Nick Scalzo hit a bases-clearing double and finished with 4 RBIs, while Noah Grace pitched 3-hit ball over 6 innings to lead the Old Saybrook baseball team to its fifth straight victory, 12-2 over Hale-Ray on Saturday.
The rollin’ Rams improved their record to 11-3 to remain among the top five teams in Class S and remained in contention with Valley Regional (10-2) for the No. 1 seed in the Shoreline Conference. The Warriors’ home game Saturday against East Hampton was postponed and will be made up at a later date.
Grace allowed an unearned run in the third inning, walked none and struck out 8. Nick Rothman pitched the seventh against the host Noises and also allowed an unearned run without surrendering a hit.
“Noah was outstanding from the get-go,” Old Saybrook coach Ryan Fraser said. “He wanted the ball today and really kept them off-balance. Not only was he a bulldog on the mound, but he also got our offense started in the third inning, which was huge as we started off flat against a very solid starter (Hale-Ray junior Austin Sevigny).”
Fraser also lauded Grace for “fielding his position and staying composed to get big outs.”
The Rams scored 4 runs in the third and tacked on 4 more in the fifth to spoil Hale-Ray’s bid to get above .500 (6-7). Sevigny allowed 8 runs, just 2 earned, in 5 innings, walking 1 and striking out 6.
Grace was 2 for 4 with an RBI and 3 runs scored and Ed Devaney had an impactful 4 for 4 day at the plate, scoring twice and drive in a run as the Rams generated 14 hits. Scalzo finished 2 for 4 and Connor Lane had 2 hits and 2 RBIs for Old Saybrook.
“Ed had a huge game for us,” Fraser said. “He has been one of the last ones to leave practice all year and has made some great adjustments with his approach and stance. He is starting to see the success that he works for and deserves. As a coach, that is great to see.”
Miles Gagne, Nate Wanderman and Oliver Ross (RBI) had Hale-Ray’s hits. The Noises are back at it Monday against Portland.
Old Saybrook has 4 games remaining and one of few teams in the conference not facing a backlog of games because of bad weather. The Rams have a Shoreline game Monday at Coginchaug (8-6), play a non-conference doubleheader at St. Bernard on Thursday, and wrap up the regular season next Saturday versus Portland.
Related Posts
If their schedule plays out accordingly, the Rams (5-13 a year ago) could have a week or more off before the start of the Shoreline tournament on May 23. The top eight qualify. Old Saybrook already owns a 2-1 win over Valley from April.
“Just one game at a time,” Fraser said.
Softball
Old Lyme 18, Westbrook/Portland 1 (5 innings): Ava Roth was 2 for 3 with 4 RBIs and 2 runs scored to lead the Wildcats (11-3) to their fifth straight win. Emma Bayor had 2 hits and an RBI and Maddie Hubbard doubled twice, drove in 3 runs and scored 3. Bayor and Jamie Bucior combined on a 3-hitter. The Knights fell to 1-11.