for St. Joseph.

Seymour, eyeing its eighth state title since 2000, will face a North Branford team making its first state championship appearance on Saturday at 4 p.m. at West Haven High School.

SEYMOUR 6, ST. JOSEPH 3

(at Stratford)
St. Joseph 011 001 0 — 3 9 1
Seymour 200 022 X — 6 7 0
Payton Doiron, Cat Connell (5) and Jovanna Hillman; Jenna Geffert, Molly Adamo (3) and Kolby Sirowich.
WP: Molly Adamo (7-2). LP: Payton Doiron (). 2B: (SJ) Giacobbe, Hllman, Petronchak; (SE) Findley, Minalga. Hr: Jovanna Hillman (SJ)RBI: Hillman, Bike, Petronchak (SJ); Molly Adamo (3), Chelsea Avila, Beca Findley (SE);
Team records: St. Joseph 16-10; Seymour 25-2.

Waterford’s Marissa Walker, the NFHS’ 2018 Spirit of Sport Award recipient. (Photo via NFHS)

Waterford’s Marissa Walker, who has fought through cancer and its potentially debilitating affects on her leg to become a pitcher and captain on the Lancers’ softball team, has been chosen as the National Federation of State High School Association’s “National High School Spirit of Sport Award,” the organization announced Monday.

When she was 9-years old, Walker was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma and needed numerous treatments and surgeries to remove a tumor on her left knee which ultimately forced the removal of 70 percent of her femur bone. 

She was fitted with a prosthetic joint, which needed constant adjustments and replacements as she grew. She now as a permanent titanium rod, which still necessitates surgery. 

Nevertheless, she continued to play softball and pitched Waterford North Little League to a district title not two years after her diagnosis. She continued in high school and, this year, was named captain of the Waterford softball team. She is expected to compete for the Lancers this spring.

Walker is a high honors student at Waterford and a member of the National Honor Society. 

“Marissa did not want pity early on and still doesn’t,” said her uncle and Waterford softball coach Andrew Walker in a statement released by NFHS. “I’ve witnessed her struggle up close … the tears, the heartache, the disappointment and the frustration.

“Her inner strength and resilient spirit is what makes her so special … her love of competition … her love for her teammates … and her love of the game. Cancer may have taken away her ability to run like the wind as she did in third grade, but it couldn’t touch her soul, her spirit or her heart. Marissa Walker is a winner even if she never steps on the field of play again because her ‘spirit of sport’ can never be taken away; it is a permanent part of her.”

Read more at NFHS.org: Connecticut Student-athlete Chosen as 2018 Spirit of Sport Award

One more victory would have given the Greenwich High School softball team eight wins and a berth into the CIAC Class LL Tournament last spring. A season later, the Cardinals are determined to leave nothing to chance.

No longer considered one of the most inexperienced teams in the FCIAC and state, Greenwich believes it can garner the eight wins it needs to qualify for the state tournament and more. The Cardinals, who haven’t made the Class LL tourney the past two seasons, also haven’t played in the FCIAC Tournament since 2014.

It will certainly take more than eight victories to earn a spot in the competitive conference tournament.

“We definitely want to return to states, it’s been two years since we’ve been to states, so we have to get those eight wins,” GHS coach Mary Beth Fratello said. “Hopefully, we can stay healthy, play defense, hit a little bit and be back in the tournament.”

Said Cardinals junior pitcher/co-captain Sophia Prieto: “Last year, we were one win away from states, so we definitely can achieve that goal this year. Making the FCIAC Tournament is also one of our goals. To accomplish our goals, we need to have the right mindset and determination from all of our players.”

Two seasons ago, the Cardinals began the season with several freshmen, who were in the midst of learning what it took to compete at the varsity level. Today, those freshmen are juniors already beginning their third season on the varsity squad.

“These juniors were starters as freshmen and they have all also played on competitive travel teams, so we are not young anymore,” Fratello said. “No more excuses anymore about us being a young team, that ship has sailed. They are an experienced group of players.”

Prieto is one of the Cardinals’ players that is starting her third season on the team. She’s filled the role as Greenwich’s starting pitcher the past two seasons and is primed to produce on the mound this spring.

“Because I already have two years of experience as a starting pitcher that may give me an advantage over some of the teams,” said Prieto, a right-hander. “I know what to expect at the varsity level and I know what to expect from our team. Already having experience can give me an advantage over some other pitchers.”

Senior Emily Delepine will also serve as one of the Cardinals’ captains. Delepine will spend most of her time in right and left field.

“Our team looks good, everyone has been on varsity for two or more years, which gives us a ton of experience,” Delepine said. “Really wanting and believing we can do it is going to help us.”

AT THE HELM: Fratello is beginning her 10th season as coach of the Cardinals. Greenwich posted a record of 7-13 last season, went 5-15 in 2016 and was 10-10 in 2015. The 2014 season saw the Cardinals finish 19-5 and advance to the quarterfinal-round of the Class LL Tournament. In 2013 and 2012, Greenwich won 15 and 11 games, respectively, and made it to the Round of 16 of the state tournament.

Erik Caraballo and Jennifer Preli are assistant coaches.

WHO’S GONE? Julia Greco (third base), Katelyn Burhans (center field), Julia D’Andrea (first base) and Rachel Martinez (infielder/outfielder) were among the graduates from last season’s squad. Greco and D’Andrea were each clutch hitters in the middle of the order.

WHO’S BACK? Prieto gives the Cardinals a durable, dependable starting pitcher.

“She played all summer and all fall and worked with a pitching coach,” Fratello said of Prieto. “She has added more speed to her pitches and she has worked on a couple of pitches.”

Senior Marissa Munoz is the Cardinals’ No. 2 starting pitcher. Jalynn Marrero, a senior, will start at first base, and junior Michelle Morganti will fill the role at second base. Junior Emma Beinstein is the shortstop and junior Kelly Brogan will play third base.

The outfield is comprised of junior Katie Walko in left field, Julie Gambino (junior) in center field and Delphine in right field.

STRENGTHS: “Our fielding and hitting is going to be strong, all-around, we should be a pretty strong team this year,” Delpine said. “We definitely need to continue to work on our communication and we need to focus on keeping a positive attitude.”

Hitting and scoring runs weren’t issues for the Cardinals last season, but they allowed too many unearned runs due to defensive miscues. Fratello and the Cardinals believe their defensive play has improved from a year ago.

SHOWDOWNS: Greenwich hosts New Fairfield in its season-opener on March 31 at 11 a.m. Here’s a look at some of their other matchups. Brookfield (home, April 4), Darien (home, April 9), New Canaan (away, April 11), Fairfield Ludlowe (home, April 16), Staples (home, April 23), Stamford (home, April 25), Westhill (home, May 2) and Fairfield Warde (home, May 9).

Trinity Catholic’s girls softball team, shown here in 2017, will not field a program in 2018 due to a lack of players. (Photo via Trinity Catholic)

Trinity Catholic will not field a varsity or junior varsity softball team for the 2018 season.

The first day of tryouts, nine players came out for the team. Of those players, four had never played softball before.

Feeling that it could not put a quality team on either the varsity or JV level and fearing having to forfeit games if one player was not available, the decision was made to not have a season.

The decision to put the program on the shelf for the season was not made easily, according to Athletic Director Bob Robustelli.

“It kept me awake at night knowing that girls who live for softball will not be able to play this season,” Robustelli said. “When we only had nine girls come out and four of them had never played we were left with a decision that needed to be made. We absolutely hate not having a program for a year. It does not send a great message but we wanted to be fair to the FCIAC and to the other teams.”

He said the school plans to address the issue and hopes to have a team back on the field next spring.

“By no means is this the end of the Trinity Catholic softball program,” he said. “The talent level was just not there this year and we did not want to embarrass anyone. At the end of the day, this was a painful decision but I think the best decision.”

Robustelli said while coach Rita Jagodzinski and the players tried to recruit more players, there was simply not enough varsity-capable players at the school.

The team had no seniors and three juniors with everyone else being a sophomore or freshmen.

Per CIAC rules, the players from the team will not be able to go play for another school this season.

“That is the hardest part that they can’t go play somewhere else,” Robustelli said. “We tried to talk to the FCIAC and the CIAC before we made the decision, to see what could be done, but they have very strict rules about that and those rules are in place for a reason. It’s just very unfortunate for the girls here who want to play.”

The Crusaders were 3-17 a season ago under first-year coach Jagodzinski, who was an assistant coach for the Crusaders for six years prior to taking over.

In its heyday, the Crusaders won 8 East Division titles from 1991-99, playing in five FCIAC championship games, winning titles in 1992 and 96.

In that time, Trinity played in four CIAC Class S state championship games (1993, 94, 96 and 99) winning its lone state title in 1996.

Staples’ baseball team practices on the field turf on Tuesday, March 27, 2018. Because of lingering winter conditions on its baseball field, the team, like many others, practiced on its nearby field turf.

Staples’ Chad Knight throws on the field turf at Staples High during practice. The field wasn’t open for the Wreckers to practice on, on Tuesday March 27, 2018.

It was March 2016 and high school athletes in Connecticut were in the middle of tryouts. Chad Knight of Staples High remembers the time as some of the worst conditions he’s ever practiced in.

“It starting snowing 30 minutes in, and we had only just finished warmups,” said Knight, one of the best baseball players in the state.

Ah, welcome to spring sports in Connecticut. The season comes in almost literally like a lion, roaring and making its presence known by wreaking havoc on schedules with its unpredictable weather.

The first day of baseball practice for Knight and other athletes is always a roll of the dice. The junior all-state pitcher has no idea whether he’ll take to the field outside, or be stuck inside.

Consider the elements last week. Just a few days after practice officially began, Connecticut was hit with yet another winter storm.

It didn’t feel like baseball season on that March afternoon.

“We are really on a day-to-day basis,” Knight said. “Some days it’s beautiful out and we can get on the field, and some days it snows half a foot.”

It’s no secret that spring is a beast to handle. So how do some of the top area athletes take on arguably the hardest sports season in the calendar year?

“Playing and practicing in tough weather conditions is definitely a test of both your mental toughness and desire to play the game,” Knight said. “If you can make it through the harsh weather in the beginning of the season, then you can play in anything.”

Spring begins in winter

During the long winter months, it’s a safe bet you’ll find Hamden High junior Alex Aurora somewhere with a golf club.

“If I’m not out playing golf in the winter, then I’m practicing indoors,” he said.

Aurora, who won the CIAC Division I individual title last year, trains in Bethany at Fore Seasons Golf Club, which is basically a warehouse turned into a practice facility. There, he’s able to work on just about all aspects of his game when the weather won’t allow him to be out on a driving range.

“Beside seeing ball flight, you can do everything that you can on a golf course, so it’s nice,” Aurora said.

The same goes for Hopkins senior tennis player Catherine duBoulay. The Westport native, who helped guide the Hilltoppers to a Class B New England Prep School title last year, plays indoors weekly at Intensity in Norwalk, a facility with hard courts. Like Aurora, she’s able to work on just about all aspects of her game.

Because pitching is so physically demanding, Knight does not play fall ball to give his arm a rest. He uses that time to get a jump-start on his offseason training.

“During the offseason I do all of my training indoors in batting cages and gyms due to the cold weather,” he said.

Notre Dame-Fairfield senior softball player Lucy Grant, a first baseman from Bethel, starts spring training in the fall. The repetitions help going into the season, making for a seamless transition.

“I start doing hitting lessons every couple weeks and participate in the fall travel season with my summer team,” Grant said. “Playing all year around helps me maintain my consistency and keep up with my skills.”

Mastering the elements

Last June, Aurora won the Division 1 individual golf title in the rain.

“I played a lot of rounds in the rain but haven’t really played any good rounds in the rain before,” said Aurora in a GameTimeCT.com interview last year. “I know from experience you have to club up (take an extra club), swing easy and keep the ball down.”

Chalk those tips up from being a veteran spring athlete in the state of Connecticut. While there’s no exact science for the perfect transition from indoors to outdoors, especially in a New England state, it does get easier with time and experience.

“It’s difficult to play (tennis) with the sun shining in my eyes after practicing in an indoor facility for six months,” duBoulay said. “As I get farther into the season, I get more and more comfortable playing outdoors.”

Beside the challenge of the weather, mimicking certain aspects of the outdoor game cannot be done indoors.

“Being indoors is definitely challenging mostly because you really cannot simulate field dimensions,” Knight said. “In the northeast you really can’t even step on a baseball field until mid-March or later unlike down south or out west.”

Added duBoulay: “The Hopkins tennis courts are slower than the Intensity courts, that is the ball moves slower, so it takes some time to readjust the timing of my strokes. I think all players have this issue. Even when playing at two different indoor facilities, the speed of the ball is never the same.”

Knight explained that all aspects of playing in the cold are not enjoyable — the inability to grip the ball, the sting on your hands when you hit the ball off the end of the bat, the pain when you catch a ball on the palm of your glove.

“The worst weather experience I ever had on a softball field was last year,” Grant said. “We played in 25-degree weather during a freezing rain storm. My skin turned purple halfway through the game and I was visibly shaking. …We won, though.”

But if you can conquer the mental aspect of the elements, the harsh circumstances don’t play a major role.

“If you really love just playing baseball, no weather restrictions will prevent you from achieving success on the field,” Knight said.

For The Love Of The Game

If given his way, Knight would live in Malibu and have ideal weather to play outdoors. Unfortunately, that’s not the case.

Knight, who has been playing baseball in Connecticut since he was 6 or 7 years old, knows the challenging, frustrating spring weather is just part of living in the northeast.

“It’s not the perfect setting, but no matter what we always find a way to practice,” he said.

When conditions do not allow for on-field work, Knight said the Wreckers — the defending Class LL state champions — will practice in their field house, where they have a drop down batting cage and room for fielder and pitchers to get their reps in.

DuBoulay and her teammates will usually head to Milford Indoor Tennis, about 10 minutes away, and get a practice in when the outdoor courts are too wet to use.

While the spring weather may force athletes get more creative while resulting in games and practices being shuffled around, it’s all worth it come May and June.

“Despite the hectic schedule, I think we all reap the rewards of our hard work in the form of our match wins as well as personal and team improvement,” duBoulay said.

Added Grant: “Being in close quarters all the time for practices, team dinners and the constant stream of games can force even the most different of people to develop friendships, or a close team bond at the very least.”

Daniel Hand head coach Paul Deon speaks with his team during the Class M Boys Lacrosse final between Daniel Hand and New Canaan at Brien McMahon High School in Norwalk, Conn., on Saturday, June 10, 2017.

Links to the 2018 spring sports schedules via CIACSports.com. 

Baseball

• 2018 Regular Season Schedules/Results (One School)
• 2018 Master Varsity Schedule

Softball

• 2018 Regular Season Schedules/Results (One School)
• 2018 Master Varsity Schedule

Boys Lacrosse

• 2018 Regular Season Schedules/Results (One School)
• 2018 Master Varsity Schedule

Girls Lacrosse

• 2018 Regular Season Schedules/Results (One School)
• 2018 Master Varsity Schedule

Boys Golf

• 2018 Boys Regular Season Schedules/Results (One School)
• 2018 Boys Master Varsity Schedule

Girls Golf

• 2018 Girls Regular Season Schedules/Results (One School)
• 2018 Girls Master Varsity Schedule

Boys Tennis

• 2018 Regular Season Schedules/Results (One School)
• 2018 Master Varsity Schedule

Girls Tennis

• 2018 Regular Season Schedules/Results (One School)
• 2018 Master Varsity Schedule

Boys Volleyball

• 2018 Regular Season Schedules/Results (One School)
• 2018 Master Varsity Schedule

Boys Track & Field

• 2018 Boys Regular Season Schedules/Results (One School)
• 2018 Boys Master Varsity Schedule

Girls Track & Field

• 2018 Girls Regular Season Schedules/Results (One School)
• 2018 Girls Master Varsity Schedule

WILTON — For a team chasing a piece of history, the Wilton High softball squad is perfectly set up.

Not only the Warriors experienced — seven starters return from last year’s team — but they’re also young enough to have time on their side when it comes to reaching their goals.

Wilton has never made the FCIAC playoffs in softball.

Coach Brian Jacobs flatly states that it’s one of his team’s goals this season, in addition to winning multiple games in the state tournament

“I wouldn’t necessarily characterize it as a weakness, but more of an opportunity,” Jacobs said. “Even though we do have a lot of returning starters, we still have a young team — only one senior, and lots of 9th, 10th graders that could fill key roles.”

This past season Wilton went 9-13 and, according to Jacobs, recorded the biggest upset in CIAC Class LL tournament history when his 29th-seeded team knocked off No. 4 Bristol Central in the opening round.

So the Warriors are a team that have learned how to win a big game.

Junior captains Sophia Strazza (SS, second-team All-FCIAC, .386 with 26 RBIs) and Hannah Belanger (CF, hit .333 with 9 steals last year) will lead the team along with sophomore pitcher Kate Shouvlin.

Shouvlin found herself thrown in the fire last season after an injury to Wilton’s starting pitcher and she responded with a 3.08 ERA and a 44-10 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Other returning starters include Iso Casiraghi (senior, INF), Juliana Musilli (junior, INF), Claire Wilson (sophomore, INF/P), and Maya Farrell (sophomore, moving from RF to C).

Top newcomers include Hannah Lifrieri (freshman, INF/OF/P), Emily O’Brien (junior, OF), Tori Choinski (junior, OF), and Hailey Dube (freshman, OF).

For the Warriors to be successful and reach their goals, the team is going to have to raise its game on both sides of the ball, Jacobs said.

“We need aggressive at-bats on offense, solid defense — not flashy, but making all the routine plays to put pressure on the other team — and solid pitching,” he said.

The team’s experience sets up with those categories, he added.

“We have a lot of returning starters who have gotten a ton of experience the past few seasons, good depth at pitcher, and our defense should be pretty solid,” he said.

A year ago, Wilton made history with its state tournament upset.

This time around, Wilton is looking to make history in the league.