Greyhounds
| 04/23/25 vs Wolcott | 3 |
| 04/21/25 @ Oxford | 7 |
| 04/19/25 @ Torrington | 5 |
| 04/17/25 vs St. Paul Catholic | 5 |
| 04/14/25 vs Crosby | 12 |
| + 6 more games |
Naugatuck is a perfect 9-0 against Derby since May of 2015 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Thursday. The Greyhounds will take on the Red Raiders at 6:30 p.m. Naugatuck is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.5 runs per game this season.
Naugatuck took a loss when they played away from home on Monday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Wednesday. They came out on top against Wolcott by a score of 3-0. Those three runs were actually the fewest the Greyhounds have put up all season, but given the result they're probably not too concerned.
Not much got past Kevin Cestari, who gave up just five hits and racked up eight Ks to keep Wolcott off the board. Cestari has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Naugatuck's victory was truly a team effort as four different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Jose Guzman, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base. That's the most hits Guzman has posted since back in March.
Meanwhile, after only one run in their last game, Derby made sure to put some runs up on the board against Crosby on Monday. The Red Raiders put the hurt on the Bulldogs with a sharp 13-3 win. The result was nothing new for the Red Raiders, who have now won three contests by eight runs or more so far this season.
Nikolas Kotucek and Michael Slack made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, Kotucek tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Slack pitched four innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off three hits. Kotucek also tossed no walks, which is notable because Derby is 2-1 when he allows at most two walks, but 1-3 otherwise. At bat, Kotucek went 1-for-4 with three RBI and one stolen base, while Slack got on base in all four of his plate appearances with three stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI. With that strong performance, Slack is now averaging an impressive 1.1 stolen bases per game.
In other batting news, Derby let Isaac McNeill and Jayzair Barbera run wild. McNeill went 2-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI, while Barbera went 3-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. McNeill also put up a double, which was his first of the season. Nicholas Sheridan was another key player, going 1-for-2 with two stolen bases and one run.
Naugatuck pushed their record up to 8-3 with the victory, which was their fifth straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.8 runs over those games. As for Derby, with the victory, they broke their three-game losing streak and moved their record to 3-4.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Naugatuck has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Derby struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.1 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Naugatuck took their win against Derby when the teams last played back in May of 2024 by a conclusive 14-4 score. Will the Greyhounds repeat their success, or do the Red Raiders have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
