Errors sink Patriots in Class S semis

The Chronicle, Willimantic, Conn.
·2 min read

Jun. 8—WEST HAVEN — Errors proved costly on Tuesday afternoon for the Coventry High softball team.

The Patriots ( 19- 5) committed five errors overall, including three in the top of the fifth inning when No. 15 seed North Branford (20-7) scored four runs in a 4-2 CIAC Class S semifinal win at West Haven High School.

Coventry, the No. 3 seed, scored in its first at- bat.

Julia Boya walked, advanced to second on a Lindsey Harrington single before a double- steal put runners on second and third with no outs. Elizabeth Mitchell executed a sacrifice bunt that brought home Boya for a 1- 0 lead.

Thunderbirds starter Kiley Mullins kept it a 1- run game as she got out of the inning on a groundout to third and pop- up in foul territory.

Mullins used a pair of strikeouts to get out of the second inning after Coventry put runners on the corners with one out. And in the third, after two batters reached on walks, Mullins got out of the jam on an infield fly and strikeout.

North Branford took control in the fifth by scoring all of its runs without a hit.

Tessa Juniver led off with a walk and moved to third when Gabrielle Senerchia's sacrifice attempt was thrown away. Senerchia stole second and Juniver scored when Lauren Ackerman reached on an infield error.

Alexa Falcioni followed with a sacrifice bunt that was thrown away as two runs scored before a bunt by Lindsey Onorfio brought home Falconi and North Branford had a 4- 1 lead.

Coventry got within 4- 2 on a 2-out RBI single by Amy Prior, but North Branford threw a runner out at the plate on the same hit to end the threat.

Mitchell, who struck out six batters, allowed just one hit, a 1- out double from Ackerman in the top of the seventh.

North Branford faces top- seeded Cromwell ( 22- 3) in the Class S final Saturday at DeLuca Field in Stratford at 3 p. m.

BOYS GOLF

Coventry tied for sixth overall ( 352 strokes) with Old Saybrook at the Division III Championships at Fairview Farm Golf Course in Harwinton.

Steven Hassett was the low man for the Patriots, finishing with a round of 84. Cameron Heath and Ryan Sandahl each carded 89s with Dylan Toombs rounding out Coventry's lineup with a 90.

Portland repeated as Division III champion while shooting 310 as a team, 15 strokes better than second- place East Catholic, with sophomore Luke Stennett tying for first place with Coginchaug's Colin Murphy with a 1-over par 73 he eagled the 18th hole to repeat as individual champion.