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Westies top McMahon
Rubirosa helps deliver first win for Figmic
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(March 30, 2024) - Starting the season on the road, West Haven knew the importance of getting off to a quick start. Mia Rubirosa made sure to oblige.
The senior pitcher was dominant in the circle, allowing three hits, striking out 15 and walking three as West Haven topped McMahon 9-0 on the road Saturday afternoon.
The win was the first for head coach Bridget Figmic, while Rubirosa scored twice to set the school record for all-time runs scored.
Rubirosa led the offense with three hits, two runs scored and two runs batted in. Taylor Alfano had three hits, scored once and drove in a run, Olivia McDonnell had two hits and drove in three runs, while Sarah Davey scored twice and drove in two runs.  
West Haven took a 3-0 lead in the third and put the game away with six more runs in the fifth. The Westies had 14 hits in the victory.
The Westies got going in the third as Davey led off with a single to right, and Rubirosa hit a one-out single to score Davey. After Natalie Gallo singled, Alfano doubled to score Rubirosa, and McDonnell grounded out to score Gallo.
Rubirosa doubled to lead off the fifth, went to third on a passed ball, and scored on a ground out by Gallo for a 4-0 lead. After Alfano singled, McDonnell homered for a 6-0 lead.

Holly Waibel doubled, Abigail Wynus walked, Davey walked with two outs, and Aniah Glover singled to score a pair for an 8-0 advantage. Rubirosa doubled to score Davey for the 9-0 lead.

North Haven tops Westies
Nighthawks use late outburst in 12-3 win
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(April 1, 2024) - The West Haven softball team was looking forward to playing its first home game on the newly turfed Biondi Field. Unfortunately for the Westies, North Haven spoiled the party.
Scoring twice to break a tie game in the fourth inning, and adding five runs in the fifth and four more in the sixth, North Haven topped West Haven 12-3 Monday afternoon.
West Haven (1-1) had seven hits in the game and was led by two off the bat of Taylor Alfano. Sarah Davey homered in the loss for the Westies.
Trailing 1-0 in the second, Olivia McDonnell led off with a single and scored the equalizer on a double to left by Shannon Hoey.
North Haven took a 3-1 lead in the fourth on a leadoff homer and a run-scoring ground out, before West Haven could not capitalize on singles by Alfano and Holly Waibel in the bottom of the inning.
The Nighthawks broke the game open in the fifth on a grand slam by Alexandra Anquillare for an 8- 1 lead.

West Haven inched closer as Davey led off with a homer in the bottom of the inning and Alfano doubled to score Rubirosa as the Westies got within 8-3.

Westies fall to Trumbull
Early deficit hurts West Haven
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(April 5, 2024) - Looking to rebound from its first loss of the season, the West Haven softball team knew it was in for a battle when it traveled to play Trumbull. The Westies never got on track and fell 11-3 to drop to -12 on the season.
With the game scoreless, Trumbull broke the game open with three runs in the third and four more in the fourth for a 7-0 lead.
Holly Waibel and Sarah Davey led West Haven with two hits and one run scored apiece.
Trailing 8-0, West Haven scored twice in the sixth when Waibel led off with a double, Taylor Alfano walked, and Olivia McDonnell hit into a fielder’s choice to put runners on the corners. Natalie Gallo singled to score Arianna Herazo, and Davey singled to score McDonnell.

After Trumbull responded with three in the bottom of the inning, West Haven scored its final run in the seventh when Mia Rubirosa hit a one-out triple and scored on a single by Waibel.

West Haven blanks Hillhouse
Alfano tosses no-hitter in 15-0 victory
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(April 8, 2024) - The West Haven softball team improved to 2-2 with a 15-0 five-inning mercy rule victory over Hillhouse Monday afternoon at Biondi Field in West Haven.
Taylor Alfano pitched a complete-game no-hitter, falling one walk away from a perfect game. Alfano struck out eight in the win.
Alfano also led the offense with two hits, two walks, two runs scored and one run batted in. Holly Waibel, Olivia McDonnell, and Natalie Gallo each drove in a pair, while Waibel, McDonnell, Shannon Hoey, and Aniah Glover each scored twice.
West Haven took control of the game with 12 runs in the first inning and three more in the second.
The Westies jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first when Mia Rubirosa, Waibel, and Alfano scored on wild pitches, McDonnell scored on a passed ball, and Abigail Wynus walked to force in a run. Aniah Glover singled to score Sarah Davey, Rubirosa delivered Wynus with a ground out, and Glover and Shannon Hoey scored on an error.
McDonnell doubled to score Alfano and Waibel, and Davey singled to score McDonnell for a 12-0 lead.

In the second, Alfano singled to score Hoey, and Natalie Gallo singled to score Arianna Herazo and Glover for the 15-0 advantage.

Guilford stuns West Haven
Grizzlies rally in seventh for 3-2 victory
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(April 10, 2024) - The West Haven softball team was looking to extend its winning streak to two games Wednesday afternoon. Guilford was not going to let that happen.
Scoring single runs in the sixth and seventh innings, the Grizzlies rallied to defeat West Haven 3-2 in Guilford. With the loss, West Haven fell to 2-3 on the year.
Mia Rubirosa took the loss, allowing three earned runs on two hits. Rubirosa struck out 10 and walked nine, including the first two batters in the seventh, before being replaced by Taylor Alfano.
After Guilford evened the game in the sixth on four walks and a stolen base, the Grizzlies turned three more walks and a wild pitch in the seventh into the winning run.
Trailing 1-0, West Haven evened the game in the third when Shannon Hoey led off with a single, moved to second on a bunt by Aniah Glover, and scored on Holly Waibel’s two-out double to left. Waibel was stranded at second in the inning.
The Westies took a 2-1 lead in the fifth as Hoey led off with a walk, went to third when Glover reached on an error when sacrificing, and stole home.

West Haven’s last threat came in the sixth as Natalie Gallo singled with two outs, but she was left stranded.

Shelton walks past Westies
Gaels tops West Haven 17-16
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(April 11, 2024) - The West Haven softball team dropped its second straight contest with a wild 17-16 home loss against Shelton. The Westies led 6-0 and 9-3, but could not hang on, falling to 2-4 on the season.
Mia Rubirosa set the school record for career home runs when she led off the first inning with a homer to center, and she added her eleventh career homer later in the game.
West Haven walked 17 batters in the game, and three pitchers combined to throw over 200 pitches. West Haven also received 17 walks on the day in a contest which took close to four hours to complete.
The Westies had just eight hits in the game, with Olivia McDonnell leading the way with three hits, three runs batted in, and one run scored. Rubirosa had two hits, drove in two runs, and scored three times, while Aniah Glover and Arianna Herazo each scored four times.
Leading 1-0 in the first, Natalie Gallo singled to score Herazo for a 2-0 advantage. McDonnell reached on an error to score two runs for an 8-3 lead in the second, before Alfano scored on a wild pitch for a 9-3 lead.
Rubirosa gave West Haven a 10-7 lead with a two-out homer to center in the fourth, before Shelton scored seven times in the fifth. Trailing 16-10 in the sixth, McDonnell walked to force in a run, but West Haven left the bases loaded.
West Haven had one more rally in the seventh, scoring five times to get within 17-16. Maddy Kaczmarek started the rally with a one-out single, and scored when Herazo drew a bases loaded walk. Shelton errors allowed four more runs to score, before Gallo walked with two outs.

Shelton escaped without further damage, ending West Haven’s comeback attempt.

Sheehan holds off Westies
Late WH rally falls short in 7-4 loss
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(April 13, 2024) - West Haven lost its third straight contest and fell to 2-5 on the year with a 7-4 home loss against Sheehan Saturday morning.
Abigail Wynus and Sarah Davey homered in the contest, but it was not enough as the Titans scored three runs in each of the third and fourth innings to take a 6-1 lead.
Mia Rubirosa took the loss for West Haven, tossing a complete game, allowing six earned runs, while striking out nine and walking three.
West Haven took a 1-0 first inning lead when Holly Waibel reached on an error and courtesy runner Arianna Herazo scored on a single by Taylor Alfano.
Trailing 6-1, West Haven had a golden opportunity to get back in the game in the fourth inning when Alfano doubled, Olivia McDonnell, singled and Natalie Gallo walked to load the bases with no outs. The Westies could not push a run across and had to wait until the sixth inning to rally again.
Alfano reached on an error to open the sixth and scored when Wynus homered to center with two outs. Davey then followed with another homer to center to get the Westies within 6-4.
Sheehan took a 7-4 lead in the seventh, and West Haven rallied again in the seventh, but left a pair of runners on.

Westies fall to Cheshire
Rams score early in 4-1 win
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(April 15, 2024) - The West Haven softball team lost its fourth straight contest with a 4-1 home defeat against Cheshire Monday afternoon. With the loss, West Haven fell to 2-6 on the season.
Mia Rubirosa pitched a complete game, allowing three earned runs, while striking out five and walking four. The Westies had just one hit in the game off the bat of Holly Waibel.
Cheshire scored single runs in each of the first three innings for a 3-0 lead, before West Haven scored in the bottom of the third.
Sarah Davey became West Haven’s first baserunner with a leadoff walk in the third, moved to second on a wild pitch, and scored when Rubirosa reached on an error. Waibel singled to put runners on the corners, but the Westies could not capitalize.

Trailing 4-1, West Haven again threatened in the fourth with a pair of one-out walks to Natalie Gallo and Abigail Wynus, but both were left stranded.

West Haven had one more scoring opportunity when Olivia McDonnell walked with one out in the sixth, but she could not advance.

Law tops Westies
WH falls 11-2
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(April 17, 2024) - The West Haven softball team suffered its fifth straight defeat and fell to 2-7 on the year with an 11-2 loss at Jonathan Law Wednesday afternoon.
West Haven was held to just six hits in the game, with two coming off the bat of Mia Rubirosa. Taylor Alfano, Olivia McDonnell, Natalie Gallo, and Abigail Wynus each had one hit in the contest.
West Haven took a 1-0 lead in the first inning, but Law tied the game in the bottom of the inning and took the lead for good in the second inning with a pair of runs. Law put the game away with three runs in the fourth, and two in each of the fifth and sixth innings.
Rubirosa started the first inning rally with a single, advanced on a bunt by Holly Waibel, and scored on a single by Alfano.
Trailing 3-1 in the third, Shannon Hoey and Waibel walked, but were left stranded, and Sarah Davey walked but was left stranded in the fourth.

Trailing 9-1, West Haven put another run on the board in the sixth as McDonnell hit a one-out single, and Wynus hit a two-out, run-scoring triple. 

Westies hold off EH
WH posts 12-7 win
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(April 19, 2024) - The West Haven softball team snapped its five-game losing streak with a 12-7 victory over East Haven Friday afternoon. The road victory allowed the Westies to improve to 3-7 on the year.
Taylor Alfano and Natalie Gallo led the West Haven offense with three hits apiece, Mia Rubirosa, Holly Waibel, and Olivia McDonnell each had two hits, while Waibel and Abigail Wynus each drove in three runs. Rubirosa, Alfano, McDonnell, and Aniah Glover each scored twice in the win.
West Haven took a 4-0 lead in the first as Rubirosa led off with a single, Waibel reached on an error to score Rubirosa, Alfano singled, McDonnell singled to score courtesy runner Maddy Kaczmarek, Alfano stole home, and Wynus grounded out to score McDonnell.
The Westies took a 6-1 lead in the second as Alyvia Ginsberg walked, Rubirosa doubled, Waibel grounded out to score Ginsberg, and Alfano singled to score Rubirosa.
Leading 6-4, West Haven scored single runs in the each of the fifth and sixth innings. In the fifth, Alfano led off with a double and scored on Gallo’s single to center, while Rubirosa’s sacrifice fly in the sixth scored Glover, who had singled.

Holding an 8-7 lead in the seventh, West Haven put the game away with four runs. Wynus reached on an error to score Gallo and McDonnell, and Waibel hit a two-out double to score Wynus and Glover.

​North tops West
WH falls 11-5
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(April 22, 2024) - The West Haven softball team fell to 3-8 with an 11-5 loss at North Haven Monday afternoon. Despite four hits from Abigail Wynus and 14 total hits, the Westies could not match the offense of North Haven.
West Haven took a 1-0 lead in the first inning as Holly Waibel doubled with one out and Olivia McDonnell reached on an error to score courtesy runner Maddy Kaczmarek.
Trailing 3-1, West Haven got within 3-2 in the second as Aniah Glover led off with a single and Waibel doubled to left to score Glover.
After North Haven scored four in the second for a 7-2 lead, West Haven scored twice in the third as Natalie Gallo walked with one out, Wynus tripled to score Gallo, and Wynus scored on a wild pitch.
West Haven scored its final run in the seventh as Wynus doubled with one out and scored on a single by Glover.

SOFTBALL 2024

All-State Players - Stacey Dixon '93; Tammy Hackley '93; Kim DeMayo '94; Angelina Sousa '94; Shannon Curren '95; Laurie DelGrego '98; Liz Vaccino '98; Lindsay Connor '03; Vicci Duane '04; Krystle Denny '04; Shannon Connor '09, '10; Elaina Maio '10; Joanna Fekieta '11; Camdyn Morgillo '13; Kial Watts '15; Kailey Carrano '19; Ivy Santos '19; Paige Beurer '22; Mia Rubirosa '23

Retired Numbers - Tammy Hackley (Class of 1993) #13

Westies roll past Shelton
Alfano leads way in 20-11 win
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(April 24, 2024) - The Westies got back on the winning track with a 20-11 victory at Shelton Wednesday afternoon. With the victory, West Haven moved to 4-8 on the year.
Taylor Alfano picked up the win in the pitching circle, and she was a force at the plate with four hits, four runs batted in, and four runs scored. Abigail Wynus had three hits, six runs batted in, and two runs scored, while Olivia McDonnell had three hits and scored twice.
Holly Waibel had two hits, drove in a pair, and scored three runs, while Mia Rubirosa scored three runs, and Aniah Glover, Sarah Davey, and Shannon Hoey each scored twice.
West Haven scored six times in the first inning as Alfano singled to score Rubirosa, Wynus tripled to clear the bases and score Waibel, Alfano and McDonnell, while Natalie Gallo drove in Wynus, and a sacrifice fly by Rubirosa scored Glover.
Glover’s sacrifice fly scored Alfano in the second for a 7-2 lead, before Hoey homered to right and Waibel singled to score Rubirosa in the third.The Westies scored six times in the fourth for a 15-3 lead. Rubirosa’s sacrifice fly scored Glover, Waibel singled to score Davey, Alfano singled to score Hoey, Wynus singled to score Waibel and Alfano, and Gallo doubled to score Wynus.

Westies blank Hillhouse
WH posts 17-0 victory
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(April 25, 2024) - The West Haven softball team improved to 5-8 with a 17-0 victory at Hillhouse Thursday afternoon. The Westies scored 10 runs in the first inning and never looked back in the victory.
Mia Rubirosa led the offense with two hits, four runs batted in, and three runs scored. Aniah Glover had two hits, scored three times, and drove in a run, and Arianna Herazo drove in two runs and scored three times.
Glover singled to score Natalie Gallo for a 5-0 first inning lead, before Rubirosa homered to score Glover and Herazo for an 8-0 advantage. Abigail Wynus and Natalie Gallo each walked with the bases loaded for a 10-0 lead as the Westies drew 15 walks in the contest.

Maddy Kaczmarek reached on an error to score Alyvia Ginsberg for a 12-0 lead in the second, before Herazo tripled in the third to score Glover and Ginsberg for a 16-0 advantage. Kaczmarek doubled to score Herazo for a 17-0 lead.