SEYMOUR — Top-seeded Seymour didn’t have many opportunities to score against East Haven but the host Wildcats made each chance count.

With the game tied, Morgan Scinto led off the bottom of the fifth inning with a bunt single and then was sacrificed to second by Makayla O’Hara.

With two outs, Sarah Molin then delivered the winning hit as Seymour survived with a 3-2 victory over the No. 16 Easties in the second round of the Class M state tournament Wednesday.


Read more here.






VOTE for Seymour's Morgan Scinto for Wednesday's STAR

ROUNDUP

CLASS LL

No. 6 Amity 9, No. 22 New Milford 3: C.J. Semones had two hits, two runs and two RBIs for Amity in a second-round win at Woodbridge.

Jackie Ferraiolo had two hits and three stolen bases and Heather Ferranti struck out six for the Spartans (19-4).

CLASS L

No. 1 Foran 3, No. 17 E.O. Smith 0: Pitcher Jess Harkness, one walk away from a perfect game, had her second no-hitter of the season to lead the Lions to their second-round win in Milford.

CLASS M

No. 5 Law 2, No. 12 Suffield 1 (8): Melissa Nelson’s RBI single scored Stephanie Peloso in the bottom of the eighth inning for Law in a second-round win at Milford.

CLASS S

No. 2 Coginchaug 15, No. 18 Holy Family 0 (5): Lauren Esposito had three hits, four RBIs and two runs scored to lead the Blue Devils (20-4) to their second-round win in Durham.

Read more roundup here.

Sarah Molin's RBI single in the fifth inning lifted top-seeded Seymour to a 3-2 win over No. 16 East Haven in the second round of the Class M state tournament.

Katie Petroski hit a two-run double to tie the game in the third inning for the Wildcats (24-0), ranked No. 1 in the Register Top 10 Poll.

Kelly Ferris allowed five hits and struck out 10 for Seymour.

Jenna Gaudioso had a run-scoring single for East Haven (16-8).

No. 6 Amity 8, No. 27 Newtown 1: Emily Fox had two hits and two runs, and Dana Blydenburg tossed a five-hitter with five strikeouts for Amity in a first-round win at Woodbridge. Jacqui Ferraiolo added three hits and scored twice for the Spartans (19-5). Newtown finishes at 10-12.

No. 20 Cheshire 3, No. 13 Pomperaug 1: Bryanna McIntosh went 3-for-4 with an RBI in the Rams win at Southbury.

Nicole D’Amato allowed just three hits in the win for Cheshire (13-8). Sam Collins had an RBI double for Pomperaug.

No. 14 Shelton 13, No. 19 East Hartford 1: Winning pitcher Emily Komornik had two hits, including a home run, and three RBIs for the host Gaels in this first-round win.

Kaysee Talcik had a single, home run and four RBIs and Marissa D’Angelo had a single, home run and three RBIs for Shelton (14-8).


Read more roundup here.

Five story lines to watch

Five players to watch

Tournament predictions

Seymour still ranked No. 1 in latest Top 10 Poll

Here is the ballot I submitted this week for the Register Top 10 Softball Poll. I will post this week's poll on-line later today and you can view the complete Top 10 in Monday's print editions.

1. Seymour
2. Foran
3. Waterford
4. Maloney
5. Southington
6. Rocky Hill
7. Rockville
8. Oxford
9. Darien
10. Brookfield
11. Masuk
12. Westhill
13. Torrington
14. Stonington
15. Amity

WEST HAVEN — It’s a play that Foran softball coach Jeff Bevino and freshman Dani Kemp have talked about.

It turned out to be a play that earned the top-seeded Lions their first Southern Connecticut Conference tournament championship.

Kemp drew a lead-off walk in the bottom of the seventh inning, stole second and then reached third on a delayed steal. The throw to third was off the mark, and Kemp scored to give Foran a 7-6 walk-off victory over No. 3 Amity Saturday at Biondi Field.

“The pitcher wasn’t really paying attention (in between pitches) and I just took the opportunity,” said Kemp. “I was just in the moment. I heard Bevino screaming to go.”

PHOTOS: Foran beats Amity for SCC softball title

Kemp’s thoughts when the wild throw sailed past Amity third baseman Krista Reynolds?

“Get up as fast as I can and run down home,” Kemp said.

Said Bevino: “She’s on her own. We talked about (the delayed steal). She knows she can do that.”
Read more here.

Lauren Esposito had nine strikeouts, scattered five hits, belted a pair of doubles and scored two runs to lead top-seeded Coginchaug to an 8-1 win over Morgan in the semifinals of the Shoreline Conference tournament Saturday in Durham.

Coginchaug will face No. 2 Haddam-Killingworth in the championship game today at 2 p.m. in Westbrook.

Kayla Votto had a single, double and triple with three RBIs for the Blue Devils (18-4). Teammates Mary Handley and Marissa Puchalski each hit two-run singles.

The Huskies fall to 16-6.

No. 2 Haddam-Killingworth 10, No. 6 Old Saybrook 2: Sam Waskowitz hit a two-run homer, two triples, scored three runs and drove in four runs to lead the Cougars to their Shoreline Conference tournament semifinal win in Haddam.

Casey Jackson added two doubles and an RBI for the Cougars (18-4). Dana Pendleton had two hits and a run scored for the Rams (11-11).

Foran 7, Amity 6

Foran wins SCC softball title with a 7-6 walk-off victory over Foran. Freshman Dani Kemp reached third on a delayed steal, the throw to third was off the mark and Kemp scored on the error to win it. Amity rallied from a 6-0 deficit to tie the game in the sixth. 

 Read more later at www.nhregister.com and in Sunday's print editions. 

WEST HAVEN — Dani Kemp’s fourth home run of the season ignited the Foran offense and helped send the Lions into the championship game of the Southern Connecticut Conference softball tournament.

Kemp, a freshman, hit a two-out, two-run home run in the third inning, sparking a Foran onslaught in consecutive innings that was the difference in an 8-0 semifinal victory over defending champion Mercy, the fifth seed, Friday at Biondi Field.

The Lions (21-1) collected 10 hits and scored eight times in the third and fourth innings to advance to their first league title game. Foran will face No. 3 Amity in tonight’s championship at 6.

“We just come out here ready to play and hit for contact, nothing big,” Kemp said. “(Hitting the home run) feels awesome.”

The CIAC released pairings for the softball state tournament Friday. Here is a breakdown of what might occur in the four classes when the tournament begins on Tuesday.

CLASS LL

Overview

Usually one of the more competitive classes, this year is no exception especially with No. 4 Masuk and No. 3 Darien both moving up from Class L this year.

First-round games to watch

No. 20 Cheshire at No. 13 Pomperaug (Tuesday, 4 p.m.): Rams have been playing well down the stretch and are ripe to pull the upset.
No. 21 Trumbull at No. 12 Norwalk (Tuesday, 4 p.m.): These FCIAC rivals meet for the second time this season. Norwalk won the regular season game 8-3 on April 27.

Semifinalists

No. 1 Southington, Masuk, No. 2 Westhill, No. 6 Amity

Champion

Southington over Westhill

Of note: Westhill catcher Elizabeth Joseph suffered a concussion in a FCIAC quarterfinal victory over New Canaan and will miss the rest of the FCIAC tournament (Westhill plays in the semifinals Friday).

CLASS L

Overview

Defending champion Foran is the top-seed and could meet SCC Hammonasset Division rival No. 9 Guilford in the quarterfinals. The two met in the second round last season.  No. 2 Maloney, No. 3 Rockville, No. 4 Torrington, No. 5 Brookfield and No.7 Bethel all have the talent to win in this division.

First-round games to watch

No. 18 East Lyme at No. 15 North Haven (Tuesday, 4 p.m.): North Haven is another SCC team that could do some damage in this class, but the winner here gets Maloney in the second round.
No. 23 Branford at No. 10 Watertown (Tuesday, 4 p.m.): Watertown handed Granby its only loss of the season. The Indians could be a dark horse in this class.

Semifinalists

Foran, No. 5 Brookfield, Bethel, Rockville

Champion

Foran over Rockville

CLASS M

Overview

This class is loaded. Seymour, ranked No. 1 in the Register Top 10 Poll, and newly crowned champions of the NVL, is the top seed. But the draw is not easy. The Wildcats will face either No. 16 East Haven or NVL foe No. 17 Woodland in the second round, then No. 8 Stonington or No. 9 St. Joseph in the quarterfinals. No. 2 Wateford, No. 4 Rocky Hill, No. 5 Law and No. 6 Oxford should all challenge for the title.

First-round games to watch

No. 20 Tolland at No. 13 Haddam-Killingworth (Tuesday, 4 p.m.): H-K hits the ball well and plays solid defense, and should be a tough out for any opponent.
No. 17 Woodland at No. 16 East Haven (Tuesday, 4 p.m.): East Haven upset Law in the SCC quarterfinals. The Easties have the talent to compete with any team in this class when playing their 'A' game.

Semifinalists

St. Joseph (which gets past Stonington in the second round and upsets Seymour in the quarterfinals), Rocky Hill, Waterford, Oxford

Champion

Rocky Hill over Waterford

CLASS S

Overview

Defending champion Hale-Ray is the No. 14 seed and seems to be peaking at the right time, winning four of its last five. No. 2 Coginchaug, No. 6 Morgan and No. 12 Terryville are likely also top contenders in a class filled mainly with technical schools. Hale-Ray, Morgan and Coginchaug, though, are all in the bottom half of the bracket.

First-round games to watch

No. 25 Old Saybrook at No. 8 Canton (Tuesday, 4 p.m.): Old Saybrook made a surprise run to the quarterfinals last season. Can history repeat itself?
No. 19 Coventry at No. 14 Hale-Ray (Tuesday, 4 p.m.): Winner gets No. 3 Goodwin Tech and its junior pitcher Shyleen Ortiz. Goodwin Tech has defeated Shoreline Conference teams Portland and Cromwell already this season

Semifinalists

Canton, No. 5 Stafford, Coginchaug, Morgan

Champion

Coginchaug over Stafford

NAUGATUCK — It was a struggle, but the top-ranked Seymour softball team claimed another Naugatuck Valley League tournament title on Thursday.

The Wildcats, ranked No. 1 in the latest Register poll, used a single, two errors and an RBI groundout to push across the lone run in a 1-0 win over No. 2 Torrington in the NVL final at Naugatuck High School.

The title is the second straight for Seymour (23-0), and is the sixth in eight seasons for head coach Ken Pereiras.

Read more here.

AMITY WINS SCC SEMIFINAL

WEST HAVEN — Errors and mental miscues have cost the East Haven softball team in several close games this season.

That was the case again against third-seeded Amity in the semifinals of the Southern Connecticut Conference tournament.

The Spartans had only five hits, but took advantage of five Easties errors en route to a 5-3 win Thursday at Biondi Field.



Read more here.

Jenna DiLorenzo had an RBI single and Corina Zdrowski drove in a run on a sacrifice fly to lead third-seeded Amity to a 5-3 win over No. 7 East Haven in the semifinals of the Southern Connecticut Conference tournament Thursday at Biondi Field in West Haven.

Amity (18-4) had only five hits off East Haven (15-7) pitcher Talia Loda but the Easties made five errors, which led to four unearned runs.

Brianna Spadacenta hit two doubles and had an RBI and Jenna Gaudioso hit a two-run double for East Haven.

Amity will face either No. 1 Foran or No. 5 Mercy in Saturday's championship game.

SCC
QUARTERFINALS
No. 1 Foran 8, No. 8 North Haven 2
No. 7 East Haven 3, No. 2 Law 2 (9)
No. 3 Amity 5, No. 6 Guilford 0
THURSDAY
No. 5 Mercy at No. 4 Shelton, 3:45 p.m.
SEMIFINALS
THURSDAY
No. 3 Amity vs. No. 7 East Haven, 7 p.m. at West Haven
FRIDAY
No. 1 Foran vs. No. 5 Mercy/No.4 Shelton winner, 7 p.m. at West Haven
FINAL
SATURDAY
Semifinal winners, 6 p.m. at West Haven

SHORELINE
Quarterfinals
Friday
No. 8 Westbrook at No. 1 Coginchaug 4 p.m.
No. 7 East Hampton at No. 2 H-K 4 p.m.
No. 6 Old Saybrook at No. 3 North Branford 4 p.m.
No. 5 Morgan at No. 4 Hale-Ray 4 p.m.
Semifinals
Saturday
8/1 Winner vs. 5/4 Winner Time TBA (if at Coginchaug 11 a.m. due to prom)
7/2 Winner vs. 6/3 Winner Time TBA
Final
Sunday
at Westbrook, 2 p.m.



NVL
FINAL
THURSDAY
No. 1 Seymour vs. No. 2 Torrington, 3:30 p.m. at Naugatuck

SWC
QUARTERFINALS
 No. 1 Brookfield 4, No. 8 Newtown 2
No. 2 Oxford 1, No. 7 New Fairfield 0
No. 3 Bethel 4, No. 6 Pomperaug 1
THURSDAY
No. 5 Masuk at No. 4 Lauralton Hall, 4:15 p.m.
SEMIFINALS
Thursday, 7 p.m.
DeLuca Field, Stratford
No. 2 Oxford vs. No. 3 Bethel
Friday, 7 p.m.
DeLuca Field, Stratford
No. 4 Lauralton Hall/No. 5 Masuk vs. No. 1 Brookfield
Championship
Saturday, 6:30 p.m.
DeLuca Field, Stratford


FCIAC
QUARTERFINALS
No. 3 St. Joseph 7, No. 6 Stamford 2
No. 1 Westhill 4, No. 8 New Canaan 0
No. 2 Darien 9, No. 7 Danbury 7
THURSDAY
No. 5 Fairfield Ludlowe at No. 4 Norwalk, 4 p.m.
SEMIFINALS
FRIDAY
at Sacred Heart, Fairfield
No. 2 Darien vs. No. 3 St. Joseph, 3 p.m.
No. 1 Westhill vs. No.5 Fairfield Ludlowe/No. 4 Norwalk, 5 p.m.
FINAL
Saturday
at Sacred Heart, Fairfield

ECC
QUARTERFINALS
Thursday
No. 8 Plainfield at No. 1 Waterford, 4 p.m.
No. 5 Bacon Academy vs. No. 4 Fitch at East Lyme,  4 p.m.
No. 7 Ledyard vs. No. 2 Stonington at Plainfield, 4 p.m.
No. 6 Lyman Memorial at No. 3 Griswold, 4 p.m.
SEMIFINALS
Thursday
at East Lyme, 7 p.m.
8/1 vs. 5/4

at Griswold, 7 p.m.
7/2 vs. 6/3

FINAL
Friday
at Griswold, 7 p.m.

Pinch-hitter McKenzie Miessau singled in Amanda Bradley with the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth inning as No. 7 East Haven upset No. 2 Law 3-2 in a Southern Connecticut Conference tournament quarterfinal win at Milford.

Amanda Jessey doubled twice for the Easties (15-6). Melissa Nelson took the loss for the Eagles (18-3).

No. 1 Foran 8, No. 8 North Haven 2: Danielle Kemp hit a three-run home run, Fallon Bevino had two RBIs and Jess Harkness struck out 11 in Foran’s (20-1) SCC quarterfinal win.

Nicole Dunlop doubled for North Haven (12-9).

No. 3 Amity 5, No. 6 Guilford 0: Catherine Semones and Emily Fox each had a pair of hits to lead the Spartans to the home victory over the Indians in the SCC quarterfinals.

Jenna DiLorenzo added a double for Amity.



READ more ROUNDUP here.


VOTE for McKenzie Miessau as Wednesday's STAR!

Shoreline Conference tournament pairings are now official.

Quarterfinals
Friday

No. 8 Westbrook at No. 1 Coginchaug 4 p.m.

No. 7 East Hampton at No. 2 H-K 4 p.m.

No. 6 Old Saybrook at No. 3 North Branford 4 p.m.

No. 5 Morgan at No. 4 Hale-Ray 4 p.m.



Semifinals
Saturday

8/1 Winner vs. 5/4 Winner Time TBA (if at Coginchaug 11 a.m. due to prom)

7/2 Winner vs. 6/3 Winner Time TBA


Final
Sunday
at Westbrook, 2 p.m.

No. 1 Foran 8, No. 8 North Haven 2
No. 7 East Haven 3, No. 2 Law 2 (9)
No. 3 Amity 5, No. 6 Guilford 0
THURSDAY
No. 5 Mercy at No. 4 Shelton

SEMIFINALS
THURSDAY
No. 3 Amity vs. No. 7 East Haven, 7 p.m. at West Haven
FRIDAY
No. 1 Foran vs. No. 5 Mercy/No.4 Shelton winner, 7 p.m. at West Haven

Via press release.

Newbury Softball Announces Solid Recruiting Class for 2013

The Newbury College softball program looks to climb the ranks of the New England College Conference (NECC) with the release of seven new student-athletes who have committed to Newbury for the 2012-2013 academic year. Head Coach Brook Capello notes that these players are not only talented, but they also have the experience and character needed to help build the Nighthawks into contenders for a NECC title in 2013.

Alyssa Donovan – Catcher (West Haven, Conn./Platt Technical)

Club Team: CT Falcons

Alyssa comes to Newbury as a decorated catcher both behind the dish and at the plate, earning a Gold Glove Award and Silver Slugger Award in her home state of Connecticut. Additionally, she has been selected All State twice as well as a three-time All-League First Team selection while being named as one of MSG Varsity Magazine’s Top 10 Players to Watch. Coach Capello is confident that Alyssa’s athleticism and catching experience will not doubt be a major asset to the Nighthawks defense and pitching staff. Her leadership experience as a three-year captain will serve her well as she manages games behind the plate for the Nighthawks in 2013. Alyssa intends on majoring in sports management.

Here's an update on the SWC softball tournament schedule.

QUARTERFINALS
Wednesday, 4:15 p.m.
No. 8 Newtown at No. 1 Brookfield
No. 7 New Fairfield at No. 2 Oxford
No. 6 Pomperaug at No. 3 Bethel

THURSDAY
No. 5 Lauralton Hall/Masuk at No. 4 Lauralton Hall/Masuk

Note: If Lauralton Hall beats Weston on Wednesday, LH is No. 4 and host No. 5 Masuk. The game moves to Masuk if LH loses to Weston.

SEMIFINALS
Thursday, 7 p.m.
DeLuca Field, Stratford
New Milford/Oxford vs. Pomperaug/Bethel winner

Friday, 7 p.m.
DeLuca Field, Stratford
Lauralton Hall/Masuk vs. Brookfield

Championship
Saturday, 6:30 p.m.
DeLuca Field, Stratford

The SCC softball quarterfinals have been posted Tuesday.

Here is the schedule as of 12:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Quarterfinals – Wednesday

No.8  North Haven at No. 1 Foran – 3:45 p.m.

No. 7 East Haven at No. 2 Law – 3:45 p.m.

No. 6 Guilford at No. 3 Amity – 3:45 p.m.

No. 5 Mercy at No. 4  Shelton – TBA (depending on completion of Shelton at Mercy regular-season game on Wednesday)

Semifinals – Thursday, TBA

Championship Game – Saturday at West Haven, 6 p.m. 

Here's what I have for the Shoreline Conference tournament as of 12:30 p.m. Tuesday. Schedule is weather permitting.

Coginchaug is the No. 1 seed. If Westbrook defeats Windsor Locks on Wednesday, Westbrook will be the No. 8 seed and face host Coginchaug.

The winner of Wednesday's game between North Branford and Haddam-Killingworth will be the No. 2 seed and host No. 7  East Hampton.

The loser of North Branford and H-K will be the No. 3 seed and will host No. 6 Old Saybrook.
Hale-Ray is the No. 4 seed and will host No. 5 Morgan.

The quarterfinals are FRIDAY at the higher seed.
The semifinals are SATURDAY at the higher seed.
The championship game is SUNDAY at 2 p.m. at Westbrook.

QUARTERFINALS

Tuesday

No. 8 North Haven at No. 1 Foran, 3:45 p.m.
No. 7 East Haven at No. 2 Law, 3:45 p.m.
No. 6 Guilford at No. 3 Amity, 3:45 p.m.

Wednesday

No. 5 Mercy at No. 4 Shelton, 3:45 p.m.

SEMIFINALS

Thursday

at Biondi Field, West Haven, 5 and 7 p.m.

FINAL

Saturday

at Biondi Field, West Haven, 6 p.m.

In his 31 seasons as softball coach at West Haven, Frank Biondi never had a team that didn’t win a game.

That streak continues. Barely.

The Westies lost their first 17 games this season before pulling out a 1-0 victory over Hand on Thursday.

“It felt good,” Biondi said. “We knew we were going to be very young. We lost just about everyone. We’re starting three or four that never played before. It took awhile. We could never get the hitting and fielding to come together at the same time.”

Read more here.


Top 10 Poll: Seymour No. 1 again.



Check out Diamond Gems, our weekly recap of top performances.

The Southern Connecticut Conference tournament field is complete. Well, sort of.
The eight teams that have qualified for Tuesday’s quarterfinals have been determined. Now it’s just a matter of seeding.

Here are the seeds currently:

1. Foran
2. Law
3. Amity
4. Shelton
5. Mercy
6.
7.
8. North Haven

Seeds No. 6 and No. 7 are contingent on two games today, East Haven vs. Cheshire and Guilford vs. Wilbur Cross.

If East Haven and Guilford both win, East Haven is sixth and Guilford is seventh.
If East Haven loses and Guilford wins, the seeding is swapped. 

The quarterfinals will be played at the higher seed and begin at 3:45 p.m. Semifinals are set for 5 and 7 p.m. on Wednesday at Biondi Field and the championship game is Thursday at 7 p.m. at the same site.
SCC commissioner Al Carbone says the league will take it “day by day” concerning any weather issues.

Here is the ballot I submitted this week for the Register Top 10 Softball Poll.

I will post this week's poll on-line later today and you can view the complete Top 10 in Monday's print editions.


1. Seymour
2. Foran
3. Waterford
4. Maloney
5. Southington
6. Westhill
7. Brookfield
8. Masuk
9. Rocky Hill
10. Rockville
11. Oxford
12. Law
13. Torrington
14. Stonington
15. Darien

QUARTERFINALS

Monday

(at Woodland, Beacon Falls)

No. 3 Woodland vs. No. 6 Ansonia, 3:30 p.m.

No. 2 Torrington vs. No. 7 Wolcott, 30 minutes after first game

(at Naugatuck)

No. 1 Seymour vs. No. 8 Holy Cross, 3:30 p.m.

No. 4 Naugatuck vs. No. 5 Watertown, 30 minutes after first game

SEMIFINALS

Tuesday

(at Naugatuck)

4 p.m., second game to follow

CHAMPIONSHIP

Thursday

(at Naugatuck)

6 p.m.

WEST HAVEN — Amity’s Heather Watt has been struggling at the plate lately. While she hit the ball hard in her first two at bats, Watt had nothing to show for it.

The sophomore picked the right time to come up with a big hit. Watt cleared the bases with a two-out double down the line in left, leading the Amity softball team to a 3-0 victory over West Haven at Biondi Field Friday night.

“I just tried to relax and do my best,” Watt said. “I have been struggling lately. I just wanted to have a good at bat and drive the ball.

“This is really big for us. We have been in a really good winning streak. We want this to carry into the SCC tournament. Hopefully, we carry it there.”

Read more here.

ROUNDUP

Cheshire 3, North Haven 0: Pitcher Arianna Pustari had three strikeouts and allowed only one hit for the Indians. But the Rams were able to score three unearned runs to earn the victory and improve to 11-8.

Chelsea Mongillo had the only hit for the Rams. Nicole D’Amato had eight strikeouts and allowed two hits for the Rams. North Haven falls to 12-8.

No. 3 Foran 19, Hillhouse 0: Brooke Phelan had three hits, four runs and three RBIs for the visiting Lions in this SCC interdivision win at New Haven.

Gina Georgetti had three hits and two RBIs, Fallon Bevino had three hits and three RBIs and Alyssa Puccilli had three hits and two RBIs for Foran (17-1).

Haddam-Killingworth 20, Cromwell 1: Taylor Burger went 4-for-5 with three doubles, four RBIs and five runs scored to lead the Cougars to their Shoreline Conference win in Cromwell. Lauren McCann added three hits, three RBIs and three runs scored.

Law 10, Sacred Heart Academy 1: Stephanie Cameron had three hits and scored twice for the visiting Eagles in this SCC interdivision win at Hamden.

Shea Lagonigro had two hits and two RBIs and Lea Finch had an RBI double for Law (18-2).


Read more Roundup here.


Coginchaug's Katelyn Williams has been nominated for Friday's STAR. VOTE!!

MILFORD — When Foran’s Rebekah DeRosa walked to the plate in the bottom of the 13th inning with the tying run on base against East Haven, she had one thought — get on base.

DeRosa did that and more as her long home run to left center lifted Foran to a 5-4 walk-off victory over the Yellowjackets Thursday at Foran High.

DeRosa’s blast marked the second time in extra innings Foran spotted East Haven a lead and came back to spoil East Haven’s upset bid.

Read more here.


VOTE for Foran's Jess Harkness for Thursday's STAR.

ROUNDUP

Kelly Ferris struck out nine, Katie Petroski had two RBIs and Seymour put the finishing touches on a unbeaten regular season with an 8-1 Naugautck Valley League win over Wolcott on Thursday.

The Wildcats improved to 20-0.

Kayla DePara had a strikeout for Wolcott (10-8).

Haddam-Killingworth 7, Goodwin Tech 2: Sam Waskowitz hit a home run and Casey Jackson was 4-for-4 with two RBIs and a double for the Cougars (13-4 (11-3) in a non-league win.

Sacred Heart Academy 3, Sheehan 2: Maegan Rodriguez broke the school hits record with a solo home run in an SCC interdivison win for Sacred Heart (6-10).

Rodriguez has 107 career hits, breaking the previous record of 105.

Katie Gill had two hits for Sheehan (12-5).


Read more Roundup here.

CHESHIRE — After leading by four entering the top of the seventh inning Cheshire withstood a furious Mercy rally, with the game ending on a controversial call.

The visiting Tigers scored three times in the inning and had a runner on third base when catcher Tyler Keegan stepped to the plate.

Keegan’s sharp ground ball was fielded cleanly by shortstop Caroline Kushner, but the throw dragged first baseman Lauren Fountain off the bag. Fountain, though, appeared to have made the tag, but Keegan was ruled safe.

Read  more here.





VOTE for Cheshire's Alexa DiLeo for STAR of the DAY!

ROUNDUP

Hand 4, Branford 0: Anne Horton tossed a two-hitter with 11 strikeouts for Hand in a SCC interdivision win at Branford.

Melanie Rennie had two hits and an RBI for the Tigers.

Haddam-Killingworth 7, Valley Regional 3: Casey Jackson and Ally McFee both had two hits and two RBIs for H-K (12-4, 11-3) in a Shoreline Conference victory.

Chloe MacNeil had two doubles for Valley (5-11, 5-8).


Read more Roundup here.

CHESHIRE 5, MERCY 4 

(at Cheshire)

Cheshire led 5-1 entering the top of the seventh inning before Mercy rallied to score three in the inning. However, a ground out ended the threat and the Rams hung on in this SCC interdivision contest. 

HIGHLIGHTS

Cheshire: Alexa DiLeo had two hits and two RBIs, BryAnna McIntosh had an RBI double and Caroline Kushner and Kierstyn Bourdeau had run-scoring singles.

Mercy: Tori Vickerman had a two-run double and Maddy DeRita had an RBI single.

WP: Nicole D'Amato (Cheshire) 7 IP, 10 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

LP: Ashley Petit (Mercy) 6 IP, 10 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 0 K

Team records: Mercy 13-5; Cheshire 10-8

Join us today at 3:45 p.m.

NVL
Kennedy at Ansonia, ppd. to Wednesday, 4:30 p.m.
Naugatuck at Crosby, ppd. to Friday, 3:30 p.m.
St. Paul at Derby, ppd. to Wednesday, 4 p.m.
Watertown at Seymour, ppd. to Wednesday, 5 p.m.
Non-league
Platt Tech at East Haven, ppd. to Wednesday, 3 p.m.
Morgan at Wilcox Tech, ppd. to Thursday, 4 p.m.
Berlin at Hale-Ray, 7 p.m.
SCC interdivision Lyman Hall at Foran, ppd. to Wednesday, 5 p.m.
SCC Quinnipiac
Sacred Heart Academy at Hamden, ppd. to May 22, 6 p.m.
Shoreline
Old Saybrook at Westbrook, ppd. to Friday, 3:45 p.m.
SWC
Pomperaug at Stratford (DeLuca Field), ppd. to Friday, 4;15 p.m.
FCIAC
St. Joseph at McMahon, ppd. to Thursday, 2 p.m.

Haddam-Killingworth is once again in the thick of the Shoreline Conference race.

After advancing to the league tournament final last season, Cougars coach Jeff Talbott thought his team would contend again this year.

The reason was simple: experience.

“At the beginning of the season I thought we would have a good team,” Talbott said. “We have five seniors that are four-year starters. We have great senior leadership. With five of the nine (starters) on the field being seniors, that (experience) pays off. I’m extremely pleased. They’re good kids.”

To read more, click here.



Seymour remains No. 1 in latest Top 10 Poll

Check out Diamond Gems, a recap of last week's top performances.

North Haven’s Arianna Pustari couldn’t believe how erratic her pitching presentation was until she saw it on camera.

Jenna Bernard, a sophomore at Law, made the same realization about her form.

Both are students at USA Elite Training, founded by renowned pitching coach Jen Hapanowicz, arguably the region’s most influential instructor.


Read more here.

Here is the ballot I submitted this week for the Register Top 10 Softball Poll. You can view last week's poll here.

I will post this week's poll on-line later today and you can view the complete Top 10 in Monday's print editions.


1. Seymour
2. Maloney
3. Foran
4. Waterford
5. Brookfield
6. Rockville
7. Southington
8. Masuk
9. Westhill
10. Granby
11. Rocky Hill
12. Darien
13. Griswold
14. Oxford
15. Law

STRATFORD — In the third inning Saturday, Lauralton Hall junior Jess Napolitano was thrown out at the plate trying to score on a Hayley Spragg single when Masuk center fielder Brittany Damota fired a laser to catcher Kayla Crisci.

But Napolitano would have another chance to be the hero.

Napolitano’s one-out single in the bottom of the ninth scored Alexa Dawid as the Crusaders walked off with a 5-4 South-West Conference victory over the fourth-ranked Panthers at DeLuca Field.

Read more here.

ROUNDUP

Law 4, Guilford 1: Stephanie Peloso had the go-ahead run and also added a triple for the Eagles (15-2) in an SCC win.

Katie Sperry had a double for Guilford (10-6).

Ansonia 8, Derby 0: Samantha Belenchia struck out 11 en route to a no-hitter for the Chargers in this NVL win.

Morgan Westine had two hits in the victory for Ansonia (10-7).


VOTE for Ansonia's Samantha Belenchia for Saturday's STAR!

VOTE for Ansonia for TEAM OF THE WEEK!
Read more Roundup here.

LAURALTON HALL 5, MASUK 4 (9)

(at Stratford) 

Jess Napolitano's RBI single drove home Alexa Dawid with the winning run with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the Crusaders to this South-West Conference win at DeLuca Field. Lauralton Hall scored twice in the bottom of the ninth after Masuk scored once in the top half of the inning to prevail.

HIGHLIGHTS

Lauralton Hall: Napolitano had three hits, a run and an RBI. Sydney Spitz had four hits an an RBI, Dawid had three hits.

Masuk: Kayla Crisci had two hits and an RBI, Tatum Buckley had two hits, Ashley Fedor had a hit and RBI.

WP: Hayley Spragg (Lauralton Hall): 9 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 Ks
LP: Tatum Buckley (Masuk) 8.1 IP, 16 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 4 HB, 7 Ks

Team records: Masuk 15-2; Lauralton Hall 9-4

Hale-Ray’s Kaitlyn Nichisti struck out six batters en route to a no-hitter in a 9-0 Shoreline Conference win over Westbrook on Friday.

Lydia Walter hit a home run for Hale-Ray (11-6) in the win over Westbrook (6-9).

Naugatuck 6, Kennedy 0: Alexa Marcucci struck out 10 and threw a no-hitter for the Greyhounds (12-5).

Shannon Searles added a RBI in the win over Kennedy (3-13).

Read more roundup here.



VOTE for O'Brien Tech's Alyssa Michel for STAR of the Day.

Brianne Melillo had three hits and three RBIs to lead North Haven to an 10-1 SCC interdivision win over East Haven.

Mary Casey and Amanda Kenny added two hits each for the Indians.

Shelton 8, Lyman Hall 1: Rachel Cataudella had two hits, including a double, along with three RBIs to lead the Gaels to an SCC Housatonic Division win in Shelton.

Kendall Hansen added a solo homer for the Gaels (10-6, 4-3). The Trojans fall to 3-13, 0-8.

Read more roundup here.


Seymour's Katie Petroski has been nominated for Thursday's STAR. VOTE!


VIEW Friday's Schedule here.

Katie Gill, Sheehan softball: Senior had two hits, a run and an RBI in a 13-1 win over Hillhouse and had two hits and scored in a 3-1 win over Cheshire.

Honor Roll

Taylor Burger, Haddam-Killingworth softball: Junior was 11-for-14 with 11 runs, eight RBIs and had two outfield assists as the Cougars went 3-0.

Jess Harkness, Foran softball: Sophomore pitched a no-hitter in a 3-0 win over Amity.

Here's Wednesday schedule, including postponements as of 3:15 p.m.

FCIAC
St. Joseph at McMahon, ppd. to Thursday, 3 p.m.
CSC
Kaynor Tech at O’Brien Tech, ppd. to Monday, 3:30 p.m.
University/Classical Magnet at Whitney Tech (Pine Rock Park), 3:30 p.m.
NVL
Naugatuck at Sacred Heart (Municipal Stadium), 3:30 p.m.
Woodland at Seymour, ppd. to Thursday, 5 p.m.
Shoreline
Old Saybrook at Westbrook, ppd. to Tuesday, 3:45 p.m.
Valley Regional at North Branford, ppd. to Thursday, 3:45 p.m.
Morgan at Coginchaug, ppd. to Thursday, 3:45 p.m.
Old Lyme at Hale-Ray, ppd. to Thursday, 6:30 p.m.
SCC Housatonic
Lyman Hall at Shelton, ppd. to Thursday, 3:45 p.m.
Sheehan at Amity (Old Tavern Complex, Orange), 6:30 p.m.
SCC Oronoque
North Haven at Wilbur Cross, ppd., TBA
Career at Branford, ppd. to Saturday, 11 a.m.
SCC Hammonasset
Foran at Hillhouse (Blackmon Field), ppd. to May 18, 4 p.m.
Law at Guilford (Bittner Park), ppd. to Saturday, 10:30 a.m.
SCC interdivision
Cheshire at East Haven, ppd. to May 21, 4 p.m.
Hand at West Haven, ppd. to May 17, 7 p.m.
SCC Quinnipiac
Sacred Heart Academy at Hamden, ppd. to Tuesday, 6 p.m.
SWC
Lauralton Hall at Oxford, 4:15 p.m.
Pomperaug at Stratford (DeLuca Field), ppd. to Tuesday, 4:15 p.m.
CCC
Maloney at Plainville, 7 p.m.
Preps
Hotchkiss at Hopkins, ppd., TBA

Morgan 6, Hale-Ray 5: Kat Wilkinson’s walk-off solo home run in the bottom of the seventh inning gave Morgan a win over Hale-Ray in a Shoreline Conference game at Clinton.

Kelsey Donaldson was 1-for-3 with two RBIs and Sarah Dahlberg went 2-for-3 with a double. Alex LeFemina went 3-for-3 with two runs and three stolen bases for Hale-Ray.

Bethel 1, Lauralton Hall 0: Yesenia Evaristo tossed a no-hitter with 18 strikeouts for Bethel in a South-West Conference win at Milford.

Read more roundup here.


Vote for Wilkinson for STAR of the Day.

No. 3 Foran 3, Mercy 2: Rebekah DeRosa’s RBI single in the fourth inning gave the Lions a 3-0 lead as they hung on for the SCC interdivision win in Milford.

Gina Georgetti had an RBI single and pitcher Jess Harkness allowed one hit and had seven strikeouts for the Lions (14-1).

Amity 7, North Haven 1: Pitcher Corina Zdrowski helped her cause with a three-run homer and solo homer to lead the Spartans to their SCC interdivision win in North Haven. Zdrowski also struck out seven. Jacqui Ferraiolo added a solo homer for the Spartans (12-3). The Indians dropped to 9-6.

Haddam-Killingworth 7, Morgan 1: Sam Waskowitz hit a bases-loaded triple and Kaylee Normandy added a solo homer to lead HK to victory in Clinton.


Read more Roundup here.

East Haven's Jenna Gaudioso and Career's Isabel Lopez have been nominated for Monday's STAR. VOTE!

Rosters for the 5th Annual Scholar Athlete Classic have been released.
The game will be played on June 16th at West Haven High. 

The coaches are:

East Team: Sue Murphy, Platt Tech  
West Team: Ken Pererais, Seymour

Team	School	First	Last	Position
EAST	Amity	Megan	Aconfora	OF
EAST	Amity	Jacquie	Ferraiolo	OF
EAST	Branford	Melissa	Kreider	OF
EAST	Guilford	Becky	Mahoney	2B
EAST	Hale Ray	Lydia	Walter	C
EAST	Mercy	Christie	Idiong	RF
EAST	Mercy	Kelly	Murphy	3B
EAST	Naugatuck	Alexa	Marucci	P
EAST	North Branford	Meghan	Halligan	P
EAST	North Haven	Kristyn	Cullen	OF
EAST	Oxford	Clare	Michalak	SS/P
EAST	Platt Tech	Julia	Navarro	SS
EAST	Shelton	Jennifer	Sicinski	C
EAST	Woodland	Angie	Wirsing	3B, P
WEST	Ansonia	Hannah	Turner	2B, OF
WEST	Cheshire	Julie	Becker	3B, 2B
WEST	Cheshire	Caroline	Kushner	SS
WEST	Derby	Abby	Monaco	LF, 3B
WEST	East Haven	Carlee	Brigante	2B
WEST	Sheehan	Casey	Gavin	SS
WEST	Lauralton Hall	Mariel	Schlaefer	C
WEST	Lauralton Hall	Hayley	Spragg	P, 1B
WEST	Law	Melissa	Nelson	SS, C
WEST	Lyman Hall	Alena	Buonocore	SS
WEST	Maloney	Jamie	Erdman	LF, 3B
WEST	O'Brien Tech	Alyssa	Michel	SS
WEST	Seymour	Kelly	Ferris	P
WEST	Sheehan	Alex	Ottochian	2B

Mercy softball coach Jason Thody is hoping for a much different result when his Tigers visit No. 3 Foran (13-1) today.

In the first meeting with the Lions, Mercy (11-3) pitcher Mary Adametz issued five walks and hit three batters in a 9-4 loss on April 20.

Thody, though, thought his team played well enough both offensively and defensively to win.

“It’s not typical for us to give out that many free passes,” Thody said. “It was an anomaly. Against a good team like Foran, you can’t give out eight free passes.”

The rematch is set for 4 p.m. in Milford.

Read more here.




Seymour remains No. 1 in Top 10 Poll




Check out Diamond Gems, a recap of last week's top performances