Woodland Regional is a perfect 5-0 against Waterbury Career Academy since April of 2017 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Wednesday. The Hawks will head out on the road to square off against the Spartans at 4:00 p.m. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Woodland Regional took a loss when they played away from home on Wednesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They blew past Derby 11-1. Considering the Hawks have won six games by more than six runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Jack Napoleone looked comfortable as he pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run any time he's pitched this season.
Tyler DeCrescenzo
| 04/11/25 vs Kennedy | 4 |
| 04/30/25 @ Wolcott | 3 |
| 05/02/25 vs Derby | 2 |
| 04/23/25 @ Seymour | 1 |
| 04/17/25 vs Wolcott | 1 |
| + 7 more games |
On the hitting side, Tyler DeCrescenzo was excellent, going 1-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. He has become a key player for Woodland Regional: the team is 2-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 6-10 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Jason Beaudry, who went 1-for-3 with two RBI and one run.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Waterbury Career Academy). They put the hurt on Bassick with a sharp 18-12 victory on Thursday. The high-scoring performance was a welcome turnaround for the Spartans' hitters, who had struggled in the games prior.
Sergio Cholac was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Those seven strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-5 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Isaiah Santiago was a standout: he got on base in four of his five plate appearances with six stolen bases, three runs, and three RBI. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in hits (two). Blaine Johnson also deserves some recognition as he scored his first run of the season.
Waterbury Career Academy always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .537. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
With the win, Woodland Regional broke their three-game losing streak and moved their record to 8-11. As for Waterbury Career Academy, their victory (their first of the season) made their record 1-11.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Wednesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Woodland Regional has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.6 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Waterbury Career Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 4.2 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Woodland Regional took their win against Waterbury Career Academy when the teams last played back in May of 2024 by a conclusive 15-1 score. Will the Hawks repeat their success, or do the Spartans have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
