Roundup
Centaurs win ECC baseball tournament
It was something different. Nine runs without the benefit of a hit.
That’s what the Woodstock Academy baseball team accomplished in the seventh inning of the ECC Div. I baseball championship game on Friday night.
The outburst, which took about a half-hour, helped give the Centaurs an 11-1 win over East Lyme for their second consecutive ECC baseball tournament championship.
“We’ve been talking about it. All four years of high school we’ve been here, and it was our third time seeing East Lyme. It was 1-1 and we knew we were going to get this one. I wanted to finish off my high school baseball career with a win and we got it,” said senior Brady Ericson who was named Most Valuable Player of the tournament.
The Centaurs (16-7) didn’t get their first hit until the fifth inning when ninth batter Cam Nason singled.
Sophomore pitcher Hayden Maloney had been stellar as well over the first five innings but the Vikings reached him for a run in the bottom of the fifth.
A three-base error allowed Garrison Biggs to get within 90 feet of home plate and he scored on a wild pitch.
But the euphoria didn’t last long for East Lyme as Ericson tripled to lead off the sixth and scored on a Caleb Simoneau single.
The shortstop was caught in a rundown, however, so up stepped Maloney. He doubled to center and gave himself the 2-1 lead when he scored on a pair of wild pitches.
“Absolutely huge,” Maloney said of the immediate response. “I had all the trust in my guys to get that run back and even more.”
The more happened in the seventh.
Two hit batters, seven walks and two errors created a nightmarish finish for East Lyme which gave the Centaurs their 10th-straight win.
“Short answer-no,” coach Connor Elliott said when asked if he had ever been on a team that scored nine runs without the benefit of a hit. “I didn’t realize until I got back into the dugout and someone told me that we didn’t have a hit in the inning.”
The pitching was pretty special throughout the tournament for the Centaurs.
Ericson pitched a four-hit shutout against Norwich Free Academy; Logan Coutu had a one-hit, complete-game win over Waterford in the semifinals and Maloney allowed only four hits in six innings of work before running out of pitches.
“Amazing work from everybody,” Ericson said. “Hayden came in and showed grit. Logan did great (against Waterford), you can’t ask for anything more. I’m excited to see them in the state tournament.”
It made for a very proud coach.
“This is very special,” Elliott said. “Against a good team that we have played in this game for three years in a row in this game. It was back-and-forth and they just ran out of bullets in this game. I know they are a quality team who are going to do well in the state tournament. It’s also very special for our seniors, four years in the program, four years in this game, lost the first two won the last two. That’s growth. That’s maturity. That’s resilience to come back from defeat, learn from it and get better.”
The fourth-seeded Centaurs advanced to the ECC Division I Championship with a 2-0 win over No. 1 Waterford on Thursday at Dodd Stadium in Norwich.
Coutu delivered the second complete game shutout in two days for the Centaurs as he held Waterford to one hit in seven innings, struck out four and walked one.
All the support he would get and all he would need came in the sixth inning when Woodstock put together a two-out rally.
Maloney walked and Matt Hernandez singled, moving Maloney to third. Hernandez advanced to second base on defensive indifference and both would come home when Tanner Graham singled to left.
Graham finished with three hits in three trips to the plate.
The Centaurs only had two other hits.
Coutu did the rest as the Centaurs recorded their ninth win in a row.
Ericson, the ace of the Woodstock staff, used up all of his availability on Wednesday as he pitched a four-hitter with 11 strikeouts in a 5-0 win over fifth-seeded Norwich Free Academy.
“We just have to keep on building,” Ericson said with a smile. “All of these things people are telling me, 100 strikeouts, 300 (career) strikeouts, I try not to focus on that and just let them come naturally. I’m glad it happened. I’m hoping to expand it even more this year.”
The Centaurs have not been scoring a lot of runs lately and that was again the case against the Wildcats.
Ericson had to survive on just two runs which the Centaurs delivered in the third inning when Caleb Simoneau and Ericson both drew walks.
A groundout moved both runners up and senior centerfielder Matt Hernandez delivered both with a single to center.
“I was looking for a fastball early in the count because he was throwing a lot of curve balls. I was hoping to see a fastball, I did, and I hit it,” Hernandez said.
The Centaurs did leave the bases loaded in the inning and took the two-run advantage into the bottom of the sixth where the bats finally heated up.
Nason and Simoneau singled with two outs and Simoneau moved up on a stolen base.
The Wildcats elected to pitch to Ericson despite having first base open and paid the price as the senior found the hole and put a single into right field, knocking home both runners.
Ericson then came around when Hayden Maloney delivered a triple to right field to give the Centaurs the 5-0 lead.
“That’s when we could take a deep breath. We were just hoping Brady could finish it out so we could rest all the other arms for what (was) two games in two days,” Elliott said.
Ericson almost ran out of pitches but managed to strike out the side in the seventh to record the victory.
The Centaurs began defense of their Class L state championship on Monday.
Woodstock earned the 16th seed in the state tournament and played host to No. 17 Masuk.
Boys’ Volleyball
Chalk this one up to experience. The youthful boys’ volleyball team made it to the Connecticut Volleyball League tournament championship match.
The Centaurs knew it wouldn’t be easy against top-seeded Wolcott Tech at SMSA on Friday and the proved to be the case as they lost. 3-0.
“I think this was a good experience for sure for the team. We just need to stop faltering when things don’t go our way. That’s the last turtle we need to get over. That and the need to continue to be aggressive with our play,” said coach Adam Bottone.
The Centaurs were hardly out of any of the sets.
They lost 25-23 in the first set and followed that up with a pair of 25-22 losses as Wolcott Tech recorded the shutout.
The problem for Adam Bottone was that his team had chances in each set.
“We were up by six points or more in each of them and ended up giving up the lead. That’s pretty tough to swallow but, at the same time, reinforces the fact that we are capable of playing with pretty much anyone,” Adam Bottone said.
Brayden Bottone led the way with 12 kills while Owen Budd added eight and Evan Chernik had six kills and 14 service points. Christian Hart led the defense with 13 digs.
“We did a decent job of serving and our transition offense was pretty effective especially when we had Wolcott Tech out of system,” Adam Bottone said. “I hope we can use this as fuel moving into the state tournament but more so as something to build on for next year.”
The Centaurs are the 10th seed in the Class M state tournament, received a first-round bye, and will go on the road to play No. 7 Pomperaug on Wednesday in a second-round contest.
Earlier in the week, the third-seeded Centaurs downed second-seeded Rockville, 3-1, in a Connecticut Volleyball League semifinal match at Rockville High School.
The Centaurs held off Rockville in the first set, 28-26, only to see their hosts come back to post a 25-19 victory in the second.
But things went well after for the Centaurs as they recorded wins of 25-15 and 25-14 to advance.
Brayden Bottone led the Centaurs with 15 kills while Budd added 12 and Chernik chipped in with nine. Hart was his normal steadfast self as he delivered 15 digs in the back and 15 service points. Jake Henderson distributed 32 assists.
It followed a solid effort against sixth seeded Putnam on Tuesday where the Centaurs walked away from the Alumni Fieldhouse with a 3-1 win.
“No one really played perfect, everyone made significant mistakes but, for the most part, everyone did what they were supposed to do and it all worked out,” said sophomore outside hitter Brayden Bottone.
The Centaurs rolled past their opponents in the first two sets, winning 25-10 and 25-9.
“They were pretty good,” Brayden Bottone said with a smile of the first two sets.
Especially considering what had preceded the match.
“We haven’t played a game since last Wednesday and we only practiced once on Friday. A lot of them just needed the rest, and I usually don’t give it, but I felt like they needed it. I was unsure of how they would respond to that but they came out and were really productive on the serve.”
Indeed, Weston Mission had a six-point service run and Brayden Bottone accounted for five in the first set. Chernik had an eight-point run from behind the line at the start of the second set.
But the third was not the same story, Putnam rallied for a 25-17 win to force the fourth set.
“I think it was a mix of us getting overconfident and we lost our Libero. He wasn’t feeling great and that wasn’t helpful.”
Hart did sit out the third set but returned for the fourth.
“We had a hiccup in that third set,” said Adam Bottone.
A change by the Clippers could also have had influence as they were missing their starting setter and moved their outside hitter into that role early.
Kasyn Robillard was moved into the setter position and helped Putnam show a little of what it was capable of.
“We were able to pick things up in the fourth set and made some good things happen so, overall, I was happy,” Adam Bottone said.
The Centaurs posted a 25-10 win in the decisive set to advance to the semifinals.
Brayden Bottone and Nate Billings each had 10 kills in the win while Chernik added 17 digs to go with his 15 service points and four aces. Henderson had 23 assists.
Brayden Bottone and fellow sophomore Budd also learned that they had been chosen Connecticut Volleyball League All-Stars recently.
Boys’ Golf
For boys’ golf coach Richard Garceau, it was a short but pleasurable experience.
Six seniors, Sam Clark, Logan Rawson, Brady O’Brien, Jayden Fuller, Austin Sebastian and Jonathan Eddy, were recognized on Senior Day following the Centaurs final regular season match with Quinebaug Valley.
For most, it was their first season with the team.
“I know Logan recruited some of his friends to come and play this year and four of the six are first-year players for us. Unfortunately, they were not able to get a lot of time on the course other than Jayden who played quite a bit. But it was a fun group. They are really nice kids and I just enjoyed being around them,” Garceau said.
Rawson, like most seniors, said his four years at the Academy went by quickly.
The senior was named the ECC Player of the Year as a junior and while this year has been a little more difficult personally, the Centaurs have prospered as a team.
A 7-0 win over Quinebaug Valley on Thursday meant they finished with an 11-5 overall record.
“I’m happy with that. I feel some of the kids stepped up like (Fuller) and some of the other guys improved and are playing well,” Rawson said.
Fuller became the No. 2 player for the Centaurs even though he has only been playing the sport for about a year.
“I definitely should have started sooner,” Fuller admitted. “I started last summer and picked it up pretty quick. It’s been fun so far but I wish I would have begun sooner.”
In fact, Garceau labeled Fuller one of the most pleasant surprises of the season,
“I didn’t even know who this kid was when he came in but he has a fantastic swing. When his tempo and rhythm are good, he can play with the best of them in this league. He’s beaten Logan several times and he has to be the biggest surprise that I’ve had,” Garceau said.
The Centaurs would have liked one of their matches this past week back.
They hosted undefeated Norwich Free Academy and took the Wildcats to the wire before losing, 4-3.
“I’m perfectly happy with that,” Rawson said. “We threw up some good scores and only lost by five shots so you can’t complain about that. We definitely improved from the first time we played them.”
Fuller and Rawson did not have the best of days on their home course as Fuller shot a 45 and Rawson carded a 42.
But the 3-4-5 players did step up.
“The tail end of our lineup really picked us up and we came close to beating a really good team,” Garceau said.
Brady Hebert shot a 45, Aidan O’Connor added a 40 and Blake Hudock shot a 42.
“I’m surprised with the tail end because some of those kids don’t even get into a match on a regular basis but can still go out and put up numbers in the high 30’s and low 40’s. Sometimes, those kids have been the ones to pick us up,” Garceau said.
That ability on the backside has Garceau pumped about the team’s potential for the postseason which begins on Thursday with the ECC championship match at Connecticut National Golf Club.
“I have a lot of expectations based (on the play against a strong team like NFA) and, hopefully, we took some level of confidence out of not playing our best but still coming close to beating probably the best team in the ECC,” the Woodstock Academy coach said.
One key is the location.
The Centaurs are more than familiar with the Connecticut National course located in nearby Putnam.
“I’m very happy that the (championship match) is at Connecticut National because I play that as much as I play Quinny. I’m excited for that. Can’t wait. It’s going to be fun,” Rawson said.
“All of the guys that I’m sending there, know that course, have been around that place a bunch of times. Some local knowledge should help us. Killingly knows the course like the back of their hand so they should be strong as well but if everyone goes out there and does what they are supposed to, I think we will be in it.”
Garceau also feels the Centaurs will be in the Division II state tournament shortly thereafter.
Woodstock currently is the eighth seed in the division.
For Rawson, it will not be his last scholastic competitive experience.
He plans to attend and play for Nichols College in Dudley.
“I’m very excited for that. It will be a different level of golf, 18 holes, from the back tees. It’s going to be a lot different than high school. The courses get longer and harder but it’s going to be a lot of fun,” Rawson said.
Girls’ Golf
The girls’ golf team now gets ready for postseason play after finishing up the regular season over the past week.
The Centaurs will likely finish tied for second with Killingly in the ECC. The Centaurs are 8-4 currently with Killingly at 7-4. Killingly still has a match to play with Quinebaug Valley.
The Centaurs finished with a 10-6 overall record after a very successful final week of the regular season.
Woodstock finished things up on Thursday with a 200-238 win over Bacon Academy.
Sophomore Reagan Scheck led the way with a 46 while junior Lily Moran carded a 48.
The day before that the Centaurs easily worked their way past Quinebaug Valley 221-270.
Only Scheck broke 50 as she finished with a 47 with freshman Sophia Giourelis chipping in with a 55 and senior Bella Mawson adding a 57 effort.
The girls’ golf team opened the week with a 223-244 win over Stonington.
Liliana Moran was the medalist against Stonington as the junior finished with a 51 while Scheck added a 53 to lead the Centaurs.
The Centaurs will once again host the Eastern Connecticut Conference championship meet on Wednesday at noon at the Quinnatisset Country Club.
Boys’ Tennis
No matter the sport, it’s never easy when a coach has to replace an athlete in the starting lineup. That was the case on Friday for the boys’ tennis team.
The 19th-seeded Centaurs had to travel to Plainville for a Class M state tournament qualifying round match.
As the team pulled up to Plainville High School, No. 4 singles player Ashley Abrams fell ill.
“I had about two minutes to determine a new lineup. I don’t know if anything would have been different if I had moved someone else up but Cayden (Worth) had some good points and it gives him goals to work on for next year,” Woodstock Academy coach Siana Green said. “I’m satisfied with the decision I made as to who played where.”
The Centaurs did make it close, winning one singles match and a pair of doubles matches, but falling short at the end, 4-3.
Ryan Chabot picked up a 4-6, 6-3, 10-5 win at third singles for the Centaurs.
Heath White and Worth’s replacement at second doubles, Carlos Rodriguez, captured the second doubles match and Leo Larkin and Stevie Wilmot took third doubles.
“Losing 3-4 is always difficult, especially when a few points could have put the match in our favor,” Green said.
The reward would not have been a good one anyway.
East Lyme was next on the docket for the winning team.
“I’m just proud we got to states,” Green said. “We worked hard. Our team had good chemistry and they earned the spot. The goal for next year will be to win a qualifying or first-round match.”
In the ECC boys’ tennis tournament at East Lyme earlier in the week, White and Worth lost their first-round match to Keegan Stadler and Josh Payne of the host Vikings, 8-2.
Daniel Jameson and Owen Murdock had to play the second seeds in the tournament, Stonington’s Peter Schoenecker and Aaron Fulling and lost, 8-0.
Tyler Chamberlin was named an ECC Division II All-Star in singles with Jameson and Murdock getting the nod as doubles All-Stars.
Adriano Peniche was chosen honorable mention and was also the boys’ tennis team’s ECC Sportsmanship Award recipient. White is the team’s ECC Scholar-Athlete.
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy
IMG 2147: Woodstock Academy senior Brady Ericson receives the ECC baseball tournament Most Valuable Player Award from ECC baseball chairman Phil Orbe of New London following the Centaurs 11-1 win in the championship game over East Lyme at Dodd Stadium.
IMG 2114: Sophomore Hayden Maloney delivered the third consecutive fantastic pitching performance for Woodstock Academy in the Eastern Connecticut Conference baseball tournament. The Centaurs youngster allowed just four hits in six innings and earned the win against East Lyme.
IMG 2118: Woodstock Academy senior Cam Nason slides into third base against East Lyme in the ECC baseball Division I championship game at Dodd Stadium. Unfortunately, Nason was called out on the play.
2025 baseball championship: The Woodstock Academy baseball team proudly displays its second consecutive Eastern Connecticut Conference championship banner after an 11-1 win over East Lyme in the Division I championship game on Friday at Dodd Stadium in Norwich. Photos by Marc Allard/Woodstock Academy)
2025 boys golf Senior Day: (From left to right) Sam Clark, Logan Rawson, Brady O’Brien, Jayden Fuller, Austin Sebastian and Jonathan Eddy were all recognized on Senior Day following the Woodstock Academy boys golf team’s final regular season match against Quinebaug Valley at the Quinnatisset Country Club. Photo by Rich Garceau/Woodstock Academy.
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