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Sports

Giannone Provides Power for Rams

All-State senior hitting stride for Cheshire Softball as postseason approaches.

All-State third baseman Ali Giannone hit a first-inning, two-run home run Wednesday in a 7-3 victory over North Haven and came back Friday and belted a first-inning, three-run home run to power the Cheshire softball team to a 7-1 win over Lyman Hall.

Both home games avenged losses earlier in the season to the Indians and Trojans and the Friday win gave the Rams (12-5, 5-3) a share of the Southern Connecticut
Conference Housatonic Division title with Sheehan and Amity.

"This is typical Ali," Cheshire head coach Maureen DiSorbo said. "Ali is at her strongest as we're heading into postseason There's no better time for it when we're heading into the SCC Tournament, if we actually make it, we'll see, and the state tournament. She's peaking right at the right time for us. I have her as our 4-batter so confidence-wise, she's been in the 3, 4 and 5 spots the entire year. It's exactly where I want her to be."

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Cheshire has already qualified for the CIAC Class LL state tournament but will learn this week if it gets into the SCC Tournament, in which eight teams qualify based on division winners, overall records and tiebreakers.

Lyman Hall starting pitcher Lauren Zambrano had taken a no-hitter into the seventh inning against Cheshire on April 27, a 2-0 Rams' defeat, but Friday she gave up 10 hits and two big innings.

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"The last game that we played Lyman Hall, we were being a little lazy," Giannone said."We weren't a hundred percent into the game. This game we talked to each other and got each other pumped up for the game. We really knew it was important not to make mistakes in the field and come out hitting."

The Rams added four runs in the sixth inning Friday on an RBI double from Alexa DiLeo, Caroline Kushner's two-run single and a run-scoring single from Bryanna MacIntosh.

"This is the best offensive team we've ever had," DiSorbo said. "One through nine, we have the long ball, we can hit the ball up the middle and at the same time if we've got to move runners, our offensive bunt execution is right there. We're moving runners, we're putting the bunts down, we're getting it done. Offensively, I'm proud of them. Defensively, we're coming into our own. We just need to tie up some loose ends just to get rid of the needless errors. If we can do that, we can play with anybody."

The victory over North Haven Wednesday came after the Rams dropped a 4-3 decision to the Indians on April 25. Besides Giannone's home run, Sara Duwenhoegger added three hits and starting pitcher Brittany Orcutt (4-3) picked up the win.

Cheshire started the week with a 3-2 loss to Amity Monday night in Woodbridge. The Rams tied it at 2 in the fifth, but the Spartans scored one in the bottom of the
sixth. Orcutt, who picked up the win Friday scattering six hits, took the loss Monday. Lauren Fountain had three singles for the second game in a row, and
Giannone had an RBI double.

"We definitely have improved a lot in defense and hitting," said Giannone of the team's development over the course of the season. "We're just going to come out confident and do our best and hope for the best."

Girls Golf

Andra Frappier was medalist at 39 in a 193-196 victory over Masuk-Monroe at the Southington Country Club Monday. Other Cheshire (13-0-1) scores were: Jess
Rotell
(48), Meg Aitro (54) and Emma Velcofsky (52).

The Rams won again on Tuesday 190-204 over Mercy-Middletown at Lyman Orchards Golf Club in Middlefield. Frappier was again medalist with a 40 while Rotell (48), Aitro (51) and Velcofsky (51) rounded out Cheshire's scoring.

Cheshire (200) made it 4-0 for the week with a double win over Hall-West Hartford (215) and Haddam-Killingworth (249) at Southington CC Thursday. Frappier shot a 41 to pick up medalist honors while Aitro (51), Rotell (53) and Kellie Brenton (55)
were the Rams' other scorers.

Girls Lacrosse

On senior night Monday, junior Maria Blois scored six goals and Jess Sudock and Alexis Sansone added three apiece to lead the Rams (12-2) past Mercy 19-3 at home. Kathleen Kalbian added two goals and three assists, and Emma Farrel and Alison Hoynes also each added two goals.

Cheshire dominated host Branford 18-4 Friday night. Blois had her second straight
six-goal game and added two assists. Sudock, who had three assists, and Alyssa Hague each scored three goals. Farrel and Kalbian added two goals apiece, and Hoynes and Christy Myjack each scored once.

Girls Tennis

Cheshire defeated Shelton 5-2 Monday at home, getting singles victories from Erica Larson, in straight sets, and Taylor Strange, in a three-setter. The Rams (7-5) swept doubles with the teams of Alyssa Carafano-Alex Hirt, Meagan
McGee-Anna Toscano
and Lea Seeger/Lindsey Garibaldi each winning in straight sets.

The Rams won their second match of the week with a 6-1 defeat at Branford
Wednesday. Olivia Amato, Larson and Strange won singles matches, all in straight sets. Cheshire swept doubles with Carafano-Hirt, McGee-Toscano and Seegar-Garibaldi picking up the victories.

Cheshire dropped a 5-2 decision to undefeated Daniel Hand in Madison Friday. The victories came from Taylor Strange in three sets in singles and the doubles team of Carafano-Hirt.

The Rams lost 4-3 at Sheehan in Wallingford on Saturday as Taylor Strange picked up the only singles win. The doubles teams of Carafano-Hirt and Toscano-McGee also took victories.

Track & Field

The girls team defeated Lyman Hall 80-70 at home Tuesday as Ashia Wright doubled in the 100 (12.4 seconds) and 200 meters (25.9) and ran anchor on the winning 4x100 relay (52.3) along with Rachel Seggerman, Kristin Carbrera and Selina Sampieri. The Rams (7-2) also won the 4x400 relay (4:31.4) with a team of Fusco, Ali Below, Carla Bellantonio and Kim Grove.

Sara Fusco won the 400 (59.9), Jenna Hart the 800 (2:36.1) and Brooke Phillips the 100 hurdles (18.8). In field events, Breslyn Goodison took the shot put (31 feet, 3 1/2 inches) and Ariel Greene the discus (100-11).

The boys (3-7) won over Amity 85-60 at home Wednesday. Jake Scinto won four events: the 100 (10.7); long jump (21-2); high jump (6-4); and triple jump (43-7). Phil Caldwell took the 800 (2:00.9) and Andrew Panther, 200 (23.2). The 4x400 relay of Pat Germain, Panther, Joel Glaude and Caldwell won in 3:41.3. David Gomes won the pole vault (11-0).

Boys Volleyball

Cheshire (14-0) remained undefeated this past week starting with a 3-0 sweep (25-16, 25-18, 25-12) of Amity at home Monday. Joe Bahgat had 14 kills, five blocks and seven digs, Nate Howard 11 kills and three aces, K.C. Philcox seven kills, five blocks and eight digs and Ray Brumleve 34 assists.

The Rams made it 13 sweeps in 14 wins with a 3-0 victory (25-7, 25-18, 25-6) over
Shelton at home Friday.

Howard had 18 kills, six blocks and four aces, Ryan Cuppernull eight kills and Brumleve 32 assists.

Baseball

Cheshire (12-5, 6-2 Housatonic) fell to Amity 3-2 Monday night in Woodbridge, which gave the Spartans the Housatonic Division title. Mike Concato threw a two-hitter at the Rams, whose only hits came from Dom Severino and Connor David.

The Rams picked up a 4-0 victory at Sheehan Wednesday behind Max Slade's starting effort, in which he struck out eight. Tyler Robertson had one hit and drove in two runs.

Cheshire won again on Friday with a 6-1 decision over at Lyman Hall. Starter Severino gave up no hits until the sixth inning. Severino also had three hits while
David, Jordan Kubilus, Matt Croteau and Greg Leonetti each had two.

Boys Lacrosse

Cheshire (7-6) lost in overtime 12-11 to Glastonbury Tuesday night at home. The Tomahawks outscored the Rams 5-1 in the fourth period to come back from a 10-6 deficit after three.

Kevin Adams scored four goals, John Bronke three and Tom Dupont two. John and Jack Cunningham scored one apiece. Matt Dupont made two assists and Will Devine had 17 saves in goal.

The Rams also lost their second and final game of the week 9-3 to Conard-West
Hartford at home Saturday. Tyler Violano, Matt Dupont and John Cunningham scored for Cheshire. Devine made 19 saves.

Boys Golf

Cheshire (6-3, 4-2 Housatonic) dropped a division matchup to Amity 334-346 at the Country Club of Woodbridge Tuesday. The Rams' Gil Lassen was medalist (74) in the 18-hole match while Jacob Ecke (86), Eric Deitrich (92) and Tom
Wellspeak
(94) were the other scorers.

The Rams took their second loss of the week 162-168 to Fairfield Prep at The Farms
CC on Thursday. Lassen again was medalist with a 35. Abe Siliman (42), Dietrich (43) and Mike Stanton (48) were Cheshire's other scorers.

Boys Tennis

The Rams (11-4) won 5-2 at Hamden Monday as Tyler Hajjar, Jeremy  Reichenthal and Brendan Pier each won in straight sets in the singles matches. The teams of Nate Trumbo-Casey Barry and Drew Henderson-Nitin Kumar won the two doubles matches in straight sets.

Cheshire swept Xavier 7-0 at home Tuesday with Dan Grove, Hajjar, Reichenthal (6-0, 6-0), Pier and Ryan Tartaglia winning the singles matches, all in straight sets with the exception of Hajjar who won a three-setter.

Trumbo-Barry and Henderson-Kumar won the doubles matches in straight sets.

The Rams swept another opponent, this time Guilford, 7-0 at home Wednesday. Singles winners were Grove, Hajjar, Richenthal, Pier and Tanner Barros, all in straight sets except Barros, who won in three.

Trumbo-Barry and Henderson-Kumar were again the doubles winners, both in straight sets.

In its fourth match of the week, Cheshire finally lost 4-3 to Daniel Hand at home
Saturday. Brendan Pier was the only singles winner in straight sets. The teams of Trumbo-Barry and Henderson-Kumar swept the doubles matches.

 

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