19U SENIOR LEGION


(June 27, 2021) - The West Haven Post 71 19U American Legion baseball team opened the season with three straight victories and is now 4-2 to start the campaign.
The Westies began the summer season with a 7-6 home victory over Wallingford. Dan Izzo picked up the win in relief of Hunter Axelrod.
Trailing 1-0 in the first, Post 71 evened the contest when Tyler Jones was hit by a pitch, stole second and scored on a single by Gianni Gambardella. Wallingford took a 5-1 lead with a pair of runs in each of the fourth and fifth innings, before the Westies rallied with five in the fifth and one in the sixth for the victory.
Jones started the fifth inning rally with a single, Gambardella walked and Mike Boni singled to load the bases. Dylan Supan then cleared the bases with a double, before he later scored on an error. When Joe Santos scored on an error in the inning, West Haven had a 6-5 lead.
Jones helped give West Haven a 7-5 lead in the sixth when he doubled, moved to third on a passed ball, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Gambardella.
Post 71 improved to 2-0 with a 3-0 victory at Wallingford. The Westies had only three hits in the game and scored all their runs in the first inning, with the big hit coming off the bat of Boni as his double scored Jones.
West Haven capitalized on Wallingford errors in the opening inning, but that was enough as Lorenzo Espinal was the difference in the game. Espinal threw seven innings of no-hit ball, striking out five and walking three.
The Westies improved to 3-0 with a 3-0 victory over North Haven. Supan tossed a complete game shutout, allowing seven hits while striking out seven.


















Dylan Supan. Photo courtesy of George DeMaio.
Izzo led the offense with a double and triple, Supan had a run-scoring double, and Jones and Boni each had a hit and drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.
Izzo helped give West Haven a 1-0 lead in the first when he doubled and scored on Boni’s sacrifice fly. Boni walked and scored on Supan’s double in the fourth for a 2-0 lead, before Izzo tripled and scored on a sacrifice fly by Jones in the sixth.
West Haven fell to 3-1 with a 2-1 loss at North Haven. Izzo pitched well with six strikeouts, but a two-run bloop single in the fifth was all North Haven needed in the victory. Supan’s run-scoring single was West Haven’s lone hit in the contest.
Post 71 got back on the winning track with a 4-1 road victory over North Haven on Saturday. Espinal allowed just one run on four hits in six innings of work in the victory.
The Westies took a 2-0 lead in the first when Jones walked and scored on an error while stealing third. Singles by Boni and Supan helped lead West Haven to a 2-0 advantage after one inning of play.
West Haven took a 4-0 lead with two more runs in the third. Axelrod singled, Boni walked, Supan reached on an error and Isaiah Wyatt grounded out to score Axelrod.

Post 71 fell to 4-2 and dropped out of first place in zone action with a 7-2 loss at Hamden on Sunday. Axelrod led the offense with a pair of hits, but it was not enough on the loss. 

(July 9, 2021) - The West Haven Post 71 19U baseball team has cooled off since opening the season with four wins in its first six games. The Westies are now 5-4 after a 1-2 stretch.
After a pair of losses dropped the Westies to 4-3, West Haven got back in the win column with a 10-0 victory over Hamden.
The Westies got off to a quick start in the first inning as Dan Izzo led off with a single, Tyler Jones reached on an error, and Mike Boni singled to score Izzo. A ground out by Isaiah Wyatt scored Jones, and Boni scored on a sacrifice fly by Ray Gilbert.
Post 71 increased the lead to 5-0 in the third as Wyatt singled, Joe Santos walked and K.J. Harp reached on an error. Two passed balls scored a pair of runs as Evan Jones also singled in the inning.
West Haven put the game away in the fifth as Santos tripled to score a pair, Harp tripled to score Santos, and Izzo reached on an error to score the fourth run of the inning. Tyler Jones and Boni followed with singles to end the game due to the mercy rule.
After a suspended contest, Post 71 fell to 5-4 with a 9-2 loss to Madison. Tyler Jones led the offense with two hits, a run batted in, and a run scored, while Wyatt had one hit and drove in the other West Haven run.

(July 19, 2021) - The West Haven Post 71 baseball team fell to 5-5 with a 5-0 loss to Wallingford. Dylan Supan pitched well over six innings, but the West Haven offense managed just five hits, including two apiece by Tyler Jones and Joe Santos. 
The Westies dropped their third straight, falling to Branford 7-3. Hunter Axelrod struck out four in four innings of work, but it was not enough. 
Trailing 4-0, West Haven got on the board in the fifth as Evan Jones walked and scored on a double by Santos. Tyler Jones singled and scored on a ground out by Isaiah Wyatt, before Brandon Thayer singled, advanced on an error, and scored on a single by Tyler Jones, who finished the game with two hits. 
The losing streak ended at three as the Westies improved to 6-6 with a 9-5 victory at Branford. West Haven scored twice in the first on two walks and a single by Santos, before pulling away with five runs in the fifth.
Evan Jones singled, Hunter Axelrod walked, Tyler Jones moved both up with a sacrifice bunt, and Mike Boni singled to score Evan Jones and Axelrod. Dylan Supan walked to keep the rally going, Santos walked, and Wyatt and Thayer singled to score two more runs.
West Haven capped the scoring in the sixth when Boni doubled, and Santos and Wyatt singled to force in another run. Lorenzo Espinal pitched 5.2 innings to pick up the win.
The Westies won their second in a row and improved to 7-6 with a 4-2 home win over Branford. Post 71 got on the board in the first when Dan Izzo singled, Tyler Jones walked, and each came around to score.
West Haven added two more runs in the sixth as Boni walked, and three Branford errors allowed both Boni and Wyatt to score.
West Haven improved to 8-6 with its third straight victory, a 9-4 decision over Orange at Piurek Field. The Westies scored three runs in the first as K.J. Harp reach on an error and scored on a double by Izzo. Tyler Jones doubled to score Izzo and came around to score on a sacrifice fly by Supan.
West Haven added a run in the second when Anthony Rubin walked and scored, before the Westies added three more runs in the fourth. Evan Jones singled, Izzo was hit by a pitch, and Tyler Jones singled to score Evan Jones. A single by Boni drove in Izzo and Tyler Jones. 
Singles by Damian Gazzaneo and Harp in the sixth started the final rally as each scored on a single by Izzo. Tyler Jones went the distance on the mound in the win.
West Haven opened a series with Orange and fell on the road 3-2 to drop to 8-7. The Westies could not get going on offense as walks and errors produced the West Haven runs.
Post 71 then fell to Orange 5-4 in West Haven. The loss dropped the Westies to 8-8. 
Boni reached on an error and scored on a single by Wyatt in the first, before Boni drove in Evan Jones and Tyler Jones in the fifth. Trailing 5-3 in the seventh, West Haven got within a run when Harp and Tyler Jones each doubled for a run, but the Westies could not get the equalizer.
The Westies then traveled to Madison to complete a suspended game in which they led 1-0 as Izzo doubled and Tyler Jones (2 hits) and Boni singled in the first. The game was suspended with West Haven leading 1-0 in the third, but Madison scored the final four runs to drop Post 71 to 8-9 on the year.

West Haven dropped its fourth straight with a 1-0 loss to Stratford at Piurek Field Monday evening. Santos pitched well, allowing one run on one hit in four innings of work. 

AMERICAN LEGION 2021

WestieBlue

THE HOME OF WEST HAVEN SPORTS

16U JUNIOR LEGION


(June 27,2021) - The West Haven Post 71 16U team started the season with five wins in its first six games. The Westies opened the season with a pair of wins over Bridgeport, winning the first game 10-2 and the nightcap 14-3.
In the opener, K.J. Harp and Jesse Buonocore led the offense with two hits apiece. Harp scored twice and drove in a run, while Buonocore had two hits, two runs batted in, and a run scored. Mike Madera had one hit, scored twice and drove in a run.
Buonocore went the distance on the mound, allowing one hit and no earned runs. He walked six and struck out three.
In the nightcap, West Haven used an 11-hit attack to improve to 2-0. Harp and Madera led the way with three hits apiece, with Harp scoring three runs and driving and three, and Madera knocking in a pair.
Evan Jones and Haygen Axelrod each scored three runs, Cam Cruz scored twice and drove in a pair, and Anthony Constantinople had one hit, scored once, and drove in a pair.
Chase Supan and Constantinople combined on the hill in the victory as Supan allowed two runs, while walking four and striking out eight in four innings of work. Constantinople finished, allowing two hits and one earned run.
The Westies fell to 2-1 with a 6-1 loss against Northeast Clutch. West Haven led 1-0 after three , but saw Clutch rally for four in the fifth and two in the seventh for the win.
West Haven was held to just three hits in the game off the bats of Madera, Jones and Harp. Constantinople pitched four innings, allowing three earned runs, while walking four and striking out one.
Post 71 got back on the winning track with a 6-5 victory over CT Grind White Thursday evening. A sloppy game by both teams saw West Haven prevail by scoring the go-ahead run in the sixth inning.
Connor Hume led off the sixth inning by reaching on an error, Madera singled to left, and Harp walked with one out to load the bases. With two outs, Constantinople reached on an error to score Hume with the eventual winning run.
Madera and Jones led the offense as each had a pair of hits, scored twice and drove in a run. Mark Lynch also scored in the victory.
West Haven improved to 4-1 with a 5-4 victory over City Angels Baseball Academy Saturday afternoon in the opening game of a doubleheader.
Trailing 4-2, Post 71 rallied for three runs in the sixth inning to pull out the victory. Cruz and Josh Trager started the sixth inning rally with singles, and Dylan Supan hit a one-out single to score Cruz.
Trager scored on a wild pitch to tie the game, and after walks to Madera and Jones loaded the bases, Dylan Supan scored on a wild pitch for a 5-4 win.
Dylan Supan led the offense with two hits and two runs scored, and Harp drove in a pair.  
The Westies picked up their fifth win of the season with a 7-6 decision over the City Angels in the nightcap.
Harp and Axelrod led the offense with two hits and a run scored apiece, while Jones drove in three runs, and Madera scored twice in the win.
West Haven took a 1-0 lead in the first as Madera singled, stole second, moved to third on a single by Harp, and scored on a ground out by Ray Gilbert.
Trailing 4-1 in the third, West Haven rallied with a pair of runs as Trager singled, moved to third on a pair of ground outs, and scored on Harp’s single. Gilbert singled to left to score Harp and get West Haven within 4-3.

West Haven took the lead for good with four runs in the fourth. Constantinople led off with a single, Axelrod doubled and Cruz walked to load the bases. With two outs, Madera walked to force in Constantinople with the tying run, and Jones cleared the bases with a triple to right for a 7-4 lead. 

(July 19, 2021) - After a two-week layoff due to weather cancellations, the West Haven Post 71 16U team returned to action with a split of a doubleheader in Orange against a pair of Grind teams. With the split, West Haven moved to 6-2 on the year.
The Westies defeated Grind White 6-3 in their return to action at Brinley Field in Orange. Despite being held to just five hits, West Haven capitalized on nine walks it was issued in the contest.
West Haven scored four times in the first and added two more in the third for a 6-0 lead. Mike Madera, Haygen Axelrod and Jesse Buonocore opened the game with walks to load the bases, before Chase Supan was hit by a pitch to force in Madera.
With two outs and two on, walks to Josh Trager and Cam Cruz forced in Buonocore, before Connor Hume singled to score Supan for a 4-0 advantage.
West Haven increased the lead to 6-0 in the third as Cruz reached on an error, Mark Lynch walked with one out, and Madera singled to left to load the bases. Buonocore then laced a double to center, scoring Cruz and Lynch.
That was all the run support Supan needed on the hill as the Westie pitcher scattered three hits in five innings of work, allowing three runs, one earned. Supan struck out eight and walked seven.
Post 71 fell to Grind Carolina 11-4 in the nightcap. Carolina scored once in the first off Buonocore, then added four more in the third and one in the fourth for a 6-0 lead.
The Westies got a run back in the bottom of the fourth as Madera and Evan Jones walked, KJ Harp singled to load the bases, and Buonocore grounded out to plate Madera.
Post 71 closed the scoring in the sixth as Lynch and Jones sandwiched singles around a walk to Madera to load the bases, and Harp doubled to score Lynch and Madera. A ground out by Josh Trager plated Jones, but West Haven could not get closer.
West Haven moved to 6-2-1 with a 5-5 tie against South Meriden in a game stopped after seven innings due to darkness. Evan Jones led the offense with two hits, while Buonocore scored twice.
Trailing 1-0 in the second, West Haven evened the contest when Hume singled to score Axelrod, who had reached on an error.
The Westies took a 4-1 lead in the third as Jones and Harp singled and Buonocore walked to load the bases. Jones scored on an error for a 2-1 lead, before Axelrod reached on an error to score Harp and Buonocore.
After South Meriden evened the game at four, West Haven took a 5-4 lead in the fifth when a ground out by Cruz scored Buonocore, who opened the inning with a single.

Constantinople pitched five innings, allowing five runs, three earned, on four hits. The West Haven starter walked three and struck out four.

(August 16, 2021) - The West Haven Post 71 U16 team made a run for the state tournament only to be eliminated in the opening round, 5-1 to Next Level. Enroute to the playoff run was an up-and-down road. That road started with a even record, and the hope of improving in the last weeks of the season.

It has been a tough two weeks for the West Haven Post 71 U16 American Legion baseball team as the Westies fell under the .500 mark during a five-game losing streak. The Westies rebounded to win a pair and are now 8-7-1 entering the final week of the regular season.
Post 71 opened the week with a 3-0 loss against Grind Carolina. Grind scored three times in the fourth inning and made those runs count as West Haven was held to just five hits in the game off the bats of Mike Madera, Evan Jones, Ray Gilbert, Haygen Axelrod and Chase Supan.
Jones went four innings for West Haven, allowing three runs on four hits, while walking four and striking out four.
West Haven was unable to string anything together as Gilbert singled with two outs in the first and was left stranded. Axelrod and Supan led off the second with singles, and West Haven loaded the bases with one out on a walk to Cam Cruz, but the Westies could not get a big hit.
Madera and Jones laced one-out singles in the third and each advanced on a wild pitch, but neither crossed the plate. Mark Lynch walked in the fifth and a pair of walks in the seventh with one out had West Haven in business, but the Westies could not produce the big hit in the loss.
West Haven then fell in a doubleheader against the Shoreline Breakers 8-4 and 4-0. Madera and Jones led the offense in the opener with two hits and a run scored each. Trailing 3-0, West Haven got on the board in the second when a sacrifice fly by Cruz scored Axelrod, who had walked to open the inning.
Shoreline had leads of 5-1 after four and 6-1 in the fifth, before Anthony Constantinople delivered Jesse Buonocore with a single in the fifth.
Trailing 7-2, West Haven rallied in the sixth as Madera singled, Jones doubled, and Madera scored on a single to center by Gilbert. Jones scored on a fielder’s choice by Axelrod to get West Haven within three, but the Westies never got closer.  
The Westies were held to just four hits in a game stopped after five innings in the nightcap. Axelrod led the way with two hits, and Jones and Harp also singled in the loss.
Post 71 fell to 6-6-1 with a 5-3 loss to Grind Carolina. Madera led the offense with two hits, while Buonocore allowed five runs, three earned, on three hits, while walking seven and striking out five in the loss.
West Haven took a 1-0 lead in the second as Buonocore and Constantinople singled, and Buonocore scored on a fielder’s choice by Josh Trager.
Trailing 5-1 in the sixth, Jones and Axelrod sandwiched walks around a hit batter by Gilbert to load the bases. Supan walked to force in Jones, and Gilbert scored on a wild pitch, but the Westies stranded the tying runs on base.
The Westies fell under the .500 mark for the first time this season with a 7-5 loss in the nightcap of the doubleheader. Madera and Gilbert led the offense with two hits and a run scored apiece, while Jones scored twice, and Buonocore knocked in two.
Trager allowed five runs, four earned, on three hits, while walking eight and striking out four in four innings of work.
West Haven took a 2-0 lead in the first as Madera singled, Jones reached on an error, Gilbert singled to score Madera, and Jones scored on a sacrifice fly by Supan.
Trailing 6-2, Post 71 scored three times in the sixth to get within a run. Madera led off with a single, Jones walked, and Axelrod walked to load the bases. Buonocore laced a two-run double, and a balk scored Axelrod, but West Haven stranded the tying run on third.
West Haven moved to 7-7-1 with a 10-4 win over Ct Hank Yanks in the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday. Axelrod scored twice, Dylan Supan drove in a pair, and Madera, Jones, Gilbert, and Constantinople each had a hit and a run scored in the win.
Dylan Supan picked up the win in relief, tossing five innings of one-hit ball. He allowed one unearned run while striking out five, needing just 51 pitches.
Trailing 2-0, West Haven cut the deficit in half when Gilbert’s double scored Jones in the bottom of the first. Dylan Supan walked to force in Gilbert, and Constantinople singled to score Axelrod, who had walked earlier in the inning, for a 3-2 lead.
Trailing 4-3, West Haven rallied in the fourth. Dylan Supan and Constantinople walked, and Madera singled to score Dylan Supan with the tying run. Jones followed with a single to score Constantinople,  and Madera scored on an error for a 6-4 lead.
Post 71 increased the lead to 7-4 when Dylan Supan’s sacrifice fly scored Harp, who reached on an error in the fifth, and Axelrod and Chase Supan scored on wild pitches, 
Post 71 improved to 8-7-1 with a 3-1 win in the nightcap. Chase Supan pitched a one-hitter and struck out nine in the victory.
West Haven took a 1-0 lead in the third as Constantinople was hit by a pitch and scored on Madera’s two-out single to left. After the Yanks evened the game after picking up their only hit of the game in the third, Post 71 took the lead for good with two runs in the fourth.
Gilbert led off with a double and scored on a double by Chase Supan, who scored the second run of the inning.
Post 71 picked up its ninth victory of the season with a 12-11 victory over Northeast Clutch.  Cam Cruz led the offense with two hits, two runs batted in, and two runs scored, while Madera, Jones, Chase Supan, and Buonocore all scored twice. Harp, Buonocore and Hume each drove in a pair.
The Westies jumped out to a 10-1 lead after two innings before Clutch battled back and took an 11-10 lead in the final inning. With the bases loaded and one out, Hume singled to right to drive in a pair and send West Haven home with the win.
Post 71 then played the Edge in a doubleheader, winning the opener 17-5 and falling in the nightcap 12-6.
Buonocore led the offense in the opener with two hits and two runs scored, while Chase Supan scored three times, and Madera, Axelrod, Dylan Supan, Hume and Lynch each scored twice. Madera and Harp also drove in a pair apiece in the win.
Dylan Supan went the distance, allowing six hits, while walking one and striking out three.
In the nightcap, West Haven scored six in the third, but saw the Edge score six in the final inning for the win.
Trailing 2-0 in the third, West Haven took a 6-2 lead. Lynch opened with a single to left, Madera lined a single to right, and Harp walked to load the bases.
A sacrifice fly by Chase Supan brought in Lynch, Axelrod reached on an error to score Madera, Trager singled to score Harp and Axelrod, and Hume reached on an error to score Buonocore and Trager.
The Westies then traveled to play Next Level in the opening round of the postseason. Held to just three hits in the game, West Haven never got on track and watched as Next Level broke a 1-1 tie with four runs in the sixth to end the West Haven season with a 5-1 defeat.West Haven’s only run came in the sixth as Axelrod was hit by a pitch, Buonocore walked, and one-out walks to Trager and Constantinople forced in a run. Gilbert, Chase Supan, and Cruz had the lone West Haven hits.