We’re a couple weeks into the 2019 baseball and softball seasons, and there are four local teams that are still undefeated.
Two of those undefeated teams come from Bristol Eastern. The baseball version of the Lancers are 4-0 while the softball team is 3-0. Wolcott softball has the most wins of any local unbeaten and is 5-0. Holy Cross baseball sits at 4-0. Here’s more about each team:
Bristol Eastern baseball
The Lancers have outscored their opponents 20-4 so far this season. Eastern began the year with a 10-3 home win over Plainville on April 3 at home. Ian Latko drove in four runs, Jack Kozikowski went 4-for-4, and Jagger Duquette took the win on the mound.
Eastern didn’t play again for a week, but it came back and shut out New Britain 6-0 on April 10, also at home. Duquette tossed a complete-game shutout for his second win. Carson Sassu, Jacobi Bouchard and Devan Jacques all drove in runs with two outs.
Eastern was back at it the next day in West Hartford and outlasted Northwest Catholic, 2-1. Ethan Ryan pitched the first 6 2/3 innings for the win, and Dylan Woodsome got the final out for the save. Sassu again came up big with the bat, collecting an important RBI.
Bristol Eastern softball
The Lancers are 3-0, two of the wins by blowout, the other a rain-shortened triumph over one of the state’s perennial powers.
Eastern ripped through Northwest Catholic by a score of 17-2 in six innings in its season opener on April 1 at Bristol Eastern. Paige McLaughlin (3-for-5, 3 runs scored, 3 RBI) and Liza Corliss (1-for-4, 2 runs scored, 1 RBI) each homered in the win. Zoe Lowe went 4-for-5 with two doubles, a triple, four runs scored and two RBI. Erin Girard (2-for-3, run scored, 3 RBI), Riley Giblin (2-for-4, run scored, 2 RBI) and Taylor Keegan (2-for-4, 3 runs scored, RBI) all had doubles for the Lancers, who tallied 16 hits.
Eastern traveled to Plainville and blasted the home team by a score of 23-3 in five innings on April 3. Lauren Aparo (2 doubles, 3 runs scored, 3 RBI), Lowe (2 doubles, triple, 3 runs scored, 3 RBI) and McLaughlin (3 runs scored, RBI) all had three hits apiece. Alison Tellier (triple, single, 2 runs scored, 4 RBI), Alyssa Hackling (double, single, 2 runs scored, 3 RBI), Corliss (double, single, 2 runs scored, 3 RBI) and Giblin (2 runs scored) each tallied two hits.
Eastern hosted Southington on April 9 in a game that had been rescheduled due to rain. Ironically, the game was shortened because of rain, with the Lancers claiming a 3-2 win in five innings. The Lady Knights took a 5-3 lead in the top of the sixth inning, but because the Lancers didn’t complete their at bats in the bottom of the inning, the game reverted back to the previous full inning score. Alyssa Hackling’s fourth-inning RBI double provided the winning margin. Girard provided a two-run double and five good innings in the circle (2 runs, 8 hits, 3 strikeouts).
Wolcott softball
The Eagles own wins over Kennedy, Crosby, Wilby, Torrington and Lewis Mills so far this season. The Lewis Mills game, which went 5-3 Wolcott, was played at Disney’s Wide World of Sports. The total margin of victory for the Eagles in those five games is 92-5.
Wolcott beat Kennedy 31-0 in five innings on April 2. Jade Abdul-Lateef homered and drove in five runs. Kayla Nuelan went 5-for-5 with two doubles, a triple and five RBI. Kaitlyn Ouellette struck out nine and allowed one hit in five innings to pick up the win.
Wolcott knocked off Crosby 19-0 in five innings on April 8 in Waterbury. Alexis Boyce had four hits (two doubles), scored four runs and drove in another in the win. Abdul-Lateef (triple, single, 2 runs scored, RBI), Josie Cammarata (run scored, 2 RBI), Nuelan (2 runs scored, 2 RBI), Abby Sullivan (2 runs scored, 2 RBI) and Ouellette (2 runs scored, 2 RBI) each had two hits. Sarah Hughes drove in two runs, and Katie Cosmos doubled and scored a run. Ouellette surrendered one hit, one hit batter and struck out 11 in five innings.
Wolcott defeated Wilby 17-0 in five innings at Wolcott on April 10 behind a no-hitter from Kennedy White. White struck out 11 and walked three in her five innings of work. Hailey Krol had three hits, two runs scored and three RBI to lead the offense.
Wolcott took out Torrington 20-2 in five innings on April 12 in Torrington. Mac Crimmins (2 doubles, 2 runs scored, 4 RBI) and Boyce (double, 4 RBI) each had four hits to lead a 19-hit barrage. Alyson Garofalo had three hits, three runs scored and two RBI while Krol added two hits, two runs scored and four RBI. Sullivan chipped in a double, run scored and two RBI. Ouellette yielded two runs (one earned) on eight hits, struck out three and walked one in five innings.
Lewis Mills jumped ahead of Wolcott 3-0 after two and a half innings of their Sunday game at Disney’s Wide World of Sports. The Eagles scored one run in the fourth, then tallied four more in the sixth to overtake the Spartans for the 5-3 win. Nuelan drove in two runs for Wolcott. Four different Eagles had hits, and five drove in a run apiece. Ouellette pitched a complete game and gave up three runs (one earned) on seven hits. She struck out 11 and walked none.
Holy Cross baseball
The Crusaders opened their season with an 11-1 win over Oxford on April 2 at Waterville Park. Connor Goggin doubled, tripled and drove in three runs while Corey Fappiano tallied two singles and two RBI. Austin Brown gave up four hits in six innings and struck out six to record the win.
Holy Cross won 10-0 at Pomperaug in five innings on April 9, and Zack Lerner gave up a single hit in five innings. Lerner struck out four and walked four. Seven different Crusaders had one hit, and seven of them had one RBI. Joe Bonvicini doubled, drove in a run and scored two more while Brian Parczyk doubled, drove in a run and scored another. Fappiano had two runs scored and an RBI.
Holy Cross had its April 10 home game moved to Montoe Park, but was still able to beat Derby 7-2. Tim Zupkus was the hitting star in this game with two home runs, a double, two runs scored and four RBI. Will Greene doubled, single, scored twice and drove in a run. Fappiano and Lerner also doubled. Bonvicini picked up the win after pitching the first 4 2/3 innings (2 runs, 5 hits, 5 strikeouts, 3 walks, hit batter). Brown threw the last 2 1/3 innings (1 hit, 4 strikeouts).