By Tyler Jarvis
The Branford High School Baseball Team won their first game of the season in dramatic fashion Wednesday, April 14 against the North Haven Indians. The win made Branford 1-2 on the year and 1-0 in the division.
Both pitchers dominated; offense was hard to come by in the first 6 innings. Senior captain Collin McNeil had strong command of the ball with 11 strikeouts while only letting up 2 hits in 5.2 innings. McNeil also had a strong performance at the plate, going 2 for 2 with 1 RBI late in the game.
“I did what I could for five innings, Jack (Van Gelder) and Teddy (Zabawa) did a great job getting the job done for the last two innings,” McNeil said. “We really needed them to throw well and they did.¨
For the Indians, JJ Mazzaro had a very strong performance, setting North Haven up for success with 8 strikeouts and 0 earned runs in 5 innings pitched.
In the sixth inning, North Haven took a 2-0 lead when Zalegowski hit a two run double in the gap with the bases loaded. Branford pitcher Van Gelder came in a pinch to get the Hornets the out they needed, leaving two runners on base. Then in the bottom of the sixth, McNeil singled in Mike Bonfiglio, closing the Indians lead to 2-1.
Zabawa, combined with great defense by the Hornets, held the Indians scoreless in the top of the seventh. Junior David Loomis continued his hot streak with a single for the Hornets in the bottom of the seventh, putting the tying run on first. He then trotted to second base on a balk by the North Haven pitcher who was feeling the pressure from the cheering of the loud Branford Bench.
Dom Bonnano, with two strikes on him, stroked a line drive to left field that scored Loomis, tying the game 2-2.
With Bonanno now on third, senior Justin Elpi jumped on the first pitch, lacing the ball down the line, over the left fielder’s head, and scoring Bonanno, winning the game for the Hornets.
It was a great team win,” Elpi said. “Our pitchers came up huge all game, and our defense made the plays. The walk off felt great, but I don’t think I could have done it if David and Dom didn’t have the huge hits before me. Hopefully we can build off this win and keep things going for the rest of the season.¨
Branford’s next home game is Monday, April 19 against Hamden. Senior Dan Farricelli is scheduled to take the mound for the Hornets. The full schedule and results for Branford Baseball can be found here.
Editor's Note: Tyler Jarvis, a junior, is a member of the Branford High School baseball team.
Very well written article Tyler! Loved how the players recognized the contributions of their teammates!