Led by a no-hit performance from junior Colin Carver and 2 triples and 5 RBIs from Sam Hutchinson, Valley Regional clinched the No. 1 seed in the Shoreline Conference baseball tournament with a 15-0 victory over visiting East Hampton.
When Carver retired the Bellringers in the top of the fifth, Monday’s game was called due to the 10-run mercy rule. The right-hander had 9 strikeouts on the day and walked 5.
“Colin looked great,” Valley coach Brian Drinkard said. “There was so much action offensively that it wasn’t until I got home that I realized he threw a no-hitter. That’s a pretty good hitting team over there in East Hampton and he shut them down.”
Meanwhile, Hutchinson was 3 for 3 with 3 runs scored to power the offense, while James Marsden doubled, singled, drove in 2 runs and scored 3, and Jack Finnegan produced 2 RBIs.
“I told the guys I wanted them to enjoy the moment,” coach Brian Drinkard said after the team’s ninth straight win. “It’s not an easy league to get 13 wins in and we have a chance to get 14. It’s a tough baseball league.”
Valley improved to 13-2 in the Shoreline and 15-2 overall with games remaining against Waterford (Drinkard’s alma mater) on Thursday and a Saturday home doubleheader against Putnam and Portland.
The Warriors did all of their scoring in the first 3 innings, with their 9-run first effectively pinning East Hampton (7-10) with its fifth straight defeat. Valley’s offense has surged in recent weeks and has scored 84 wins during its winning streak.
“Lately our bats have been overpowering teams,” Drinkard said. “I hope we save the some offense for later on.”
“Really, the offense for us starts with Hutch (leadoff hitter) and Marsden following him,” he added. “The two of them have been unbelievable. Hutchinson hit a 450-foot shot against Woodstock Academy (on Saturday) out to right-center. I’ve never seen a ball go out there at Valley. It was halfway up the treeline. The kid has been something else. He and Marsden were the story today.”
Drinkard didn’t want to overlook his team’s defensive performance.
“We’ve had a couple of games where we got a little sloppy, but the bats and pitching picked up the slack,” he said. “Form the most part though, our fielding has been pretty flawless and that goes a long way. If you don’t give teams second chances, that’s a big part of being successful.”
In other baseball games Monday:
Coginchaug 4, Hale-Ray 2: The Blue Devils (12-6) scored 3 times in the bottom of the sixth and Conner Willett went the distance, allowing just 2 hits and striking out 10. Ethan Covello drove in a run and Jayson Penney had 1 of Coginchaug’s 3 hits. Hale-Ray (8-10) committed 4 errors. Drew Conroy and Charlie Gable had the Noises’ hits and Oliver Ross pitched 6 innings. The Blue Devils were coming off an 8-7, 8-inning non-conference win over Windsor Locks. Covello had 3 hits in that game and Penney had 2 RBIs.
Softball
Haddam-Killingworth 4, East Lyme 3: Junior Kaleigh Bodak picked up her 12th win of the year and had help from Brooke Hickman, who pitched 2 innings of scoreless relief for the save. H-K (16-2) scored 3 times in the fifth to take a 4-3 lead. Annabella Zajac drove home one run followed by a Chey LaTouche 2-run single. Hickman had 2 hits for the Cougars and scored 2 runs. Avery Stadlen had 2 hits for East Lyme (9-8) and scored 1.
Old Lyme 13, Montville 1: Winning pitcher Emma Baylor allowed 1 hits, walked none and struck out 12 in 5 innings as the Wildcats improved to 14-4. Bayor helped herself at the plate with a double, 2 RBIs and 3 runs scored. Victoria Gage led the offense with 3 hits (2 doubles), 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored, while Jenna Schauder, Maddie Hubbard and Anna Eichholz had 2 hits apiece. Schauder drove in 4 runs, while Eichholz drove in 2 and scored 3 runs.
Boys Golf
Portland 153, East Hampton 279
At Portland Golf Course
Medalist: Luke Stennett and Quinn Lapinski, Portland, 1-over 36.
Other Portland scorers: Joe LaMalfa 39, Eli Evison 42, Gianni Discenza 42.
East Hampton scorers: Sean Dickerman 64, Kaitlyn Grenier 63, Billy Anderman 74, Nate Laird 78.
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Hale-Ray 201, Norwich Tech 218
At Black Birch GC, Moodus
Medalist: Luke Karpiej, Hale-Ray, 41.
Boys Tennis
Old Lyme 5, Haddam-Killingworth 2
Singles
Eddie White (HK) def. Charles Hinckley 6-1, 6-3
Bryce Leiberman (HK) def. Griffin McGlinchey 6-1, 6-1
Will Danes (OL) def. Joe Mercier 6-0, 6-3
Aidan Kerrigan (OL) wins by forfeit
Doubles
Nikolai Stephens-Zumbaum and Micah Bass (OL) def. Joe Wessinger and Gus Luzietti 6-2, 7-6
Mike Klier and Andy Sicuranza (OL) def. Ezekiel Stevens and Will Livot 6-0, 6-2
Alis Bicic and Leland Hine win by forfeit
Girls Lacrosse
Mercy 10, H-K 9: Mercy goals–Lily Schoonmaker (5), Maddy Carbone (2) and Mackenzie Kelley (3); HK goals–Grace Cassidy (2), Sammy Ruimerman (1), Jaime DiNapoli (1), Seanna Ruimerman (2), and Yumi Imai (4). Mercy saves–Callia Borkowski, 12; HK saves–Rianna Phipps, 9. Records: Mercy 5-10; H-K 6-9.