LOOKING BACK | BY GEORGE ALBANO
10 YEARS AGO
After an 0-4 start, the Norwalk High girls lacrosse team broke into the win column in a big way with back-to-back victories, defeating Westhill 14-2 and a day later beating Trumbull 11-6. Christine Mace scored four goals and Thenya Taiyanides tallied three as the Bears routed Westhill ... Twenty-four hours later Emma Vita recorded three goals and two assists in the win against Trumbull.
Meanwhile, the NHS boys lacrosse team nipped Westhill 12-11 behind Da’Quan Keel, who had five goals and four assists, while Delshawn Wilson snapped an 11-11 tie by scoring his third goal with 4:30 remaining ... The McMahon girls lacrosse team lost to Fairfield-Ludlowe 20-7, but the Senators’ Deven Machette continued her torrid start by scoring all seven goals.
Sophomore Katy Walsh fired a one-hitter with six strikeouts as the Brien McMahon girls softball team beat Bridgeport Central 13-3. Natalie Leslie had two hits, including a home run, while Danielle Rooney, Samantha Bardos and Regina Tamburro also collected two hits.
In Big East Conference baseball action, Matt Iannazzo of Norwalk pitched a five-hit shutout as Pitt beat Rutgers 4-0. The junior lefty, now 5-2, leads the 23-13 Panthers in wins.
25 YEARS AGO
The Norwalk High softball and baseball teams earned bragging rights with victories over city rival Brien McMahon on consecutive days, one via a rout and the other in dramatic fashion. The rout was on Friday when the Bears run-ruled the Senators in softball 15-0 in five innings, improving to 5-1. Shannon O’Grady went 4-for-4 with seven RBIs, including driving in the game’s first five runs. Caryn Wahlbrink also went 4-for-4 while
Stacey Morrell pitched a two-hitter, allowing only a pair of fourth-inning singles by Michelle Audet and Katie Reichle.
The NHS baseball team completed the intracity sweep the next day as the Bears pushed a run across in the top of the seventh to pull out a thrilling 9-8 victory over their crosstown neighbors. The see-saw battle saw Norwalk score two runs in the top of the first before McMahon erupted for a seven-run bottom of the second. The Bears rallied to tie it and then take an 8-7 lead on a long home run by Matt O’Brien in the sixth, but the Senators tied it in the last of the sixth on a Dennis Dustin HR. That set the stage for the top of the seventh when Brian Baker drilled his second double of the game and drove in his fourth run to make it 9-8.
Mike Abate, who pitched the final 11⁄3 innings, struck out the final two batters to earn the win and raise his record to 3-0 while NHS improved to 6-1. McMahon fell to 3-5. Bart Gerardi and Jon Crowe each had three hits for the Bears.
Eric Berheim recorded four goals and three assists while TJ Trimboli had six assists as the Norwalk High lacrosse team beat Ridgefield 12-6 ... McMahon’s
Jeremy Salley had four goals and two assists in the Senators’ 12-9 loss to defending Division II state champion Fairfield High.
50 YEARS AGO
A pair of local high school students scored the first two holes-in-one of the season at Oak Hills just days apart. First, James Whitley, a 16-year-old Norwalk High baseball player, aced the 100-yard 13th hole on the third day the course opened. The second ace of the season came a few days later when
John Kertesz, an 18-yearold Brien McMahon student, sank his tee shot on the same 13th hole.
On the baseball diamond, McMahon took over sole possession of first place in the FCIAC West I Division with a 9-2 win over Ridgefield. Kevin Wilder belted three doubles while Felix Rodriguez had two singles and a double to lead a 14-hit attack.
Gary Lawrence had two hits, including a two-run homer, while Ron Dominici added a pair of tworun singles. Sophomore catcher Joe Lynch also had two hits, including a tworun single for his first varsity hit, while later he tripled.
Central Catholic overcame six errors to edge Immaculate 7-6 with the winning run scoring on a bases-loaded walk to Don Herring in the last of the sixth. Herring led the Cavaliers with three hits, including a home run and double, while driving in three runs and scoring two more. Bob Reineke had two hits, one of them a 370-foot grand slam. Winning pitcher Brandon Shea hurled all seven innings, striking out 11 while allowing only one earned run.
Norwalk High blanked Darien 3-0 as Ray Rzasa pitched a four-hit shutout and the Bears scored three unearned runs in the top of the fourth. Rzasa, who struck out five and walked only one, allowed just five baserunners with one being erased on a double play. NHS managed only three hits, two of them by senior third baseman Paul Jacoby, who raised his batting average to a team-leading and city-best .450.
The Laurel Athletic Club held a testimonial dinner for longtime member John D’Amato, who served as club president for a record eight consecutive terms. The highlight of the evening was when D’Amato was presented a lifetime membership to the club.