Dan St. George picked up the win and drove in the winning run in the eighth inning in Shelton’s 5-4 victory over Law.

Nick Drenchen’s sacrifice fly in the sixth scored Jason Lewicki to lift Foran to a 3-2 win over Sheehan. Drenchen had two hits and two RBIs.

Ted Ballou had three hits, including a double, and score two runs in Amity’s 6-1 win over Guilford.

Chris Baglini went 3-for-4 with a double and three RBIs in Notre Dame-West Haven’s 10-2 win over Branford.

Vin Guglietti had three hits and two RBIs and Paul Spadacenta added two hits and three RBIs as East Haven beat Fairfield Prep 6-3.

Chris LaVorgna drove in all three runs in North Haven’s 3-1 win over West Haven.

Dan Flynn homored and had three RBIs as Cheshire crushed Hand 16-3.

Behind three hits and an RBI from Eric Hewitt, Coginchaug beat Old Saybrook 8-2.

Kyle Krajewski picked up the win, scattering four hits, in Haddam-Killingworth’s 2-1 victory over Westbrook.

Ryan D’Souza had two hits and three RBIs in Hopkins 8-4 win over Greens Farms.

Jeremy Torres two-out single in the eighth drove in the winning run in Wilby’s 6-5 victory over Ansonia.

CSC
Platt Tech 7, O’Brien Tech 5

NVL

Holy Cross 7, Seymour 1

Naugatuck 4, Derby 1

Wilby 6, Ansonia 5 (8)

Shoreline

Coginchaug 8, Old Saybrook 2

Haddam-Killingworth 2, Westbrook 1

SCC interdivision

Amity 6, Guilford 1

Cheshire 16, Hand 3

East Haven 6, Fairfield Prep 3

Foran 3, Sheehan 2

Hamden 8, Wilbur Cross 3

Lyman Hall 8, Hillhouse 1

North Haven 3, West Haven 1

Notre Dame-West Haven 10, Branford 2

Shelton 5, Law 4 (8)

Xavier 18, Career 0

SWC

Barlow 11, Bunnell 5

Bethel 9, Stratford 4

FCIAC

St. Joseph 14, Bassick 0

Preps

Hopkins 8, Greens Farms 4

The Hamden Diamond Club will hold a car wash at Pep Boys loced in the Stop & Shop Plaza on the corner of Skiff Street and Dixwell Avenue from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Sunday. The donation is $5 for each car.
Also, the Hamden Diamond Club is hosting a Porketta Dinner May 14 at 7 p.m. at the Italian American Club on Columbus Street. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased from any Hamden baseball player, a Diamond Booster Club member and at the door.

Check out the game story from Amity's 12-0 win over Notre Dame-West Haven Thursday.

Joe Ciancola struck out six and allowed just three hits over five innings in Amity’s 12-0 win over Notre Dame-West Haven. Mark Esposito finished off the shutout, throwing the final two innings. Amity scored seven runs in the fourth inning. Anthony Aprile went 2-for-3 with three RBIs.

Eddy O’Neill hit a grand slam as Hand knocked off Foran 12-6. Alex Shaw had three hits and three RBIs for the Tigers.

Alex Westine scored on a wild pitch in the eighth inning as Ansonia edged Holy Cross 6-5.

Juliano Nieves scattered four hits and struck out seven to pick up his first win in Career’s 10-2 victory over Wilbur Cross.

Brett Michael Doran went 3-for-4 with four RBIs in Law’s 12-3 win over Hillhouse. Chris Peloso also went 4-for-4 with two RBIs.

Winning pitcher Dom Severino had an RBI double in Cheshire’s 5-1 victory over Sheehan.

Eric Hewitt had four hits, including two triples and a double, along with three RBIs in and five runs.

Derby’s offense exploded for 27 runs in a 27-5 win over Torrington. Mike Ippolito had four hits, six runs and six RBIs for the Derby.

Winning pitcher Austin French struck out 12 and had a two-run single as Hamden Hall beat Rye 2-0.

FCIAC


St. Joseph 5, Trumbull 3

NVL

Ansonia 6, Holy Cross 5 (8)

Derby 27, Torrington 5

Shoreline

Coginchaug 20, Westbrook 9
SCC Quinnipiac

Fairfield Prep 8, West Haven 3

SCC Hammonasset

Law 12, Hillhouse 3

Hand 12, Foran 6
SCC Housatonic

Cheshire 5, Sheehan 1

SCC interdivision

Amity 12, Notre Dame-West Haven 0

Career 10, Wilbur Cross 2

SWC

Bethel 18, Stratford 7
Preps

Brunswick 10, Hopkins 5

Hamden Hall 2, Rye 0

CSC

Abbott Tech 7, O’Brien Tech 4

Each Thursday, the Batter’s Box blog will feature a Connecticut native, who is now playing in college.

Brad Runowicz, Trinity freshman

High school: Cheshire 2009

Position: 1B/OF

Avg.: .343

Runs: 16

HR: 4

RBI: 20

Slg%: .657

For more on Runowicz, click here.

Oliver Hart had three hits and two RBIs in Xavier's 5-3 win over previously unbeaten Notre Dame-West Haven.
Shaun Coughlin pitched a complete game five-hitter for the Falcons.

Louis Concato struck out seven and allowed just one hit in a complete game shutout as Amity blanked Shelton 2-0.
Dan St. George picked up the loss, but allowed just two hits. Both of Amity's runs were unearned.

Brendan Nugent went 2-for-3 with three RBIs in St. Joseph 12-1 win over Danbury. The victory gave Cadets coach Bob Studley his 100th career win.

Buddy Shea had two hits and two RBIs as Branford blanked Career 11-0.

Vin Guglietti had two home runs, a double and six RBIs to lift East Haven to a 9-4 win over Hand.

Colin Sledzik had six strikeouts and scattered five hits as Haddam-Killingworth edged Old Lyme 3-2.

Edison Rodriguez had an RBI triple and he scored on a passed ball to lift Wilbur Cross to a 2-1 victory over North Haven.
Rodriguez also picked up the win and allowed just four hits.
Indians pitcher Andrew Brockett relieved starter Dave Jablonski in the first inning with no outs and proceeded to pitch a no-hitter for the remainder of the game.

Eric Flores drove in Lou Bisighini with a suicide squeeze bunt in the bottom of the seventh inning as West Haven edged Hamden 7-6.

Ryan Skelly picked up the win, allowing just three hits and added a double, an RBI and a run to lead Derby to a 4-0 win over St. Paul.

Christian Dzienkiewicz tossed a two-hit shutout in Ansonia's 2-0 win over Seymour.

Dom Severino had three hits, including a double, and two RBIs as Cheshire beat Fairfield Prep 7-1.

Rob O'Dea went 2-for-3 with two RBIs in Morgan's 6-4 win over Cromwell.

John McCall had two hits and a game-winning RBI single as Platt Tech picked up its first win in a 6-5 victory over Goodwin Tech.

Shoreline
Coginchaug 6, Portland 2
Haddam-Killingworth 3, Old Lyme 2
Morgan 6, Cromwell 4
North Branford 5, Old Saybrook 1 (10)
Westbrook 10, Hyde 6
SCC Quinnipiac
West Haven 7, Hamden 6
Xavier 5, Notre Dame-West Haven 3
SCC Hammonasset
Foran 10, Hillhouse 0
Law 7, Guilford 2
SCC Oronoque
Branford 11, Career 0
Wilbur Cross 2, North Haven 1
SCC Housatonic
Amity 2, Shelton 0
Sheehan 7, Lyman Hall 1
SCC interdivision
Cheshire 7, Fairfield Prep 1
East Haven 9, Hand 4
SWC
Brookfield 5, Stratford 4
CSC
Bullard-Havens 8, Whitney Tech 0
Platt Tech, 6, Goodwin Tech 5
FCIAC
St. Joseph 12, Danbury 1
NVL
Ansonia 2, Seymour 0
Derby 4, St. Paul 0
Preps
Hamden Hall 21, Chase 5

Shelton suffered a crushing 4-3 loss to Notre Dame-West Haven on April 16, when the Gaels misplayed a late fly ball and opened the door for Conor Keniry’s winning home run.

But Shelton surely made up for it, putting together an impressive set of wins last week. The Gaels kicked it off by tagging ace Ryan Moore for eight runs in an 8-6 win over Sheehan. They followed with another offensive-led victory, an 11-4 defeat of Cheshire. Shelton capped the week behind Ryan Zahornasky’s three-hitter in a 3-1 win over Xavier.

“We put a nice string together,” Shelton coach Scott Gura said. “They were upset after that loss and had some good practices. Those were three good, quality teams we beat.”

Shelton followed with a 12-2 win over Lyman Hall Tuesday and will try and knock off No. 1 Amity today.

Branford coach George Dummar earned his 100th career win as Branford beat Guilford 9-5. Anthony Pellegrino’s RBI single sparked a five-run sixth inning for the Hornets.

Pat DeToro’s grand slam lifted Xavier to a 14-6 win over Hamden. Connor Landers added a three-run home run for the Falcons.

Pat Falkoff threw a shutout, striking out seven and allowing just three hits in Hamden Hall’s 2-0 win over St. Luke’s. Marc Cafasso and Mike Cox each had a sacrifice fly for the Hornets.

Seymour came from behind to knock off Crosby 7-5. Jim Vartelas had two hits, including a double, and two runs. He also picked up the win in relief, retiring all eight batters he faced.

Ryan Zahornasky had three hits, including a home run, and two RBIs in Shelton’s 12-2 win over Lyman Hall.

BASEBALL
SCC Quinnipiac
Xavier 14, Hamden 6
SCC Housatonic
Shelton 12, Lyman Hall 2
SCC interdivision
Branford 9, Guilford 5
NVL
Seymour 7, Crosby 5
Preps
Hamden Hall 2, St. Luke’s 0

BASEBALL

SCC Quinnipiac

Fairfield Prep at West Haven, ppd to Thursday, 3:45 p.m.

SCC Hammonasset

Hillhouse at Law, ppd. to Thursday, 3:45 p.m.

Foran at Hand, ppd. to Thursday, 3:45 p.m.

SCC Oronoque

Wilbur Cross at Career, ppd. to Thursday, 3:45 p.m.

SCC Housatonic

Sheehan at Cheshire, ppd. to Thursday, 4 p.m.

SCC interdivision

Amity at Notre Dame-West Haven, ppd. to Thursday, 3:45 p.m.

NVL

Derby at Torrington, ppd. to Thursday, 4 p.m.

Ansonia at Holy Cross, ppd. to Thursday, 3:30 p.m.

SWC

Bethel at Stratford, ppd. to Thursday, 3:45 p.m.

Shoreline

Cromwell at Old Saybrook, ppd. to Thursday, 3:45 p.m.

CSC

Platt Tech at Wilcox Tech, ppd. to Tuesday, 4 p.m.

FCIAC

St. Joseph at Trumbull, ppd. to Thursday, 4 p.m.

Preps

Choate at Hopkins, ppd., TBA

Due to weather, Amity will now travel to face Notre Dame-West Haven Thursday at 3:45 p.m. at Quigley Stadium.

The game was originally scheduled for Monday and then pushed to Tuesday and will now be moved for a second time.

Both teams are 8-0 and the Spartans are No. 1 in the Register Top 10 poll. The Green Knights are No. 2.

Notre Dame-West Haven will first have to face Xavier Wednesday and Amity will take on Shelton Wednesday.

Hamden Hall has picked up pretty much where it left off last season.

Following a slow start last year, the Hornets put the finishing touches on a remarkable late-season stretch — winning nine of their last 10 games — and captured the New England Prep School Class D title.

Winners of nine straight and owners of a 13-3 mark heading into this week, Hamden Hall has certainly carried the momentum into this season.

“We’re a year older and a year better,” Hamden Hall coach Joe Fontana said. “We have a great group of guys who get along so well. That’s a big key. And of course, there’s talent there, too.”

The Hornets lost just two seniors from the 2009 title run. They are hitting collectively above .350, and the lineup has been supplemented by a deep pitching staff.

Fontana says it’s been the versatility and all-around depth that’s made the season successful.

Leadoff hitter Marc Cafasso sets the tone. Cleanup hitter Vin Teixeira has 26 RBIs, is one of Hamden Hall’s top arms in the pitching rotation, and a vocal leader. And even players in the bottom of the lineup like Marco Gasparro have come up with big hits. Gasparro drove in a key run in a come-from-behind 4-3 win over Brunswick.

That’s just a few on a long list of examples. Also, the lineup is seemingly interchangeable. Fontana has the luxury to shift players around as needed.

Now, Hamden Hall hopes to keep up the pace and finish strong again.

“We knew we were one of the preseason favorites, but that doesn’t mean much on the field,” Fontana said. “We know we need to work hard again to accomplish our goals. We can’t think it’s going to happen just like that, and they really take that to heart.”

1. Amity
2. Notre Dame-West Haven
3. Fairfield Ludowe
4. Staples
5. Greenwich

For the entire poll, click here.

BASEBALL

Shoreline

North Branford at Portland, ppd. to today, 3:45 p.m.

Valley Regional at East Hampton, ppd. to Thursday, 3:45 p.m.

Hyde at Old Lyme, ppd. to today, 3:45 p.m.

Coginchaug at Westbrook, ppd. to Thursday, 3:45 p.m.

Cromwell at Old Saybrook, ppd. to today, 3:45 p.m.

Hale-Ray at Haddam-Killingworth, ppd. to Thursday, 4 p.m.

SCC Quinnipiac

Xavier at Hamden, ppd. to today, 3:45 p.m.

West Haven at Fairfield Prep, ppd. to today, 3:45 p.m.

SCC Hammonasset

Hillhouse at Law, ppd. to today, 3:45 p.m.

Foran at Hand, ppd. to today, 4 p.m.

SCC Oronoque

Wilbur Cross at Career, ppd. to today, 3:30 p.m.

East Haven at North Haven, ppd. to today, 3:45 p.m.

SCC Housatonic

Lyman Hall at Shelton, ppd. to today, 3:45 p.m.

Sheehan at Cheshire, ppd. to today, 4 p.m.

SCC interdivision

Amity at Notre Dame-West Haven, ppd. to today, 3:45 p.m.

Branford at Guilford, ppd. to today, 4 p.m.

NVL

Seymour at Crosby, ppd. to today, 3:45 p.m.

Derby at Torrington, ppd. to today, 4 p.m.

Ansonia at Holy Cross, ppd. to today, 3:30 p.m.

SWC

Bethel at Stratford, ppd. to today, 3:45 p.m.

Weston at Bunnell, ppd. to Thursday, 4:15 p.m.

CSC

Platt Tech at Wilcox Tech, ppd. to today, 4 p.m.

Abbott Tech at O’Brien Tech

FCIAC

St. Joseph at Trumbull, ppd. to today, 4 p.m.

Check out this week's edition of Diamond Gems.

Due to weather, Amity will travel to face Notre Dame-West Haven Tuesday at 3:45. Game was originally scheduled for today.

Both teams are 8-0 and the Spartans are No. 1 in the Register Top 10 poll. The Green Knights are No. 2.

Check out the story on Keniry here.

Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference rivals St. Joseph and Westhill had a 7-7 game played at at Baseball Hall of Fame’s Doubleday Field in Cooperstown, N.Y. Friday suspended due to darkness.

The Cadets scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning capped by an RBI single by Jerry Kramer that gave the Cadets a 7-6 lead. In the top of the seventh inning, Westhill’s Bill DeMartino drew a bases-loaded walk to drive in a run and tie the game at 7. The teams are waiting to hear from FCIAC officials to determine when the game would be compeleted at St. Joseph.

Check out the story about Shelton's 3-1 win over Xavier here.

Behind three hits and three RBIs from Eddie Michaud, Foran beat Guilford 13-8. Zach Phelan hit a three-run home run and had four RBIs for the Lions.

Ryan Zahornasky threw a three-hitter as Shelton beat Xavier 3-1. Zahornasky held the Falcons hitless through five innings. Dan Guerrera drove in the go-ahead run in the sixth.

Amity scored four runs in the sixth to pull ahead and edge Sheehan 8-7. Nick Baviello had two hits and two RBIs for Amity. Reid Nelson had a three-run home run for Sheehan.

Mike Diurno had a RBI double in Woodland’s 3-2 win over Seymour.

Alex Shaw had three hits, including a triple, to lift Hand to a 7-2 win over Hillhouse. Matt Maghini added a home run for the Tigers.

Paul Spadacenta went 2-for-4 with a home run in East Haven’s 6-2 win over Wilbur Cross.

Ryan Figaro’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh lifted Branford to a 7-6 win over North Haven.

Nick Velardi had two hits, including a home run, and three RBIs as Hamden beat Fairfield Prep 10-5.

Josh Eannotti’s RBI single in the fifth lifted Ansonia to a 6-5 win over Derby.

Vin Teixiera picked up the win and went 3-for-5 with two runs and three RBIs in Hamden Hall’s 15-10 victory over Brunswick.

Brett Michael Doran had four hits in Law’s 15-6 win over Career.

Zak Repscher earned the win and had three hits and three RBIs in Morgan’s 16-2 win over Valley Regional.

Jesse Castaldi had three hits and two RBIs as North Branford beat Westbrook 16-2.

Dylan Lisi homered and had three RBIs to lead O’Brien Tech to a 13-7 win over Platt Tech.

Sawyer Gregory had three hits and two RBIs in Old Lyme’s 7-5 win over Coginchaug.

CSC


O’Brien Tech 13, Platt Tech 7

Bullard-Havens 10, Kaynor Tech 0

NVL

Ansonia 6, Derby 5

Woodland 3, Seymour 2

Shoreline

Haddam-Killingworth 7, East Hampton 3

Morgan 16, Valley Regional 2

North Branford 16, Westbrook 2

Old Lyme 7, Coginchaug 5

Hale-Ray 6, Hyde 4

SCC Quinnipiac

Hamden 10, Fairfield Prep 5

Notre Dame-West Haven 13, West Haven 3

SCC Hammonasset

Hand 7, Hillhouse 2

Foran 13, Guilford 8

SCC Oronoque

East Haven 6, Wilbur Cross 2

Branford 7, North Haven 6

SCC Housatonic

Amity 8, Sheehan 7

Cheshire 16, Lyman Hall 0

SCC interdivision

Law 15, Career 6

Shelton 3, Xavier 1
SWC

New Milford 18, Stratford 0

Preps

Rye 7, Hopkins 1

Hamden Hall 15, Brunswick 10

After leaving the SCC, Derby will travel to face rival Ansonia today at 3:30 p.m. for the first time in NVL competition. Derby will host the Chargers on May 18 in the second meeting.

NVL


Wolcott 16, Seymour 3

Each Thursday, the Batter’s Box blog will feature a Connecticut native, who is now playing in college.

Tyler Mizenko, Winthrop sophomore             

High school: Hamden Hall 2008

Position: Pitcher

W-L: 1-3

Sv: 3

ERA: 5.24

IP: 22.1

SO: 28

BB: 15

For more on Mizenko, click here.

                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                                                       

Guilford right-hander Craig Schlitter is out for the season after dislocating his shoulder in the Indians 8-0 win over Hillhouse Wednesday.

Schlitter suffered the injury when he slid home head first in the fifth inning and Hillhouse catcher Reno Dunkley landed on him.

Schlitter, who will play at Bryant next season, was 1-2 with two saves and was hitting close to .300.

Eric Christensen went 5-for-5 with four RBIs to lead Shelton an 11-4 win over Cheshire.
It’s only the third time in the last 12 years that a player has gone 5-for-5 for Shelton. Ryan Zahornasky added two hits and three RBIs and starting pitcher Dan St. George had nine strikeouts for the Gaels.

Axel DeJesus pitched a two-hit shutout and went 4-for-4 at the plate to lead the Red Devils to a 5-0 victory over rival Bunnell.

With one out in the bottom of the ninth inning, Brandon Urzua’s RBI single gave the Chargers a 6-5 win over St. Paul.

Paul Spadacenta had three hits, including a triple, and four RBIs to lead the Easties an 11-3 win over Career. Pitcher Mike Anastasio went six innings and had 10 strikeouts for the Easties.

Brian Salzillo struck out seven, walked just two and earned the win as North Haven beat Foran 5-2.

Luke Miconi had two doubles, a triple and four RBIs to lead the Indians to an 8-0 win over Hillhouse.

David Beisler had three hits, including a home run and double, and Connor Keniry also homered and doubled to lead Notre Dame-West Haven to a 15-3 rout over Hamden.

Brian Dobek score twice and had two RBIs to lift Derby to a 10-6 win over Watertown.

Colin Sledzik had three hits and drove in two runs and Jeff Waterbury two hits and three RBI to pace the Cougars’ 12-1 win over Hyde.

Junior left-hander Dan Duffy earned his first varsity win after striking out seven and walking just one for the Titans in their 4-1 victory over West Haven.

Anthony Aprile and Joe Ciancola each went 2-for-3 in Amity's 15-5 win over Lyman Hall. The Spartans scored 15 runs in the first inning.

Buddy Shea had three hits, three runs and two stolen bases in Branford's 15-1 over Wilbur Cross.

Jeff Tiedemann picked up the win, had three hits and an RBI in Coginchaug's 11-5 win over Hale-Ray.

Mike Cox hit a walk-off homer in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift Hamden Hall to a 4-3 win over Brunswick.

Shoreline

Coginchaug 11, Hale-Ray 5

Cromwell 3, Westbrook 1

Haddam-Killingworth 12, Hyde 1

Morgan 12, East Hampton 0

Old Lyme 5, North Branford 4

Old Saybrook 15, Valley Regional 9

SCC interdivision

North Haven 5, Foran 2

Sheehan 4, West Haven 1

SCC Quinnipiac

Notre Dame-West Haven 15, Hamden 3

Xavier 10, Fairfield Prep 8

SCC Hammonasset

Guilford 8, Hillhouse 0

Law 13, Hand 0

SCC Oronoque

Branford 15, Wilbur Cross 1

East Haven 11, Career 3

SCC Housatonic

Amity 15, Lyman Hall 5

Shelton 11, Cheshire 4

CSC

Kaynor Tech 10, O’Brien Tech 3

NVL

Ansonia 6, St. Paul 5 (9)

Derby 10, Watertown 6

SWC

Stratford 5, Bunnell 0

FCIAC

McMahon 6, St. Joseph 3

Preps

Hamden Hall 4, Brunswick 3 (8)

Hopkins 6, King 2

Former Amity standout Brian Kownacki, now a sophomore at Fordham, scores on a spectacular play to lead the Rams to a 12-9 win over Iona Tuesday in a game Fordham trailed 9-1 in the eighth inning.

Kownacki leaps over Iona catcher James Beck, landing a handstand on home plate. Audio is provided by Gregg Caserta of WFUV.

Pitcher Dane Pallotto picked up the win and struck out five in Westbrook's 19-4 win over Portland. Pallotto also went 3-for-5 with a double, triple, two runs and five RBIs.

Tyler Walters had three hits and three RBIs to lift Wilbur Cross to a 7-4 win over Lyman Hall.

SCC interdivision
Wilbur Cross 7, Lyman Hall 4
Shoreline
Westbrook 19, Portland 4

Uncertainties, inexperience and graduation losses make it tough to gauge teams early in the season. Not knowing exactly what to expect at first, Cheshire coach Bill Mrowka has gradually gotten a feel for the Rams and he says it looks to be a promising season.

Cheshire opened the year winning five straight before falling 7-4 Monday to Amity.

“We’re hitting very well and scoring runs,” Mrowka said. “We’ve been able to swing it and I feel confident with the whole lineup.”

The Rams put up 49 runs during their 5-0 start.

Cheshire may have lost some key pieces (Brad Runowicz, Steve Howard and Dave Tammaro) to a lineup that helped the Rams reach the Southern Connecticut Conference playoff semifinals in 2009, but Mrowka said this year’s version is deeper.

So far, the offense has supplied timely hits (they made the most of seven hits in a 5-0 win over Xavier). It has led Cheshire to come from behind (the Rams scored 10 late runs in a 12-7 win over Hand) and also erupt (14 runs against East Haven and 16 runs against Hamden less than 24 hours later).

And when the offense has sputtered, pitcher Ryan Fowler picked up Cheshire.
Fowler allowed just four hits and struck out six in a 2-1 win over Law.

“Did I think we’d be 5-0, probably not ...,” Mrowka said. “I like this team. We have a good staff, a strong lineup, a good mix.”

The Gaels will be without their top two pitchers for at least a week.

Ace Dan St. George injured his groin in a loss to Notre Dame-West Haven Friday and will be limited to designated hitter status until at least April 28. No. 2 pitcher and cleanup hitter Jim Pjura will be out until at least early May with a stress fracture in his vertebrae. He has missed six games.

Louis Concato picked up the win and went 2-for-3 with a RBI in Amity's 7-4 win over Cheshire. Max Slade went 2-for-4 with two runs and a RBI for Cheshire.

Josh Rouse's sacrifice fly scored the winning run as Law edged Foran 2-1. Brian Ward allowed just four hits and struck out nine in a losing effort.

Caleb Marquez had a triple, home run and three RBIs as Wilbur Cross beat Hillhouse 7-4.

Craig Schlitter picked up the win, homered and had three RBIs in Guilford's 11-8 win over Hand. The Tigers rallied with eight runs in the seventh inning.

Mike Georgalas had two hits and two RBIs in Shelton's 8-6 win over Sheehan. Reid Nelson went 4-for-4, including a three-run home run, with four RBIs for Sheehan.

Lou Pane had a two-run home run to lift East Haven to a 6-2 win over Branford.

Dan Julian struck out eight and allowed just four hits in St. Joseph's 3-1 win over Fairfield Warde.

Kyel Perricone had a game-winning, two-run single as Bunnell edged Brookfield 2-1.

Ryan Skelly struck out 11 and scattered eight hits in Derby's 3-2 victory over Wolcott.

Dan Milardo had three hits, including a triple, in Haddam-Killingworth's 6-2 victory over Coginchuag.

Nick Velardi had three hits, including two home runs, and four RBIs and Matt Bundock had a grand slam in Hamden's 14-10 win over Lyman Hall.

Devin DeCarr had two hits, including a home run, four RBIs and two runs as North Haven blanked Career 15-0. Dave Jablonski and Steve Cusano combined to throw a two-hitter for the Indians.

Will Meade's two-run double lifted Notre Dame-West Haven to a 4-1 win over Fairfield Prep.

Gabe Cretella struck out six to earn the win and added a triple, double, single and an RBI as Seymour beat St. Paul 7-1.

Here's Monday's results. Check back for highlights.

BASEBALL
Shoreline
North Branford 6, Hale-Ray 2
Valley Regional at Portland
Haddam-Killingworth 6, Coginchaug 2
Morgan 10, Old Saybrook 8
East Hampton at Hyde (West Rock Park), 4 p.m.
SCC interdivision
Hillhouse at Wilbur Cross (Rice Field), 10:30 a.m.
Hamden 14, Lyman Hall 10
SCC Hammonasset
Law 2, Foran 1
Guilford 11, Hand 8
SCC Quinnipiac
Notre Dame-West Haven 4, Fairfield Prep 1
Xavier 13, West Haven 1
SCC Oronoque
East Haven 6, Branford 2
Career at North Haven
SCC Housatonic
Cheshire at Amity
Shelton 8, Sheehan 6
NVL
Derby 3, Wolcott 2 (8)
Seymour 4, St. Paul 1
FCIAC
St. Joseph 3, Fairfield Warde 1
SWC
Bunnell 2, Brookfield 1
Masuk 12, Stratford 3
CSC
Bullard-Havens 13, Platt Tech 4
CSC:
Wilcox Tech 12, O’Brien Tech 1
Whitney Tech at Goodwin Tech, 4 p.m.

Just in, the latest Register Top 10 poll.

SCC Divisional play opens up today. Here's a look at each divison's top game.

Hammonasset Division
Law at Foran, 3:30 p.m.: A rematch of the SCC title game from last year, in which Law won. Likely the top two teams in the division again.

Quinnipiac Division
Notre Dame-West Haven at Fairfield Prep, 3:45 p.m.: The Jesuits have surprised some with a 5-1 start. They host the Green Knights, who have won their first five games.

Oronoque Division
East Haven at Branford, 3:45 p.m.: After winning the Class L title last season, the Hornets have struggled early (1-4). They look to get back on track against the Easties.

Housatonic Division
Cheshire at Amity, 3:45 p.m.: Both teams are 5-0. Can Amity's loaded pitching staff quiet a stacked Cheshire offense?

Check this video out. This 5 year old looks to have a promising future on the diamond.

Check out this week's Diamond Gems here.

Sal Coppola earned his 300th career win and Nick Baviello had two hits, including a triple, as Amity beat West Haven 9-2.

Brian Salzillo had three hits, including two doubles, to lead North Haven to a 13-5 win over Guilford.

Christian Malave had three hits and two RBIs in Foran’s 8-4 win over Branford. Tyler Olt and two hits and three RBIs for Branford.

Jesse Castaldi had three hits, including a pair of doubles, and two RBIs as North Branford edged Haddam-Killingworth 4-2.

Conor Keniry went 2-for-4 and hit a game-winning home run in the Green Knights 4-3 win over Shelton.

Derek Allen had three hits and three RBIs in Sheehan’s 6-4 victory over Hamden. Mike Dwyer had two hits, including a home run, for the Green Dragons.

Dan Manke had two hits and three RBIs for Cheshire, in the Rams 5-0 win over Xavier. Connor David also homered for the Rams.

Dave Wheeler homered and had three RBIs in Coginchaug’s 14-2 win over Hyde.

Hand beat Wilbur Cross 13-4 behind Matt Maghini, who went 3-for-4 with two triples and three RBIs.

Chris Peloso had a double and two RBIs in Law’s 10-3 victory over East Haven.

Nick DePalermo tossed a shutout and allowed just two hits as Old Saybrook blanked East Hampton 7-0.

NVL
Seymour 6, Sacred Heart 1
Shoreline
Coginchaug 14, Hyde 2
North Branford 4, Haddam-Killingworth 2
Old Saybrook 7, East Hampton 0
Westbrook 8, Valley Regional 3
SCC interdivision
Notre Dame-West Haven 4, Shelton 3
Cheshire 5, Xavier 0
Amity 9, West Haven 2
Sheehan 6, Hamden 4
North Haven 13, Guilford 5
Law 10, East Haven 3
Foran 8, Branford 4
Hand 13, Wilbur Cross 4
FCIAC
St. Joseph 13, Bridgeport Central 3
Preps
Hamden Hall 5, King 4

Amity coach Sal Coppola earned his 300th career victory today as the Spartans beat West Haven 9-2.

Nick Baviello had two hits, including a triple, for the Spartans. Amity improved to 5-0 this season.

Hyde snapped a 23-game losing streak Wednesday with a 5-2 win over North Branford.

Before beating the Thunderbirds Wednesday, the New Haven magnet school last won on May 14, 2008 in a 2-1 victory over Westbrook.

Amity coach Sal Coppola could get his 300th career win today when the Spartans play at West Haven at 3:45 p.m.

Coppola is in his 17th season at Amity.

Andrew Fitzsimmons drove in Andrew Hollis with a single in the eighth inning to lift Fairfield Prep to a 5-4 win over Lyman Hall.

Matt Langello and Cameron Stone combined for a one-hitter in West Haven’s 17-0 win over Platt Tech. Chris Massa had three hits and four RBIs for the Westies.

Mike Ippolito had two hits, including a two-run home run, in Derby’s 16-4 victory over Wilby. Brian Dobek added a three-run triple for the Red Raiders.

Newtown beat Stratford 5-4. Ryan Sosik had a three-run triple for the Red Devils. Andy Lapple had three hits and an RBI for Newtown.

Anthony Vorio homered as North Branford beat East Hampton 7-3. Sage Leonard had three hits for the Thunderbirds.

Shane Sweeney went 3-for-5 with a double, three RBIs and three runs in O’Brien Tech’s 18-9 victory over Vinal Tech.

Non-league
West Haven 17, Platt Tech 0
CSC
O’Brien Tech 18, Vinal Tech 9 (6)
SCC interdivision
Career 20, Hillhouse 1
Fairfield Prep 5, Lyman Hall 4 (8)
NVL
Crosby 8, Ansonia 7 (8)
Derby 16, Wilby 4
SWC
Bethel 4, Bunnell 3
Newtown 5, Stratford 4
Shoreline
North Branford 7, East Hampton 3
Preps
St. Luke’s 11, Hopkins 4

Each Thursday, the Batter’s Box blog will feature a Connecticut native, who is now playing in college.

Jason Esposito, Vanderbilt sophomore

High school: Amity 2008
Position: Third base
Avg.: .333
Runs: 34
HR: 7
RBI: 40
SB: 15

For more on Esposito, click here.

Went down to the North Haven-Notre Dame-West Haven game yesterday for a story about shortstop Conor Keniry I'm working on and the Green Knights looked strong.

Notre Dame improved to 4-0 with a 9-0 win over the Indians.

Complemented by a stingy infield, ace David Beisler looked solid and only allowed two hits in his complete-game shutout. Notre Dame can obviously score some runs, too.

Look at the Green Knight's first four games...

Notre Dame 9, Branford 3
Notre Dame 7, Guilford 3
Notre Dame 24, Career 7
Notre Dame 9, North Haven 0

The Green Knights are still searching for some reliable pitching to pair up with Beisler and they haven't really been tested yet either.

Notre Dame has a good chance to start 8-0 before meeting up with Amity on April 26.

"We know we could score some runs, but you can't count on that," Notre Dame coach Lou Kessler said. "We need to find that No. 2 and No. 3 pitcher. There's still a long way to go."

He's right. But Kessler can't ask for a better start to the season.

Nick Parillo scored on a balk with one out in the top of the seventh inning to give Sheehan a 1-0 victory over Guilford. Ryan Moore pitched the shutout for the Titans, allowing just four hits. Craig Schlitter took the loss, despite allowing just two hits.

Connor David, Dom Severino and Dan Flynn all homered for Cheshire in its 16-7 win over Hamden. Severino finished with three hits and three RBIs.

Mike Georgalas had three hits and six RBIs to lift Shelton to a 13-6 win over Hand.

Gabe Cretella struck out eight and walked one in Seymour's 5-1 victory over Derby.

Nick Baviello had two hits and two RBIs for Amity, in the Spartans 7-4 win over Law.

Kevin Nichol hit a grand slam as Wolcott beat Ansonia 8-3.

Shaun Coughlin threw six innings without giving up a hit in Xavier's 6-0 win over Branford. Coughlin struck out five and walked one.

Ross Burton's sacrifice fly drove in jeff Tiedemann for the game-winning run in Coginchaug's 10-9 win over East Hampton. Eric Hewitt added a home run and three RBIs.

Ed Michaud had a triple, two doubles and four RBIs in Foran's 11-1 win over Lyman Hall.

Dave Beisler gave up just two hits in Notre Dame-West Haven's 9-0 win over North Haven. Mike Panza had four hits, two runs, two stolen bases and four runs for the Green Knights.

Justin Beal had four doubles, three runs and two RBIs in Old Saybrook's 13-5 victory over Portland.

BASEBALL

CSC

Kaynor Tech 8, Platt Tech 5

NVL

Seymour 5, Derby 1

Wolcott 8, Ansonia 3

Shoreline

Valley Regional at Old Lyme

Coginchaug 10, East Hampton 9

Old Saybrook 13, Portland 5

Haddam-Killingworth 7, Cromwell 5

SCC interdivision

Notre Dame-West Haven 9, North Haven 0

Shelton 13, Hand 6

Fairfield Prep 19, Wilbur Cross 5

Xavier 6, Branford 0

Amity 7, Law 4

Foran 11, Lyman Hall 1

Cheshire 16, Hamden 7

Sheehan 1, Guilford 0

FCIAC

St. Joseph 3, Ridgefield 1

Preps

Hamden Hall 14, Forman 3

In a classic pitcher's duel, the Titans beat Guilford 1-0.

Sheehan pitcher Ryan Moore allowed four hits, while his counterpart Craig Schlitter gave up just two. Both pitchers went the distance.

Nick Parillo scored the game's lone run on a balk with one out in the top of the seventh inning for Sheehan.

Other scores...

Xavier 6, Branford 0
Kaynor Tech 8, Platt Tech 5
Seymour 5, Derby 1
Shelton 13, Hand 6
Notre Dame-West Haven 9, North Haven 0

Branford coach George Dummar heads into today's game against Xavier with 97 career wins.

In his seventh season, Dummar is also 19-5 in postseason play with a pair of state titles.

Dan Manke and John Kubilus each had three hits for Cheshire in the Rams 14-12 win over East Haven.

Vinny Texeira hit a three-run home run, and John Lefeber and Mike Cox each had two-run home runs to lead Hamden to a 14-1 win over prep school rival Hopkins.

John Mooney doubled to drive in Dane Pallotto in the sixth inning to lift Westbrook to a 1-0 win over O’Brien Tech.

Jack Pritchard homered and had four RBIs in Fairfield Prep’s 10-3 victory over Hand.

SCC
Cheshire 14, East Haven 12
Fairfield Prep 10, Hand 3
Preps
Hamden Hall 14, Hopkins 1
Non-league
Westbrook 1, O’Brien Tech 0

Click here to read about Cheshire's win over Law.

It's still early in the season, so here's a look at what to look for around the state.

Take a look at the ECC here and here.

The Connecticut Post has some players and teams to watch.

Read about Northwest Catholic's talented center fielder Tom Bourdon here and then check out some players and teams to keep an eye on in the Hartford area.

The FCIAC appears to be loaded on the mound this season. Read about the conference here.

Here's a look at the Waterbury-area teams.

Chris Stockman had three hits, including two doubles, and an RBI as Guilford beat Shelton 6-3. Luke Miconi homered for the Indians.

Seymour picked up its first win of the season with a 5-1 victory over Kennedy. Adam Merritt allowed just five hits and struck out six for the Wildcats.

Jeff Stoddard threw a two-hitter and struck out seven in Branford's 2-0 win over Hand.

Mark Popolizio’s suicide bunt single scored Mike Mendillo with the deciding run in the bottom of the seventh inning in Lyman Hall's 2-1 victory over West Haven.

Julian Sobin had a key solo home run in Ansonia's 3-2 win over Sacred Heart.

Will Hindinger had a triple, two RBIs and scored the game-winning run in Hamden's 9-8 win over North Haven. Mike Dwyer added two hits and three RBIs for the Green Dragons. Devin DeCarr hit a grand slam for the Indians.

Joe Ciancola pitched a complete game on only 60 pitches and allowed five hits, while striking out six in Amity's 6-1 win over Foran. Ciancola also had two hits and two RBIs.

Colin Sledzik struck out 12 in Haddam-Killingworth's 11-0 win over SMSA.

Conor Keniry had three hits, including a grand slam, in Notre Dame-West Haven's 24-7 win over Career.

FCIAC

Wilton 11, Trumbull 4

NVL

Ansonia 3, Sacred Heart 2

Holy Cross 7, Derby 6

Seymour 5, Kennedy 1

Shoreline

Coginchaug 7, North Branford 3

Cromwell 16, Hyde 2

Old Lyme 15, Morgan 1

Old Saybrook 6, Westbrook 5

Valley Regional 6, Hale-Ray 3

SCC interdivision

Amity 6, Foran 1

Branford 2, Hand 0

Cheshire 2, Law 1

Guilford 6, Shelton 3

Hamden 9, North Haven 8

Lyman Hall 2, West Haven 1

Notre Dame-West Haven 24, Career 7

Sheehan 17, Hillhouse 0

Xavier 15, East Haven 1

Non-league

Bunnell 4, Fairfield Prep 2

Haddam-Killingworth 11, SMSA 0

St. Joseph 15, Stratford 3

Weston 22, Platt Tech 3

Wilbur Cross 14, O’Brien Tech 2

Some notable scores from today. Check back later for a complete look...

Guilford 6, Shelton 3
Hamden 9, North Haven 8
Valley Regional 6, Hale-Ray 3
Coginchaug 7, North Branford 3
Seymour 5, Kennedy 1
Ansonia 3, Sacred Heart 2
Branford 2, Hand 0

Tyler Robertson hit a two-RBI single in his first varsity at-bat to lift the Rams to a 2-1 win over Law.
Rams righthander Ryan Fowler allowed just four hits in a complete-game win. Law loaded the bases with no outs in the fourth, but Fowler struck out the next three batters to get out of the jam.

Check out the new Diamond Gems section at the Batter's Box here.

Brett Michael Doran pitched a three-hitter and struck out seven as the Lawmen shut out Xavier 3-0. Andrew Plaskon went 1-for-2 with two RBIs for Law.

Click here for a look at Amity's 3-2 win over Branford.


Chris Beisler hit a three-run home run to lift Notre Dame-West Haven to a 7-3 win over Guilford. Vin Baglini also homered for Notre Dame.

Brian Ward had four hits, including a home run, and five RBIs in Foran's 15-1 win over West Haven. Christian Malave added a double, triple and five RBIs for Foran.

Matt Orlando, Max Freccia, Connor Marr and Andrew Hollis each had two hits for Fairfield Prep in the Jesuits 11-1 win over Trumbull.

SCC interdivision

Law 3, Xavier 0

Amity 3, Branford 2

Foran 15, West Haven 1

Notre Dame-West Haven 7, Guilford 3

Non-league

East Catholic 6, Stratford 1

Fairfield Prep 11, Trumbull 1

Masuk 9, Seymour 5

Newtown 14, Ansonia 6

North Branford 11, East Haven 7

Ridgefield 8, Bunnell 3

Preps

Taft 10, Hopkins 3

Shoreline

Old Lyme 3, Old Saybrook 1

Final
Amity edged Branford 3-2. Brian Kernan drove in Nick Baviello with a bunt in the seventh for the game-winning run.
Baviello went 3-for-4 with two runs for the Spartans. Lou Concato went the distance, striking out 10 and allowing five hits.
Ryan Figaro went 2-for-4 with an RBI for the Hornets.
Amity improves to 2-0. Branford falls to 0-2.

Seventh inning
Amity takes a 3-2 lead.

Nick Baviello smacked a deep double to right field to lead off for Amity. Then Brian Kernan bunted down the first base line. Second baseman Nick Dummar covered the bag. Running to the bag, Kernan knocked off Dummar's glove and the ball got away allowing Baviello to score.

Branford's final trip to the plate coming up.

Sixth inning

Amity evens the game at 2.

Pinch hitter Vin Siena drove in the tying run with a single to right field to score Joe Ciancola. Ciancola led off the inning with a walk.

Amity pitcher Lou Concato now has 10 strikeouts. Branford stranded Tanner Tamsin on third base.

Fifth inning

Branford took a 2-1 lead.

Nick Dummar opened up with an infield single and stole second base. Ryan Figaro drove Dummar in with a single to center field.

Ian Farrell and Nick Baviello led off the inning for Amity with back-to-back singles and then moved over on a double steal. Branford pitcher Brian Levchuk was still able to get out of the inning without any damage, striking out then next two batters and forcing Anthony Aprile to fly out.

Fourth inning

The game remains tied at 1.

The pitchers' duel continues. Branford pitcher Brian Levchuk hasn't allowed a hit over the last three innings.
Amity's Lou Concato got out of another jam and now has seven strikeouts.

Third inning

Still tied at 1.

Branford pitcher Brian Levchuk got out of a jam in the frame. Amity loaded the bases, but Levchuk got Joe Ciancola to line out to shortstop.

Then Hornets threatened in the bottom half, but couldn't capitalize. with runners on the corners and two outs, Amity pitcher Lou Concato got Andrew Luzzi to ground out to end the inning.

Second inning

The Spartans and the Hornets are still tied at 1. Neither team had a base runner in the inning. Amity pitcher Lou Concato struck out the side for the Spartans.

First inning

Amity and Branford are tied at 1.

Amity took a 1-0 lead. Nick Baviello led off the inning with a single and later scored on wild pitch. The Spartans nearly scored another run, but a strong throw from Branford rightfielder Mike DiStasio beat Amity's Mark Esposito to the plate.

Branford answered back. Buddy Shea led off, reaching on an error. He later scored on a groundout by Andrew Luzzi to tie the game.

Pregame

First pitch is coming shortly between Amity and Branford.

Amity is No. 1 in the Register Top 10 poll. Branford is No. 2.

Senior righthander Lou Concato wil take the mound for the Spartans. Senior Righthander Brian Levchuk will pitch for the Hornets.

Amity beat Guilford 10-0 in its season opener. Branford fell 9-3 to Notre Dame-West Haven in its season opener.

The Register will be blogging live from the Branford-Amity game today at 3 p.m.

Amity is No. 1 in the Register's preseason Top 10 Poll and the Hornets are No. 2.

Mike Georgalas’ RBI single drove in Dan. St. George in the bottom of the seventh inning to lift Shelton to a 4-3 win over Career.
John Olszyk went 2-for-3, including a triple, with an RBI for the Panthers.

Tim Bickford had a two-run home run as Sheehan blanked North Haven 6-0.
Joe Borelli and Dan Duffy combined for a three-hit shutout.

Mike Dwyer had three hits, including a home run, in Hamden's 12-3 win over Hillhouse. Matt Bundock had four hits, including a double, and four runs for Hamden (2-0).

Angelo DiSorbo had two hits, a run and four RBIs in Derby's 15-0 win over Platt Tech.

Shoreline
Portland at Westbrook, ppd. to today, 10:30 a.m.
Haddam-Killingworth at Valley Regional, ppd. to May 19, time TBA
East Hampton at North Branford, ppd. to Thursday, 3:45 p.m.
Old Saybrook at Old Lyme, ppd. to today, 3 p.m.
Morgan at Hale-Ray, ppd., TBA

SCC interdivision
Xavier at Law, ppd. to today, 11 a.m.
West Haven at Foran, ppd. to today, 3 p.m.
Hamden 12, Hillhouse 3
Amity at Branford, ppd. to today, 3 p.m.
Shelton 4, Career 3
Sheehan 6, North Haven 0
Lyman Hall at Wilbur Cross (Rice Field), ppd., TBA
Fairfield Prep at Hand, ppd. to Tuesday, 11 a.m.
Cheshire at East Haven, ppd., TBA

Non-league
Derby 15, Platt Tech 0
Oxford 8, Bullard-Havens 1
Preps
Brunswick at Hopkins, ppd. to April 17, 2:30 p.m.

Holy Cross second baseman Rob McLam could not ask for a better start to the season. Check out the stats for the UMass-bound McLam...

In two games, he's 7-for-7 with eight runs, eight RBIs, two walks, two triples and a grand slam. He also has a 1.000 fielding percentage.

BASEBALL

Shoreline

Portland at Westbrook, ppd. to Saturday, 10:30 a.m.

Haddam-Killingworth at Valley Regional, ppd. to May 19, time TBA

East Hampton at North Branford, ppd. to Thursday, 3:45 p.m.

Old Saybrook at Old Lyme, ppd. to April 17, 3 p.m.

Morgan at Hale-Ray, ppd., TBA

SCC interdivision

Xavier at Law, ppd. to Saturday, 11 a.m.

West Haven at Foran, ppd. to Saturday, 3 p.m.

Amity at Branford, ppd. to Saturday, 3 p.m.

Lyman Hall at Wilbur Cross (Rice Field), ppd., TBA

Fairfield Prep at Hand, ppd. to Tuesday, 11 a.m.

Cheshire at East Haven, ppd., TBA

Non-league

Platt Tech at Derby, 4 p.m.

Preps

Brunswick at Hopkins, ppd. to April 17, 2:30 p.m.

Amity at Branford baseball game has been postponed until Saturday at 3 p.m.

The weather doesn't look too promising, but if it holds up the Register will be blogging live from the Branford-Amity game today at 3:45 p.m.

Amity is No. 1 in the Register's preseason Top 10 Poll and the Hornets are No. 2.

Brendan Nugent had two hits, including the go-ahead RBI in the fifth inning on a single, to lift St. Joseph to a 4-2 win over Notre Dame-Fairfield.

Ansonia and Watertown were tied at 11 after eight innings when their game was suspended due to darkness. A make-up date has not been announced.

Hector Vazquez had a two-run homer in Derby’s 7-5 victory over Woodland.

Adam Camilleri had a double and two RBIs as Valley Regional edged Middletown 3-2.

Taylor Lafo allowed just four hits and struck out 12, picking up the win in O’Brien Tech’s 10-0 victory over Parish Hill.

The Quinnipiac-bound Ryan Walsh struck out seven in Trinity Catholic’s 11-3 win over Stratford.

NVL
Derby 7, Woodland 5
Ansonia 11, Watertown 11 (susp. eight innings)
Non-league
Morgan 9, East Granby 0
O’Brien Tech 10, Parish Hill 0
St. Joseph 4, Notre Dame-Fairfield 2
Trinity Catholic 11, Stratford 3
Valley Regional 3, Middletown 2

Lyman Hall junior pitcher Craig Bourassa threw just 55 pitches in the Trojans season-opening win over Hillhouse Wednesday.

Bourassa went the distance and only allowed four hits.

Lyman Hall coach Chuck Burghardt said it was one of the lowest pitch counts he's seen in his 28 years of coaching.

West Haven junior pitcher Eric Stone had successful surgery Wednesday to repair a torn meniscus in his left leg.

Westies coach Mike Anquillare said there is no time table for his return and will be re-evaluated next week. He also begins rehab next week.

“It’s a big blow,” Anquillare said. “He’s a good pitcher. He was going to be our ace. But we have to regroup and others have to step up. If he comes back, it’s a bonus.”

Stone tore his meniscus in a preseason game against Career, when he attempted to pick off a runner at first base.

Though inexperienced (he only threw 23 innings last season), Stone was expected to emerge as a top pitcher for West Haven. Along with seniors

John Ascenzia and Matt Langello, senior Ray Novak and junior Jeremy Soule will now see more time on the mound with Stone out. The Westies opened their season with a 17-9 loss Wednesday to North Haven.

Most know North Haven senior Brian Salzillo for his jumper. The sharpshooter led the Indians to an SCC title on the basketball court in February.

But he obviously can pitch, too.

Salzillo, a senior, pitched 2 1/3 innings and earned a win Wednesday night in North Haven's season-opening victory over West Haven.

North Haven coach Bob DeMayo said he has good poise and he's a competitor. As a pitcher, he has a good curve, control and mixes it up.

Salzillo returned to the diamond after choosing not to play last season. He played in North Haven's program as a freshman and a sophomore.

Brian Ward struck out nine and earned the win in Foran's 5-1 win over Sheehan. Ward's two-run homer gave the Lions the lead. Mike Pascarella had two doubles, two RBIs and two runs.

Dan St. George earned the win, struck out six and went 2-for-4 with two RBIs as Shelton beat Law 8-3.

Mike Panza, Conor Keniry, Dave Beiseler each had two hits and two RBIs in Notre Dame-West Haven's 9-3 victory over Branford.

Joe Ciancola and E.J. Ashworth combined to hold Guilford to just three hits in Amity's 10-0 win over Guilford. Vin Siena had four RBIs for the Spartans.

Mike Sica had four hits and three RBIs in North Haven's 17-9 win over West Haven.

Dan Manke was 3-for-4, including two doubles, in Cheshire's 12-7 win over Hand.

Tom O'Brien struck out nine in his complete-game shutout. Watertown blanked Seymour 5-0

Vinny Teixeira had a home run, three RBIs and two runs, but Hamden Hall fell 6-4 to Avon Old Farms.

NVL

Ansonia 2, Woodland 1

Watertown 5, Seymour 0

SCC interdivision

Notre Dame-West Haven 9, Branford 3

Xavier 13, Career 7

North Haven 17, West Haven 9

Fairfield Prep 10, East Haven 5

Hamden 25, Wilbur Cross 2

Amity 10, Guilford 0

Shelton 8, Law 3

Foran 5, Sheehan 1

Cheshire 12, Hand 7

Lyman Hall 17, Hillhouse 1

Shoreline

North Branford 2, Cromwell 0

Valley Regional 6, Hyde 5

Old Saybrook 12, Hale-Ray 2

Preps

Avon Old Farms 6, Hamden Hall 4

There are 72 games on the Opening Day slate today. Here are the top matchups.


Glastonbury at Southington, 3:45 p.m.: Both of these CCC teams have a lot of talent returning this year.

Branford at Notre Dame-West Haven, 3:45 p.m.: A pair of division favorites. Branford should win the SCC Oronoque Division and the Green Knights will likely win the SCC Quinnipiac Division.

Wethersfield at Simbury, 3:45 p.m.: A good matchup between two of the better teams in the CCC.

Law at Shelton, 3:45 p.m.: Two SCC powerhouses.

Foran at Sheehan, 3:45 p.m.: Brian Ward up against Ryan Moore. Should make for a great pitcher's duel.

Haddam-Killingworth at Morgan, 3:45 p.m.: Two teams that should contend with Coginchaug for a Shoreline Conference title this season.

Newtown at Pomperaug, 4:15 p.m.: The defending SWC champs face the Panthers, perhaps the favorite to win it this season.

Read about Amity's pitching rotation here.

1. Amity
2. Branford
3. Staples
4. Foran
5. Waterford

For the rest of the poll, click here.

With six sophomore starting last season, New Britain shocked some with a 14-6 regular season mark.

The Hurricanes edged Windsor in the opening round of the Class LL tournament, but then fell to eventual champion West Haven.

After a pleasantly surprising 2009 campaign, the expectations are high for New Britain. The Hurricanes have a ton of upside. They are very strong defensively and are very fast (they have 55 meter State Open champion Chris Linares).

The biggest question heading into the season for the Hurricanes is an inexperienced pitching staff.

New Britain opens its season Wednesday when the Hurricanes host Weaver.