The torch might not have been passed last Saturday afternoon when Shelton beat Amity for the SCC title, but you may be able to say it was shared.
The last time an undefeated Amity team was stopped in the SCC final - three years ago - Guilford rode that momentum (and the right arm of Will Jolin) all the way to a Class L championship.
In 2008, the Indians had a remarkable regular season run before - as the top-seed - falling to Amity in the SCC semifinals, and then getting beaten by division rival Jonathan Law in the state semifinals. The last two seasons, Guilford has not been able to keep the momentum, failing to make the state tournament in both campaigns.
The signs point to the fact that Shelton may be a bigger long-term threat to Amity's supremacy atop the SCC baseball world. You were warned, by me and by others, that Shelton was coming. Under Scott Gura last season, the Gaels marched all the way to the Class LL semifinals before falling to West Haven.
But the step from believing to achieving can be a lot trickier than it seems. After all, Shelton is in the same division (Housatonic) as Amity, and the last time the Spartans didn't win the division title, most of the current Gaels hadn't even started their T-ball careers yet.
While Shelton did knock off Amity once last season, it never could completely figure its pitching out, en route to a 17-8 final record, very solid for most, but you felt like the Gaels were close to something big, which they obviously showed in the state tournament.
"Last year, we set the bar pretty high," Gura said before the 2010 season. "We wanted to make Shelton baseball a program that would be near the top of the SCC every year, but that's easier said than done. But last year was a great first step, but we want to be more consistent from year to year."
If they could only figure out a way to get past the reigning kings, Amity.
In their two regular season meetings this season, Shelton couldn't even manage a run off Amity, losing by scores of 2-0 and 5-0, respectively. And true to their championship form, the Spartans weren't going down without a fight on Saturday.
Leading 2-1 in the bottom of the seventh, three straight walks allowed Amity to tie the game, and it looked like more heartbreak for Shelton. But not this time. Dan St. George, as gutty as they come, induced a groundout to send the game to extra innings.
Somewhat surprisingly with the state tournament looming, Amity went to Lou Concato in relief for extra innings. But in his second inning of work, Tom Carroll and Jim Pjura touched the normally untouchable Concato for back-to-back doubles, and the Gaels - barely as the Spartans rallied for a run in the bottom of the ninth - made it stand up.
Finally, Shelton had beaten Amity in a big game, and they were kings of the SCC for the first time in a decade.
"We've had a tough time winning tournament games," St. George said. "This year, coming in and beating three very good teams is a real statement for our program and I hope it continues in the state tournament."
In a single-elimination baseball tournament, obviously anything can happen. And Shelton's next loss (if there is one, the Register's Chris Hunn has predicted an Amity-Shelton Class LL final next week, and wouldn't that be a sight?) will be the final high school game for St. George and some others, including Eric Christensen, who will likely by Shelton's all-time hit leader sometime this week.
But this should not be the end, or even the beginning of the end, for Shelton baseball. Amity has done what they have done over the last decade with pitching, allowing them to win games even when their bats have an off day. And for the Gaels to make the next step long-term, that's where they will have to do it.
By the way, the reason why we started this story with sharing the SCC torch? While Amity will lose its share of players, they surely won't go very far. In fact, remember when they were undefeated and lost to Guilford in 2007? You know what they did next? Win the state championship, their second consecutive Class LL crown, of course. And there aren't many people doubting them in this year's state tourney, either.
"To beat a team like that, that's an historic win for us," Gura said. "Especially in extra innings. That's a classic. People are going to be talking about this win in Shelton for the next 20 years."
Or until they meet again.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Sunday, May 16, 2010
SCC baseball - Week 6: Amity keeps on rolling
Who will be there? Well, there's still some work to be done, but the picture is becoming clearer, and the one thing we do know is we have a favorite, and a motivated favorite.
Amity, despite being pushed hard by Notre Dame over the weekend, remains unbeaten at 17-0, and - believe it or not - hasn't won the SCC title since 2006, an eternity for them (Guilford, Notre Dame, and Jonathan Law have won the last three titles. Interesting tidbit: Notre Dame won the 1997 title and has won the title four times. If you take out Amity as well, no one else has one the SCC crown more than once: Xavier, Branford, Shelton, North Haven, West Haven, Guilford, and Law have all won the title once each.)
Amity, Xavier, and Law appear to be on their way to division titles, and East Haven would be in if they beat North Haven Tuesday (more on that one in a second). Notre Dame should be in, as should Shelton. Cheshire is limping to the finish line, while Foran and Sheehan are in the mix. All are quality teams, and you'd have to say all are capable of winning it. But we'll have plenty of time to preview the SCC Tournament next week, for now, let me give some of my random thoughts as the regular season grinds to an abrupt halt.
* OK, back to the East Haven-North Haven clash that was slated for last Wednesday that will decide the Oronoque Division title (the Easties have a one-game lead, but North Haven won the first matchup, so would win the tiebreaker).
The game was rained out on its original date, and SCC rules state that it must be played on the next available day (no Sundays). But North Haven's game on Friday was moved up to Thursday because of their prom and East Haven had a game on Friday, so those two days are out.
(Interestingly, Bob Demayo was ejected in North Haven's 8-7 win over Branford last Monday, so he would have missed the East Haven game had it been played on its original date, but that's just the way the rain falls.)
Still with me? So you'd think the next day would be .... Saturday, right, on a nice 70-degree day. But the Indians were reluctant to play because of the prom situation, a valid concern, but - and we keep coming back to this, don't we? - is it a rule, or isn't it a rule?
If the rule is that the game has to be played on the "next available day" then the game should have been on Saturday. You can negotiate the time to be later in the day if you want, but a rule is a rule, isn't it? Ah, let's not get into that again, let's move on.
* Somehow, I missed to memo (literally) that the Amity-Shelton game was moved back to Amity High last Thursday and not in Orange. It appears that the Spartans will only play one game in Orange this season, Wednesday against West Haven.
Sal Coppola thought after beating up on Notre Dame last month, he would face a much stiffer test the second team, and he did, as Gary Flowers - aside from an Anthony Aprile home run - held Amity in check. But the Spartans prevailed, with Neil Dammando scoring the winning run on a wild pitch.
* It's not really their fault, but Notre Dame has played only three teams in the top half of the league this season (Amity, Shelton, Xavier - Branford and North Haven are close), and has a 1-4 record against them. They should get the chance to prove themselves in the SCC Tournament.
* Meanwhile, somewhat quietly, defending SCC champ Jonathan Law has won 12 of its last 13 games, their only loss being an extra-inning defeat to Shelton.
The key: what else? Pitching, of course. The Lawmen allowed five runs to Shelton, but otherwise have allowed more than three runs in their streak only once - in a lopsided 15-6 victory over Career. They've conceded only four runs in their last four games, but faces Cheshire, East Haven, and Amity to finish up the season.
* Not trying to pick on anyone (especially as a former Westie baseball player), but it's somewhat ironic to see West Haven sitting at 2-14 this season - currently 40th of 41 teams in Class LL - after capturing the state title last season.
It not only tells you how tough the SCC really is on a day-to-day basis (and how remarkable Amity is to be undefeated), but also how tough the high school baseball season can be. The Westies have an extra-inning loss and four other defeats of two runs or less this season.
* Cheshire could attest to the difficulty of the league, as tough losses to Sheehan and Fairfield Prep have put their SCC Tournament hopes in a little bit of jeopardy. The Rams sit at 11-6, but finished the season with three road games, at Jonathan Law, Xavier, and Hamden to finish the season. Eight losses may be too many with teams like Sheehan - whom they just lost to - lurking.
* Prep, which looking on the verge of collapse, has caught itself, and can make their case for an SCC Tournament berth with three wins against teams near the bottom of the league this week (West Haven, Lyman Hall, Wilbur Cross).
In the somewhat confusing SCC Tournament criteria, their loss to Bunnell doesn't count, which means they would finish at 11-7, and probably get them in some kind of tiebreaker scenario. Unfortunately, they don't hold too many cards on that front.
* Looking at the state tournament: Hillhouse, Wilbur Cross, West Haven, and Guilford are all out. Hand and Lyman Hall must win their final three games to get in, while everyone else will be in, creating the usual gaggle of SCC teams in Class LL and L.
* Finally, for those that have mentioned it, yes, I have noticed that Derby is 11-6 in its first year in the NVL. And that the last time the Red Raiders were in the tournament was 2001, and the last time they had 11 wins was 1998. But let's move on, people, shall we.
* Check Twitter (www.twitter.com/currenscc) and our blog (currenscc.blogspot.com) for SCC Tournament updates as the week unfolds. We'll also give you a preview of possible state tournament matchups.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Nick Vig, Fairfield Prep - Vig has helped to hold the Jesuits together this season. Last Friday, he came on in relief to pick up a big win for the Jesuits, holding the high-powered Rams to just one run over four innings. Vig has been on the mound for many of Prep's wins as they push for an SCC Tournament berth.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Jonathan Law at Amity, Friday, 3:45 p.m. - I think this marks the 106th straight week that the Spartans have been featured here. These teams could meet again in the SCC Tournament, but does Amity start feeling the undefeated pressure here?
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
1
Number of undefeated teams left in the state. To put that in a some kind of perspective, approximately 150 schools play varsity baseball in Connecticut. Last team to complete the regular season undefeated: Seymour (2008). Last team to win state title unbeaten: Don't know (but it was before 1998, Cheshire maybe?)
POWER RANKINGS
1) Amity (17-0; Last Week 1) – Have pretty much wrapped up this top spot this season, haven't they?
2) Jonathan Law (13-4; LW 6) – Must admit, their current run surprised even this "expert". Yes, in quotes.
3) Shelton (10-4; LW 2) – Another week, another tough loss, but no one wants to see them in LL, I'm sure.
4) Xavier (12-5; LW 3) – Still having some trouble with pitching after Coughlin, but a big threat nonetheless.
5) Notre Dame (13-4; LW 4) – Should be more motivated than most in the upcoming SCC Tournament.
6) East Haven (10-6; LW 8) – Can pitching (and weather) hold up to final four-game week? We'll see.
7) Foran (12-5; LW 7) – Didn't exactly beat the conference's best last week, but wins are wins.
8) Sheehan (10-7; LW 9) – Should, and probably must, win final three games to make SCC Tourney.
9) Cheshire (11-6; LW 5) – Rams hoping not to fall into that trapdoor that just opened up below them.
10) Fairfield Prep (9-8; LW 13) – Last time Prep was in SCCs: 2002. Also only time they've been there.
11) North Haven (9-7; LW 10) – Can steal an SCC Tournament berth if Indians can knock off Easties.
12) Branford (8-9; LW 11) – Hornets will be in the mix to repeat, stranger things have happened in states.
13) Hamden (8-9; LW 12) – Dragons can also breathe now, schedule is pretty daunting this week.
14) Hand (5-12; LW 14) – Doesn't look good, but Tigers' teams have pulled fantastic finishes before.
15) West Haven (2-14; LW 16) – Westies would like to finish up with a couple of wins for 2011 momentum.
16) Guilford (4-13; LW 17) – Tough season for Civitello after such a successful basketball campaign.
17) Career (3-13; LW 18) – Did get a win over Cross, but not enough for Panthers this season.
18) Lyman Hall (5-12; LW 15) – Need to win final three to get in, but not much life last week for Trojans.
19) Wilbur Cross (4-13; LW 19) – Pitching has been very good of late, but just can't find the offense.
20) Hillhouse (1-15; LW 20) – Faced Hyde on Wednesday in an interesting non-conference contest.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
SCC baseball - Week 5: East Haven chasing history
The East Haven baseball team would have liked to think about things most teams do at the beginning of a season such as qualifying for the state tournament, making the SCC Tournament, and maybe capturing a division title.
Instead, though, the Yellowjackets had to concern themselves with more pressing matters. Like getting an out.
In April cold weather, pitching is supposed to be king, but East Haven's pitching went AWOL just as the regular season opened. The Easties allowed 60 runs in their first five games, never allowing a single digit number (less than 10) in any of those contests.
Needless to say, they were 0-5 (although their offense nearly got them a couple of wins, even in those games), and - with division play looming - just hoping to find a way to stay afloat.
However, a funny thing happened to the sinking Yellowjackets on their way to the bottom.
They found their pitching (and the defense to go with it).
And what has followed has been one of the most amazing runs in East Haven baseball history - at least in the SCC era - as the Yellowjackets have rolled off eight of nine wins to already qualify for the state tournament with six games to go.
East Haven's timing also couldn't have been better as far as the division goes, their winning streak coincided with the beginning of the division schedule, meaning that wins over Wilbur Cross (Monday) and North Haven (Wednesday), the Easties would be outright divisional champs for the first time in the 16 year history of the SCC. And that also means they will make their first appearance in the SCC Tournament (the Easties did share the Hammonasset Division title in 2002 and went on to the Class L title game, but lost the tiebreaker to North Haven in the division).
"It's pretty easy to say, but it all comes down to pitching," East Haven coach Butch Johnson said. "Even when we were 0-5, we were hitting the ball pretty well. But we couldn't get anyone out."
The thing was, on the surface, there wasn't a real good reason for East Haven's troubles. Paul Spadacenta was one of the hottest pitchers in the conference to close 2009 (including a season-closing perfect game) while Mike Anastasio had some experience as well. But both were nicked up in the preseason, and obviously didn't start the season well.
However, the slow start appears to be well back in the rear-view mirror as - now healthy and confident - East Haven suddenly has a shot to make this a memorable season.
The lineup, despite the slow start of the team, has produced, led by junior Vin Guglietti, who made very few outs in the first half of the season, including four home runs. He has cooled slighty, but he's been picked up by the veterans, including Anastasio, Mike Perry (an all-division selection last season), Lou Pane, and Bob Consolatore.
The Easties have also gotten help from shortstop Pat O'Brien and Spadacenta at the plate.
"Paul has turned himself into a pretty tough out at the plate, too," Johnson said. "That definitely helps our lineup."
After pulling out its second win over defending state champion Branford, East Haven was nearly upset by scrappy Career Friday at East Shore Park, winning 4-3. Being in the role of the hunted can be much tougher than being the hunter.
"I was very worried about that game because of the letdown factor, and the fact that Career, even though their record doesn't show it, has played a lot of teams tough this year," Johnson said. "We still have to learn to play every game."
It's not out of the realm of possibility for East Haven to finish with a record of 13-7, which would be only the second time in a dozen years that the Yellowjackets would finish the regular season with a winning record.
Ironically, the other time was 2002, when East Haven finished with a 13-7 regular season mark before going all the way to the Class L finals.
For now, though, Johnson wants to keep his team focused on the job at hand, which is the next game on the schedule.
"We still need to stay focused and not get ahead of ourselves," Johnson said. "The kids aren't stupid. They see the standings. They know where we are. But we have to stay focused."
AROUND THE HORN: So you want to play night games in mid-May, do ya? A freeze warning for the state went up for Sunday night as I write this and night-time lows are slated to hover around 40 for a lot of the week. It won't be that cold at most of the night games in the SCC, but it won't be warm, either ... Amity continues to roll on, moving to 14-0. In fact, the Spartans are one of only two teams in Connecticut to remain unbeaten, with Ellington (Class M) being the other at the end of last week ... East Haven may be the hottest team (sans Amity) in the conference, but Xavier is a close second. After beating Notre Dame last week, the Falcons have made short week of the rest of the Quinnipiac Division, beating Hamden, West Haven, and Fairfield Prep in relatively easy fashion to take command of the division ... Hillhouse got its first win of the season, and an SCC win at that, stopping Wilbur Cross in mid-week. Always hate to see any team go winless in a season, although you hope in the end that doesn't cost the Governors a state tournament berth ... West Haven and Career don't have great records, but playing relatively difficult schedules, they have managed to give plenty of teams difficulty without getting a victory. Before the East Haven loss, the Panthers had nearly beaten North Haven earlier in the week, while West Haven had a lead after six innings against Sheehan before falling, and the day before were tied with Foran late, only to fall 2-1 ... Foran was beaten by Jonathan Law for the second time this season which obviously gives Law the inside track on the road to the Hammonasset Division title ... As for the SCC Tournament race, you can pencil in Amity, Xavier, and Jonathan Law. Notre Dame, Shelton, and Cheshire seem likely. East Haven will get one spot if it beats North Haven, so that leaves one more spot between probably Foran and Sheehan, with the Lions currently having the inside track.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Shaun Coughlin, Xavier - It's not a coincidence that the Falcons' resurgence has coincided with Coughlin's hot streak on the mound. He threw a 5-hitter as Xavier beat up on Fairfield Prep last Friday, pushing the Falcons to 10-4 on the campaign and on the verge of the Quinnipiac Division title.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Shelton at Amity (at Old Tavern Rd., Orange), Thursday, 7 p.m. - It will be a little chilly on Thursday night most likely (which may rule out the obligatory pre-game trip to Dip Top next door, but is this the day Amity finally falls? And how many times have I asked that question before?
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
13
Combined number of runs of the last seven losses by West Haven and Career, a number that is inflated plenty by a 6-2 loss to Xavier by West Haven last Wednesday. But other than that game, none of the losses are by more than two goals, tough to take when the combined records are 4-23.
POWER RANKINGS
1) Amity (14-0; Last Week 1) – Looking ahead, Shelton game Thursday could be only No. 2 of 4 meetings.
2) Shelton (10-4; LW 2) – Another week, another tough loss, but no one wants to see them in LL, I'm sure.
3) Xavier (10-4; LW 6) – The nightmare for rankings such as this, win a big one, lose a big one.
4) Notre Dame (12-2; LW 4) – Three wins, all at home. Schedule not really the toughest at second glance, is it?
5) Cheshire (10-4; LW 3) – Another Power Rankings nightmare, give up 23 runs than proceed to beat Shelton.
6) Jonathan Law (10-4; LW 8) – Pitching has carried them to the top of the division and to this lofty perch.
7) Foran (9-5; LW 5) – Couple steps forward, one step back. Would like to get into SCC Tournament.
8) East Haven (8-6; LW 10) – Won eight of nine, and should be in SCC Tournament for first time. Impressive.
9) Sheehan (8-6; LW 7) – Like Foran, not the greatest record, but not a team you want to see in the postseason.
10) North Haven (7-7; LW 9) – Indians would like to get one more win quickly to avoid tournament fears.
11) Branford (6-8; LW 11) – Speaking of the tournament, Hornets should make it, but should is not do sometimes.
12) Hamden (7-7; LW 12) – Gave ND quite the run, but lost to Lyman Hall in the game prior to that unfortunately.
13) Fairfield Prep (7-8; LW 13) – Got a big win over Hand, doesn't look like there's going to be a play-in this year.
14) Hand (4-10; LW 16) – Seemed to have the pitching sorted out, but can't score any runs all of a sudden.
15) Lyman Hall (5-9; LW 19) – Some life on their tournament hopes if they can pull off an upset or two late.
16) West Haven (2-12; LW 14) – Have to give Westies credit for battling, but just can't find a way to come out on top.
17) Guilford (4-10; LW 15) – Does look like the Indians are going to miss the tournament again this season.
18) Career (2-11; LW 17) – Unfortunate that we won't get to see them in Class S, could beat most of those teams.
19) Wilbur Cross (4-10; LW 18) – Tournament hopes fading away for the Governors as well in 2010.
20) Hillhouse (1-12; LW 20) – Despite the win, can't quite move them off bottom. But a tip of the cap for perseverance.
Instead, though, the Yellowjackets had to concern themselves with more pressing matters. Like getting an out.
In April cold weather, pitching is supposed to be king, but East Haven's pitching went AWOL just as the regular season opened. The Easties allowed 60 runs in their first five games, never allowing a single digit number (less than 10) in any of those contests.
Needless to say, they were 0-5 (although their offense nearly got them a couple of wins, even in those games), and - with division play looming - just hoping to find a way to stay afloat.
However, a funny thing happened to the sinking Yellowjackets on their way to the bottom.
They found their pitching (and the defense to go with it).
And what has followed has been one of the most amazing runs in East Haven baseball history - at least in the SCC era - as the Yellowjackets have rolled off eight of nine wins to already qualify for the state tournament with six games to go.
East Haven's timing also couldn't have been better as far as the division goes, their winning streak coincided with the beginning of the division schedule, meaning that wins over Wilbur Cross (Monday) and North Haven (Wednesday), the Easties would be outright divisional champs for the first time in the 16 year history of the SCC. And that also means they will make their first appearance in the SCC Tournament (the Easties did share the Hammonasset Division title in 2002 and went on to the Class L title game, but lost the tiebreaker to North Haven in the division).
"It's pretty easy to say, but it all comes down to pitching," East Haven coach Butch Johnson said. "Even when we were 0-5, we were hitting the ball pretty well. But we couldn't get anyone out."
The thing was, on the surface, there wasn't a real good reason for East Haven's troubles. Paul Spadacenta was one of the hottest pitchers in the conference to close 2009 (including a season-closing perfect game) while Mike Anastasio had some experience as well. But both were nicked up in the preseason, and obviously didn't start the season well.
However, the slow start appears to be well back in the rear-view mirror as - now healthy and confident - East Haven suddenly has a shot to make this a memorable season.
The lineup, despite the slow start of the team, has produced, led by junior Vin Guglietti, who made very few outs in the first half of the season, including four home runs. He has cooled slighty, but he's been picked up by the veterans, including Anastasio, Mike Perry (an all-division selection last season), Lou Pane, and Bob Consolatore.
The Easties have also gotten help from shortstop Pat O'Brien and Spadacenta at the plate.
"Paul has turned himself into a pretty tough out at the plate, too," Johnson said. "That definitely helps our lineup."
After pulling out its second win over defending state champion Branford, East Haven was nearly upset by scrappy Career Friday at East Shore Park, winning 4-3. Being in the role of the hunted can be much tougher than being the hunter.
"I was very worried about that game because of the letdown factor, and the fact that Career, even though their record doesn't show it, has played a lot of teams tough this year," Johnson said. "We still have to learn to play every game."
It's not out of the realm of possibility for East Haven to finish with a record of 13-7, which would be only the second time in a dozen years that the Yellowjackets would finish the regular season with a winning record.
Ironically, the other time was 2002, when East Haven finished with a 13-7 regular season mark before going all the way to the Class L finals.
For now, though, Johnson wants to keep his team focused on the job at hand, which is the next game on the schedule.
"We still need to stay focused and not get ahead of ourselves," Johnson said. "The kids aren't stupid. They see the standings. They know where we are. But we have to stay focused."
AROUND THE HORN: So you want to play night games in mid-May, do ya? A freeze warning for the state went up for Sunday night as I write this and night-time lows are slated to hover around 40 for a lot of the week. It won't be that cold at most of the night games in the SCC, but it won't be warm, either ... Amity continues to roll on, moving to 14-0. In fact, the Spartans are one of only two teams in Connecticut to remain unbeaten, with Ellington (Class M) being the other at the end of last week ... East Haven may be the hottest team (sans Amity) in the conference, but Xavier is a close second. After beating Notre Dame last week, the Falcons have made short week of the rest of the Quinnipiac Division, beating Hamden, West Haven, and Fairfield Prep in relatively easy fashion to take command of the division ... Hillhouse got its first win of the season, and an SCC win at that, stopping Wilbur Cross in mid-week. Always hate to see any team go winless in a season, although you hope in the end that doesn't cost the Governors a state tournament berth ... West Haven and Career don't have great records, but playing relatively difficult schedules, they have managed to give plenty of teams difficulty without getting a victory. Before the East Haven loss, the Panthers had nearly beaten North Haven earlier in the week, while West Haven had a lead after six innings against Sheehan before falling, and the day before were tied with Foran late, only to fall 2-1 ... Foran was beaten by Jonathan Law for the second time this season which obviously gives Law the inside track on the road to the Hammonasset Division title ... As for the SCC Tournament race, you can pencil in Amity, Xavier, and Jonathan Law. Notre Dame, Shelton, and Cheshire seem likely. East Haven will get one spot if it beats North Haven, so that leaves one more spot between probably Foran and Sheehan, with the Lions currently having the inside track.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Shaun Coughlin, Xavier - It's not a coincidence that the Falcons' resurgence has coincided with Coughlin's hot streak on the mound. He threw a 5-hitter as Xavier beat up on Fairfield Prep last Friday, pushing the Falcons to 10-4 on the campaign and on the verge of the Quinnipiac Division title.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Shelton at Amity (at Old Tavern Rd., Orange), Thursday, 7 p.m. - It will be a little chilly on Thursday night most likely (which may rule out the obligatory pre-game trip to Dip Top next door, but is this the day Amity finally falls? And how many times have I asked that question before?
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
13
Combined number of runs of the last seven losses by West Haven and Career, a number that is inflated plenty by a 6-2 loss to Xavier by West Haven last Wednesday. But other than that game, none of the losses are by more than two goals, tough to take when the combined records are 4-23.
POWER RANKINGS
1) Amity (14-0; Last Week 1) – Looking ahead, Shelton game Thursday could be only No. 2 of 4 meetings.
2) Shelton (10-4; LW 2) – Another week, another tough loss, but no one wants to see them in LL, I'm sure.
3) Xavier (10-4; LW 6) – The nightmare for rankings such as this, win a big one, lose a big one.
4) Notre Dame (12-2; LW 4) – Three wins, all at home. Schedule not really the toughest at second glance, is it?
5) Cheshire (10-4; LW 3) – Another Power Rankings nightmare, give up 23 runs than proceed to beat Shelton.
6) Jonathan Law (10-4; LW 8) – Pitching has carried them to the top of the division and to this lofty perch.
7) Foran (9-5; LW 5) – Couple steps forward, one step back. Would like to get into SCC Tournament.
8) East Haven (8-6; LW 10) – Won eight of nine, and should be in SCC Tournament for first time. Impressive.
9) Sheehan (8-6; LW 7) – Like Foran, not the greatest record, but not a team you want to see in the postseason.
10) North Haven (7-7; LW 9) – Indians would like to get one more win quickly to avoid tournament fears.
11) Branford (6-8; LW 11) – Speaking of the tournament, Hornets should make it, but should is not do sometimes.
12) Hamden (7-7; LW 12) – Gave ND quite the run, but lost to Lyman Hall in the game prior to that unfortunately.
13) Fairfield Prep (7-8; LW 13) – Got a big win over Hand, doesn't look like there's going to be a play-in this year.
14) Hand (4-10; LW 16) – Seemed to have the pitching sorted out, but can't score any runs all of a sudden.
15) Lyman Hall (5-9; LW 19) – Some life on their tournament hopes if they can pull off an upset or two late.
16) West Haven (2-12; LW 14) – Have to give Westies credit for battling, but just can't find a way to come out on top.
17) Guilford (4-10; LW 15) – Does look like the Indians are going to miss the tournament again this season.
18) Career (2-11; LW 17) – Unfortunate that we won't get to see them in Class S, could beat most of those teams.
19) Wilbur Cross (4-10; LW 18) – Tournament hopes fading away for the Governors as well in 2010.
20) Hillhouse (1-12; LW 20) – Despite the win, can't quite move them off bottom. But a tip of the cap for perseverance.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
SCC baseball - Week 4 : It's a Spartan world once again
All good things must come to an end, right? So you can forgive Amity's SCC rivals if they thought 2009 was the beginning of a downturn - finally - for the conference's marquee baseball program.
The Spartans lost nine times last season, including four of five at one point, lost before the SCC finals for the first time since 2002, and lost in the second round of the Class LL Tournament. After having only 11 total losses from 2004-2007, Amity had 15 combined in 2008 and 2009.
This season was going to be the one they finally capitulated to an improving Housatonic Division (which Amity has owned since 2000) and everyone else could finally get their shots in.
Um, good luck with that.
Amity is back, folks, and back with a chip on its shoulder. On a comically blustery day at a somewhat comically dilapidated Quigley Stadium last Thursday, the state's top-ranked Spartans mauled No. 2 Notre Dame 12-0 to finish the first half of the season 10-0 (they beat Guilford on Friday to make it 11).
"I still think we had a successful year last year despite everything," Amity coach Sal Coppola said. "I think what really hurt us is we lost (Joe) Ciancola, who was our No. 3 hitter and our No. 1 or 2 pitcher. We didn't quite have the pitching down the stretch we normally do. We lost a tough game to Law (in the SCC semifinals), we were still competitive, we were just a little short."
Ciancola missed the second half of 2009 with a meniscus injury, but is back to 100 percent now, holding the high-powered Green Knights scoreless through five innings last Thursday. He and Lou Concato form a formidable duo, and Coppola can call on E.J. Ashworth and Mark Esposito when he needs to.
But what has been really surprising about the 2010 Spartans is their offense. Nick Baviello and Brian Kernan bring speed to the top of the lineup, and you can let them get on base at your own peril, as both can run as well as anyone in the league.
"When you have guys like that at the top, it can ignite the team if they get on base, and make it tough on pitchers who have to worry about them on base, too," Coppola said.
Ciancola is helped in the middle of the lineup by Vin Siena and catcher Anthony Aprile, and Ted Ballou behind him has also been a very tough out for SCC pitching.
Amity came close to falling two weeks ago to Sheehan, but were able to come from behind, a hallmark of past Amity squads, with a hard-fought 8-7 victory. It was Ciancola, who was chased from the game on the mound, that came back to get the winning hit.
I've mentioned them before, but Amity's recent results in a sport like baseball, which does not lend itself to domination are worth repeating: a record of 96-11 from 2004-2007 with three SCC titles and back-to-back Class LL crowns in '06 and '07.
The Housatonic Division is as tough as it has ever been, with the Spartans fending off challenges from Cheshire, Sheehan, and Shelton in the first half of the season, challenges they will surely see again the second time around. In fact, when asked about the lopsided score of the Notre Dame contest, Coppola commented that it worried him a little because the Knights were a good team and might be a little angry the next time in Orange.
But that's what makes the Amity baseball program so good, for the most part, they take everyone's best, and they keep right on winning.
AROUND THE HORN: In the grand scheme of things, Foran was going to make the Class M Tournament, but Friday's 3-2 over Sheehan might turn out to be the day the Lions turned the corner. Foran had lost to hand the day before and trailed 2-0 with ace Brian Ward on the mound before the comeback. Just a guess, but coach Todd Williams agreed: "I feel this should be the turning point. We should build on it now." ... Doormats no more: Wilbur Cross picked up a 2-1 upset over North Haven last week, as Edison Rodriguez got two runs of support in the top of the first and made them stand up through seven innings. Not bad from a Governors' team that began the season down 20-0 to Hamden after just three innings. Three innings ... By the way, who is leading the Oronoque? That would be East Haven, who started the season 0-5, but has won five of six since, including beating Hand and Fairfield Prep in back-to-back games at the end of the week. Shelton is giving its fans their money's worth this season, as they played two more classic games to end the week, getting nipped by Amity 2-0, then coming back to stop Jonathan Law and Brett Michael Doran 5-4 in 8 innings. Dan St. George not only drove in the winning run, but got the win in relief, too ... Could four Housatonic Division teams make the SCC Tournament? Sheehan has been dealt a few tough losses lately, but still has the talent to make a run, and the other three teams (Amity, Shelton, Cheshire) look like locks ... The day before Amity beat them, Notre Dame lost to division rival Xavier, 5-3, as the Falcons are red-hot as well. The Green Knights did recover on Friday with a 10-2 pasting of Branford, the second time ND has put a big number on Branford this season.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Vin Guglietti, East Haven - Guglietti had three hits and two RBIs is East Haven's win over Fairfield Prep and added a pair of home runs in a game earlier in the week against Hand, leading the Yellowjackets to the top of the Oronoque Division at the season's halfway mark.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Cheshire at Shelton, Friday, 7 p.m. - Night baseball? It's that time, and this game is worthy of it. Both these teams have been as good as anyone not named Amity in the SCC this season, and the winner of this one still has a shot to try to knock the Spartans off in the Housatonic Division for the first time in a decade.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
3
Combined number of hits in the Amity-Shelton game last season, which Amity won 2-0, despite picking up only two hits. Luckily for the Spartans, Lou Concato threw a 1-hitter to pick up the win. Dan St. George was the hard-luck loser for the Gaels.
POWER RANKINGS (see above)
1) Amity (11-0; Last Week 1) – The Spartans' train just keeps on keeping on. 20-0 will be tough, but not out of the realm.
2) Shelton (8-3; LW 3) – If I have to hear, "watch out for Shelton" again, I'm charging money. Gaels do deserve it, though.
3) Cheshire (9-2; LW 4) – Put up 16 more runs on Hand this week. Rams are just a dangerous offensive club.
4) Notre Dame (9-2; LW 2) – Hit a speed bump with a couple of losses, but still a contender going forward.
5) Foran (7-4; LW 6) – Big week coming up for Lions, a three-game sweep would mean that they're on their way.
6) Xavier (8-3; LW 8) – Falcons' record sneaked up on me, not the toughest schedule in the SCC, but they are hot.
7) Sheehan (6-5; LW 5) – Not a bad loss in the bunch, but the Titans did not win the schedule wars this year.
8) Jonathan Law (7-4; LW 7) – Tough defeat against Shelton, win there would have seen them higher here.
9) North Haven (6-5; LW 9) – Indians have gotten the pitching in order, but now their bats have gone to sleep.
10) East Haven (5-6; LW 13) – Speaking of getting their pitching in order, night and day with the Yellowjackets.
11) Branford (5-6; LW 12) – Hornets really don't have a great win this season, although they're playing a little better.
12) Hamden (6-5; LW 10) – Nearly got bitten by Wilbur Cross after a disappointing loss to West Haven last week.
13) Fairfield Prep (6-6; LW 11) – Prep has lost five of six after a solid 5-1 start. Seems to happen every year with them.
14) West Haven (2-9; LW 16) – Got a win over Hamden, but seems like making tournament is an uphill climb.
15) Guilford (3-8; LW 14) – Pitching was struggling anyway, bow with Schlitter gone for year, it will be that much tougher.
16) Hand (3-8; LW 15) – Got a win over Foran, but Tigers have given up way too many runs to be competitive.
17) Career (2-8; LW 17) – Panthers still hoping to make a run, but their pitching has struggled lately as well.
18) Wilbur Cross (4-7; LW 18) – After losing to Hamden 25-2, nearly turned it around, but was beaten in late innings.
19) Lyman Hall (3-8; LW 19) – Got a win over Hillhouse, got a chance for their revenge over Cross on Monday.
20) Hillhouse (0-10; LW 20) – Academics still pitching the ball better, if they can get some runs, you never know.
The Spartans lost nine times last season, including four of five at one point, lost before the SCC finals for the first time since 2002, and lost in the second round of the Class LL Tournament. After having only 11 total losses from 2004-2007, Amity had 15 combined in 2008 and 2009.
This season was going to be the one they finally capitulated to an improving Housatonic Division (which Amity has owned since 2000) and everyone else could finally get their shots in.
Um, good luck with that.
Amity is back, folks, and back with a chip on its shoulder. On a comically blustery day at a somewhat comically dilapidated Quigley Stadium last Thursday, the state's top-ranked Spartans mauled No. 2 Notre Dame 12-0 to finish the first half of the season 10-0 (they beat Guilford on Friday to make it 11).
"I still think we had a successful year last year despite everything," Amity coach Sal Coppola said. "I think what really hurt us is we lost (Joe) Ciancola, who was our No. 3 hitter and our No. 1 or 2 pitcher. We didn't quite have the pitching down the stretch we normally do. We lost a tough game to Law (in the SCC semifinals), we were still competitive, we were just a little short."
Ciancola missed the second half of 2009 with a meniscus injury, but is back to 100 percent now, holding the high-powered Green Knights scoreless through five innings last Thursday. He and Lou Concato form a formidable duo, and Coppola can call on E.J. Ashworth and Mark Esposito when he needs to.
But what has been really surprising about the 2010 Spartans is their offense. Nick Baviello and Brian Kernan bring speed to the top of the lineup, and you can let them get on base at your own peril, as both can run as well as anyone in the league.
"When you have guys like that at the top, it can ignite the team if they get on base, and make it tough on pitchers who have to worry about them on base, too," Coppola said.
Ciancola is helped in the middle of the lineup by Vin Siena and catcher Anthony Aprile, and Ted Ballou behind him has also been a very tough out for SCC pitching.
Amity came close to falling two weeks ago to Sheehan, but were able to come from behind, a hallmark of past Amity squads, with a hard-fought 8-7 victory. It was Ciancola, who was chased from the game on the mound, that came back to get the winning hit.
I've mentioned them before, but Amity's recent results in a sport like baseball, which does not lend itself to domination are worth repeating: a record of 96-11 from 2004-2007 with three SCC titles and back-to-back Class LL crowns in '06 and '07.
The Housatonic Division is as tough as it has ever been, with the Spartans fending off challenges from Cheshire, Sheehan, and Shelton in the first half of the season, challenges they will surely see again the second time around. In fact, when asked about the lopsided score of the Notre Dame contest, Coppola commented that it worried him a little because the Knights were a good team and might be a little angry the next time in Orange.
But that's what makes the Amity baseball program so good, for the most part, they take everyone's best, and they keep right on winning.
AROUND THE HORN: In the grand scheme of things, Foran was going to make the Class M Tournament, but Friday's 3-2 over Sheehan might turn out to be the day the Lions turned the corner. Foran had lost to hand the day before and trailed 2-0 with ace Brian Ward on the mound before the comeback. Just a guess, but coach Todd Williams agreed: "I feel this should be the turning point. We should build on it now." ... Doormats no more: Wilbur Cross picked up a 2-1 upset over North Haven last week, as Edison Rodriguez got two runs of support in the top of the first and made them stand up through seven innings. Not bad from a Governors' team that began the season down 20-0 to Hamden after just three innings. Three innings ... By the way, who is leading the Oronoque? That would be East Haven, who started the season 0-5, but has won five of six since, including beating Hand and Fairfield Prep in back-to-back games at the end of the week. Shelton is giving its fans their money's worth this season, as they played two more classic games to end the week, getting nipped by Amity 2-0, then coming back to stop Jonathan Law and Brett Michael Doran 5-4 in 8 innings. Dan St. George not only drove in the winning run, but got the win in relief, too ... Could four Housatonic Division teams make the SCC Tournament? Sheehan has been dealt a few tough losses lately, but still has the talent to make a run, and the other three teams (Amity, Shelton, Cheshire) look like locks ... The day before Amity beat them, Notre Dame lost to division rival Xavier, 5-3, as the Falcons are red-hot as well. The Green Knights did recover on Friday with a 10-2 pasting of Branford, the second time ND has put a big number on Branford this season.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Vin Guglietti, East Haven - Guglietti had three hits and two RBIs is East Haven's win over Fairfield Prep and added a pair of home runs in a game earlier in the week against Hand, leading the Yellowjackets to the top of the Oronoque Division at the season's halfway mark.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Cheshire at Shelton, Friday, 7 p.m. - Night baseball? It's that time, and this game is worthy of it. Both these teams have been as good as anyone not named Amity in the SCC this season, and the winner of this one still has a shot to try to knock the Spartans off in the Housatonic Division for the first time in a decade.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
3
Combined number of hits in the Amity-Shelton game last season, which Amity won 2-0, despite picking up only two hits. Luckily for the Spartans, Lou Concato threw a 1-hitter to pick up the win. Dan St. George was the hard-luck loser for the Gaels.
POWER RANKINGS (see above)
1) Amity (11-0; Last Week 1) – The Spartans' train just keeps on keeping on. 20-0 will be tough, but not out of the realm.
2) Shelton (8-3; LW 3) – If I have to hear, "watch out for Shelton" again, I'm charging money. Gaels do deserve it, though.
3) Cheshire (9-2; LW 4) – Put up 16 more runs on Hand this week. Rams are just a dangerous offensive club.
4) Notre Dame (9-2; LW 2) – Hit a speed bump with a couple of losses, but still a contender going forward.
5) Foran (7-4; LW 6) – Big week coming up for Lions, a three-game sweep would mean that they're on their way.
6) Xavier (8-3; LW 8) – Falcons' record sneaked up on me, not the toughest schedule in the SCC, but they are hot.
7) Sheehan (6-5; LW 5) – Not a bad loss in the bunch, but the Titans did not win the schedule wars this year.
8) Jonathan Law (7-4; LW 7) – Tough defeat against Shelton, win there would have seen them higher here.
9) North Haven (6-5; LW 9) – Indians have gotten the pitching in order, but now their bats have gone to sleep.
10) East Haven (5-6; LW 13) – Speaking of getting their pitching in order, night and day with the Yellowjackets.
11) Branford (5-6; LW 12) – Hornets really don't have a great win this season, although they're playing a little better.
12) Hamden (6-5; LW 10) – Nearly got bitten by Wilbur Cross after a disappointing loss to West Haven last week.
13) Fairfield Prep (6-6; LW 11) – Prep has lost five of six after a solid 5-1 start. Seems to happen every year with them.
14) West Haven (2-9; LW 16) – Got a win over Hamden, but seems like making tournament is an uphill climb.
15) Guilford (3-8; LW 14) – Pitching was struggling anyway, bow with Schlitter gone for year, it will be that much tougher.
16) Hand (3-8; LW 15) – Got a win over Foran, but Tigers have given up way too many runs to be competitive.
17) Career (2-8; LW 17) – Panthers still hoping to make a run, but their pitching has struggled lately as well.
18) Wilbur Cross (4-7; LW 18) – After losing to Hamden 25-2, nearly turned it around, but was beaten in late innings.
19) Lyman Hall (3-8; LW 19) – Got a win over Hillhouse, got a chance for their revenge over Cross on Monday.
20) Hillhouse (0-10; LW 20) – Academics still pitching the ball better, if they can get some runs, you never know.
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