Amanda Jessey scored on Allison Luzzi's single with one out in the Top of the eighth inning to lift No. 6 East Haven to a 1-0 win over No. 3 Seymour in the Class M state quarterfinals on Friday in Seymour.

Jessey reached on a two-base error to lead off the inning.

Junior Talia Loda allowed just three hits and struck out six for East Haven (21-4), which will play No. 2 Granby in the semifinals on Monday or Tuesday, most likely in West Haven.

Luzzi had three hits. Miranda Baldassare, McKenzie Miessau and Laura Anderson also had hits for the Easties.


Katie Petroski doubled, while Morgan Scinto and Makayla O'Hara singled for Seymour (21-4). Freshman pitcher Raeanne Geffert allowed six hits and struck out nine.

East Haven pushed then unbeaten Seymour to the brink of elimination before falling short, 3-2, in the second round of the Class M state tournament last season.

With the return of 13 letter winners and a talented freshman class, the expectations were certainly lofty for the Easties this season.

Those talented seniors and promising underclassmen have not disappointed. East Haven is 9-1, and ranked in the Register Top 10 Poll for the first time in school history according to Easties coach Ed Crisafi.

The fast start, though, is not completely unexpected. East Haven is unbeaten (4-0) in the Southern Connecticut Conference Oronoque Division.

“Honestly, we knew we were going to be good,” Crisafi said. “This good? No. But I knew we would have a shot at the division. I thought we would qualify for the SCC tournament and have a shot in the state tournament, all those goals that you set every year.”

The one area of slight concern was pitching but junior Talia Loda and freshman Ireland Miessau have both been effective.

“I don’t think we knew how good our pitching would be,” Crisafi said. “I knew Ireland would be good, and I knew Talia would be improved, but they have been outstanding. This is how we hoped it would be. I think pitching is the main reason why we are 9-1.”

Loda is 5-0 with 36 strikeouts in 37 innings and an earned run average of 0.38. She has allowed just two earned runs and 18 hits.

Miessau, meanwhile, is 2-1 with 19 strikeouts in 21 innings and an ERA of 1.33.

East Haven has also been sound defensively. The Easties have committed just two errors.  

As a team, East Haven is batting .404. Freshman third baseman Allison Luzzi, the team’s No. 2 batter, leads the Easties in average (.533) and runs batted in (15). Senior leadoff hitter Amanda Jessey is hitting .481 with a team-leading 11 runs and six stolen bases.

Senior catcher Brianna Spadacenta is hitting .355, senior shortstop Miranda Baldassare is batting .364 and senior center fielder Jenna Gaudioso is hitting .400.

Spadacenta recently surpassed 100 career hits. Baldassare is nine hits and Jessey 12 away from reaching that milestone.

The Easties have just one game this week, at Guilford on Thursday.

East Haven has the most wins of any team in the SCC and owns victories over North Haven (7-2), Foran (6-2) and North Branford (6-2).

“We’re stressing right now that they have to go out on the field like they’re the best team,” Crisafi said, “and that the other team has to play their best ball to beat you. We tell them all the time to act like you’re an elite team.”

 

SOFTBALL: Hand slips past Foran

MADISON — Hand turned a potential blunder into the winning run in its softball game with rival Foran Monday.

With the game tied at 1, Hand senior Kate Boudreau singled to lead off the sixth inning. Kate Omdahl then reached safely on a fielder’s choice followed by Mel Rennie’s sacrifice bunt, which put runners on second and third with one out.

A play later, on an infield ground out, Omdahl ran toward third base, which was still occupied by Boudreau.

Foran decided to try to get a retreating Omdahl out at second, but the throw wasn’t in time and Boudreau scored from third to give the Tigers a thrilling 2-1 Southern Connecticut Conference Hammonasset Division victory.

PHOTOS: Slideshow from Hand's win over Foran

MONDAY'S SOFTBALL ROUNDUP: West Haven scores in eighth inning to beat Sheehan

 

West Haven 1, Sheehan 0 (8): Camdyn Morgillo went 2-for-4 and scored the only run in the top of the eighth inning for West Haven in an SCC interdivision win at Wallingford.

Morgillo also tossed a four-hitter with seven strikeouts for the Westies (5-1), Makayla Ricci went 2-for-3 for Sheehan (3-2).

No. 3 Amity 7, Cheshire 3: Krista Reynolds had a two-run double and pitcher Heather Ferranti had six strikeouts to lead the Spartans (6-0) to their SCC Housatonic Division win in Cheshire.

Brianna McIntosh had a solo homer and two-run homer for the Rams (4-2).

East Haven 4, Law 2: Alyssa Apuzzo’s RBI single drove in Jenna Gaudioso with the winning run in the sixth inning for East Haven in an SCC interdivision win at Milford.

Gaudioso had two hits and Miranda Baldassare homered for the Yellow Jackets (5-1). Amanda leone had two hits, including a two-run home run, for the Eagles (3-3).

Heather Ferranti pitched and hit Amity to victory over East Haven in the Spartans' season opener.

Ferranti, a junior, pitched all seven innings, allowing five hits, one walk and struck out 10. Ferranti also hit a two-run home run.

Ferranti's home run came in the fourth inning with East Haven clinging to a 1-0 lead. With one out, Jenna DiLorenzo singled and then Ferranti blasted a home run over the left field fence.

Teresa Marchitto scored on an error in the fifth inning for Amity (1-0).

East Haven (1-1), which defeated No. 2 Foran 2-1 in 11 innings on Wednesday, scored in the first inning on Miranda Baldassare's double, which scored Amanda Jessey.

Jenna Gaudioso doubled home Baldassare in the sixth inning. East Haven freshman Ireland Miessau pitched the complete game, allowing just four hits, one walk and only two earned runs.