NHS Wrap-Up — Baseball, Softball, Boys’ Lacrosse, Tennis, Track And Golf

By Andy Hutchison

The Newtown High School baseball, softball, tennis and lacrosse teams have all recently had long winning streaks, the track squads capped off the regular season and the golf team won two of three matches this past week. Here are some of the highlights:

Sluggers Hitting Hard

After five straight wins, four of which included a double-digit offensive outburst by the sluggers, the baseball team finally got stymied in a 4-0 loss at Pomperaug on Monday. The Nighthawks had battered Weston 14-2 on Saturday after putting together a 12-4 win over Immaculate on May 8.

The Nighthawks went into Wednesday’s contest with New Fairfield (after The Bee sports section went to press) with a 9-6 overall record and a 6-5 mark in the South-West Conference.

Jake DeVellis had three hits in the win over Immaculate and had a perfect 5-for-5 day at the plate against Weston.

Ryan Tita drove in three runs and Brandon Rosenberger knocked in a pair in the 21-hit attack against Weston. Ryan Lucia had three hits, Keith McGrath had two hits and pinch hitters Charlie Lobosco and Dan Milot got into the offensive mix. Coach Carl Strait has been impressed with the production throughout his lineup.

“If it’s not one it’s the other. Everybody’s picking everyone up,” Strait said.

Softball Team Makes It 10

The softball team continues to win. The Nighthawks blanked Joel Barlow 4-0 on May 6, crushed Immaculate 14-0 on May 8 and won their third shutout in a row, 5-0 over Weston on Saturday. NHS made it 10 wins in a row in a 2-1 nail-biting victory at Pomperaug High on Monday.

Coach Bob Guererra was pleased that his team has been playing so well heading into a tough stretch of games beginning with the Pomperaug game and continuing with New Fairfield and Bunnell this week.

“It’s a great way to go into such an important week for us — on a high note,” Guererra said.

“Hopefully we can keep it up — keep the energy level up,” outfielder Christine Beck added following the victory over Weston.

In the win at Barlow, pitcher Jenna Legros struck out 15 batters. Ashley Kuligowski was 2-for-4 with a run scored and Nora Lynn Shimko delivered two hits, including a double.

Against Immaculate, Newtown built a big lead and the game was shortened to five innings because of the run rule. Legros pitched an abbreviate no-hitter and fanned 11 batters. Ally Modzelewski had two hits and two runs batted in, including a home run to deep center field. Rachel Ruiz walked three times and scored three runs, Beck was 2-for-4, including a double and Megan Gibbins had a double.

Against Weston, NHS broke open a 2-0 lead with three runs in the fifth sparked by a two-run triple off the bat of Ruiz. Gibbons also tripled in this effort. Ruiz also had a sacrifice fly and Modzelewski had two hits. Legros struck out seven and allowed only two hits. Freshman Emma Herring pitched a scoreless inning in relief.

Newtown was held scoreless for six innings by 11-win Pomperaug. but fought back to earn the win. Legros led off the top of the seventh with her third walk of the game. After a force out, Modzelewski stole second and went to third on a Ruiz single. Kuligowski smacked a sac fly to right field to tie the game and, with two outs and Gibbons down to her final strike she stroked a single to plate the decisive run. Legros capped off the complete game, a 15-strikeout performance with a perfect seventh.

Confidence is high that the Hawks have a chance to make some noise come playoff time.

“I think we have the talent to win it all. We just have to play hard,” Beck said.

Lucky Sevens For Laxmen

Led by a seven-goal outburst by Kevin Canavan and seven assists by Christian Beitel, the boys’ lacrosse team routed Pomperaug 17-4 under the lights at Blue & Gold Stadium on May 8.

Newtown improved to 10-1 heading into a pair of tough games on consecutive days against defending South-West Conference champion New Fairfield and state champ Fairfield Prep on Wednesday and Thursday (after The Bee sports section went to press).

In the triumph over Pomperaug, Canavan scored five of his goals in the first half as the Nighthawks carried a commanding 13-3 lead into the intermission despite a strong start by the visiting Panthers. The Nighthawks surrendered a goal moments into the contest but quickly responded and took control to build a 5-2 lead by the end of the first quarter. Beitel set up Kyle O’Connor for his two goals — only 16 seconds apart late in the second quarter. Before all was said and done in this game, Beitel also had a pair of tallies of his own and Jaime Vavrek netted two goals.

Lewis Thompson, Colby Summerlin, Brian Reszoly and Tim Dalton all added goals for the Nighthawks. Jacob Dauz scooped up 10 ground balls in the game.

Newtown won 19-3 at Bethel on May 7 behind a five-goal performance by Canavan and two goals each off the sticks of Summerlin, Daltin, Reszoly, Vavrek and Beitel. Goals were also scored by Thompson, O’Connor, Zach Dent and Ryan Korth. Thompson scooped six grounders to lead the Hawks

Tennis Teams Streaking

The girls’ tennis team topped New Milford 5-2 at home on May 8 and went to Brookfield and pulled out a 4-3 win on Monday for its fifth consecutive win to improve to 6-5 overall.

In the win over New Milford, No. 1 singles player Christina Ciamarra won her match 6-2, 6-1; No. 2 Caitlin O’Mahoney won 6-0, 6-2; and No. 3 Ashley Cech rolled 6-2, 6-2. The top doubles tandem of Kristen Tanner and Meghan Loose won 6-2, 6-1 and the No. 3 duo of Kristen Carino and Ale Fuenetes won 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) as they battled back from a 5-1 deficit to close out the match.

Against Brookfield, Ciamarra won 6-4, 6-2, Cech won a three-setter 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 and Nicole Vournazos, playing No. 4 singles, won 6-3, 6-4. Tanner and Loose won their doubles match 6-4, 7-6 (7-4).

Ciamarra, a junior, has been the team’s top singles player for two seasons and says that while the competition remains as strong as ever, she has grown accustomed to competing in the top slot.

“I’m more comfortable in the position this year,” said Ciamarra who has only one loss this season.

O’Mahoney is this year where Ciamarra was a year ago in some ways — O’Mahoney, a sophomore, has moved up to the No. 2 spot and played well, Coach Maureen Maher said.

“It’s a good challenge. It’s a great way to improve my game,” O’Mahoney said.

The boys’ tennis team, like the girls, carried a five-game winning streak into the middle of this week. NHS was slated to visit Masuk on Wednesday and is coming off wins over New Fairfield, Immaculate, Bunnell and Brookfield in the past week.

Newtown defeated Brookfield 6-1 at Treadwell Park on Monday. No. 2 singles player Evan Batzer won his match 2-6, 6-2, 6-4; No. 3. Timo Roehrs cruised 6-1, 6-0; and No 4. Peter Manos won 6-2, 6-2. In doubles play, the No. team of Casey Tenney and Joe Cappiello won their match 6-0, 6-1; No. 2 Colin Jacob and Connor Howell prevailed 6-3, 6-4; and No 3. Rob Beier and Rich Andreotta came out on top 6-2, 6-4.

 Newtown improved to 8-2 overall (7-1 in the SWC).

In the win over New Fairfield, Tom Stewart and Adam Buccino played their first match together (and it was Buccino’s first varsity match) and overcame Brian Kalinka and Walter Baird to win 6-7 (7-4), 7-5, 7-6 (7-0).

In the win over Immaculate, a rain-shortened match in which the opposing coaches agreed the players in the lead would claim victory, NHS freshman Clay Makuch played his first varsity singles match and helped the Hawks to victory.

NHS Coach Marty Margulies noted that Batzer did a nice job to battle past tough opponents in the Bunnell and Brookfield matches.

On Track

Newtown’s girls’ track and field team, on Tuesday, defeated host Bunnell 88-62 and toppled Stratford 111-39 to end the regular season with a 12-2 record. Individual highlights are as follows::

4x800 relay, first, 10:35.45,  Anne Martino, Mara Scallon, Erin Begg and Natalie Villa.

100 meter hurdles, first, Lauren Pettinelli,  16.9; third, Isola, 17.9.

1600, first, Martino, 5:32.1; second, Begg,  5:32.5; third, Scallon, 5:46.4.

300 hurdles, first, Pettinelli, 51.3; second, Melanie Isola, 52.8; third, Lilly Rodriquez, 53.2.

800, first, Villa, 2:32; second, Fallon, 2:44; third, Kakadeles, 2:46.

3200, first, Begg, 12:11.8; second, Katie Burns, 12:13; third, Jenny VanVeen, 12:58.

4x400, first, 4:27.8, Annika Garrett, Rodriquez, Villa and Pettinelli.

High jump, second, Emily Korth, 4-10; third, Garrett, 4-10.

Long jump,  tie for first, Lauren Sudbey, 15-10.5; fourth, Korth 14-7.

Triple jump, first, Sudbey, 33-0.

Javelin, second, Emily Kluga, 91-9.

Shot put, first, Rachel Taback, 29-5.5.

Discus, first, Taback, 98-4.

Pole vault, first, Sudbey, 9-6; second, Korth, 9-0; fourth, Julia Ficks, 7-0.

The boys’ team traveled to New Milford and defeated Immaculate 134-16, lost a heart-breaker to Masuk 76-74 and fell to New Milford 85-65 on Monday.

Against Masuk, NHS had a chance to tie with only the shot put event remaining. The Nighthawks needed a sweep in the shot put but settled for an 8-1 win, leaving them just short.

 John Wlasuk was a triple event winner, taking first in the shot put with a throw of 43-10.5, and the top placement in the discus throw (128) and javelin (155). David Meyer won the 3200 in 10:16. Kevin Bonacci won the Long jump with a 19 foot leap and Rockwell Anyoha took first in the triple jump with a 37-2.

Other top NHS finishers:

4x800, third, 9:32, Adam Schankman, Dieter Gutbrod, Matt Bobkowski and Drew Woods.

4x100, second, 46.3, Ed White, Matt Narel, Dave Hutchison and Brian Cawley.

110 high hurdles, fourth, Peter Wlasuk, 17.1.

100, tie for fourth, Matt Narel, 11.8

1600, sixth, Palmer Lintz, 4:55.

400, second, Hutchison, 53.8; fourth, Ryan Ames, 56.1.

300 hurdles, fourth, Ian McEvoy, 45.2.

800, fifth, Lintz, 2:11.3.

200, fourth, Matt Narel, 23.9.   

3200, fifth, Austin Baldour, 10:38.

4x400, third, 3:41, Dave Hutchinson, Ryan Ames, Evan Noonan and Kevin Bonacci.

High jump, third, Sean Maher, 5-8; fourth, Bonacci, 5-6.

Triple jump, fourth, Maher, 35-2.

Javelin, third, Peter Wasuk, 139-7.

Shot put, third, Anyoha, 38-9.

Discus, fourth, Brian Kuruc, 96-5.5.

Pole vault, fourth, Shawn Mangold, 9.

Golf Team On Course

The golf team hosted and defeated Oxford 153-211 at Newtown Country Club on May 7. Led by medalist Kevin O’Connell’s 37, the Hawks won their sixth match in conference play. Chris McCann and Paul Michaud each shot a 38 and Chris Caulfield shot a 40 in the win. On Monday, Newtown visited Pomperaug and lost 16-144. McCann shot a 37, Michaud a 39, O’Connell and Zach Dlouhy each a 42 and Christian Gregoire and Abbey Doski each a 43. Newtown defeated Stratford at home on Tuesday, 160-186. McCann shot a 36 to earn medalist honors. Michaud shot a 40, O’Connell a 41, Caulfield a 45 and Tony Vacaro a 43.