East Hampton's Michaud Shuts Out North Branford

In case North Branford had not heard, on Monday they had the memo handed to them.

It began with East Hampton jumping out to a 3-0 first-inning lead and ended with an exclamation mark in the form of a complete-game shutout. No reading between the lines necessary. The Bellringers are a force to be reckoned with in the Shoreline Conference.

Adam Michaud won his second straight game without allowing a run as East Hampton defeated visiting North Branford 6-0 for it its sixth victory in a row.

Michaud, who had not recorded a win before this season, is 2-0 in two starts without allowing a run in 13 innings pitched. Monday’s shutout was no small feat considering North Branford came into the game averaging 10.5 runs.

“We mixed pitches well,” said Michaud, sharing the credit. “[Pitching] Coach [Gregg] Johnson was calling a great game. We got the leadoff guy in six of the seven innings, that helped a lot.”

Michaud struck out five and more importantly, walked none. When he needed an out, he got it, slipping out of trouble in the third, fourth and sixth innings. In the third, with runners on first and third, he struck out Mike Forgione to end the inning. In the fourth, with runners at first and third and two out, he got Kyle Hart on a comebacker to the mound, and in the sixth, after consecutive singles to start the inning, the defense came through, turning a 4-6-3 double play.

“He’s been gutsy. He’s got a little confidence going now,” coach Scott Wosleger said. “He’s always had stuff and we tried to use him a little last year. He just didn’t get comfortable last year. Coach Johnson and I knew that if he got a little confidence going he could use two, three, four pitches. Now I think he feels it and we feel when he goes to the mound that he’s going to give us a chance to make some plays, he’s going to get big outs when we need them. He’s been good so far and confidence is a factor.”

As they have several times this season, the Bellringers struck quickly.

Austin Shumbo started the bottom of the first against Dan Espositio with a single and was followed by Austin Wosleger’s single. Spencer Daly drove in the game’s first run with a double. With one out, Michaud drove a run home on a sacrifice fly and Brian Roberson’s two-out double drove Daly in with the third run. The inning ended with Roberson getting caught in a rundown between third and home after a single by Marvin Gorgas.

That was all the offense East Hampton (7-1) needed, but the Bellringers tacked on runs in the third when Daly (3-for-4) scored on a double by Michaud, who himself later scored on a wild pitch. In the sixth, Nate Heroux scored on a single by Shumbo (3-for-4).

Sage Leonard had two hits for the Thunderbirds (7-2), who lost for the first time in league play.

After the final out, there was congratulations all around but no celebrating. After all, the season hasn’t reached its midpoint and the team seems to understand that. The businesslike approach, however, is just one of the characteristics the Bellringers have taken on that bodes well the rest of the way.

Another?

With Saturday’s rain, Wosleger decided to call an optional Easter Sunday practice.

“Optional. On Easter, and every guy showed up,” Wosleger said.

Asked about the difference between this season and last, Michaud, a junior, attributed it to senior leadership, as Al Iannone did after Friday’s victory in Old Saybrook.

“The seniors. Last year our seniors were lackadaisical,” Michaud said. “This year we have guys who care, we have guys who came back. They care so much about the game, they care about the team. It’s special. It’s fun to be playing with these guys.”

Wosleger couldn’t agree more.

“It’s the senior leadership and that spreads to other guys and everybody buys into what we’re talking about,” he said. “There is not one guy who is here for his own stats. That senior leadership has spread to some of the older guys who have also been leaders. … It makes a big difference.”

As for Sunday’s practice, Wosleger used it to concentrate on his team’s play in the field. It hasn’t been a factor in the outcome of a game, but keeping the team focused on its defense is a priority.

“We didn’t hit and we focused on defense,” he said. “We try to mix it up a little bit because we just have to keep them interested in working on defense.

East Hampton travels to play Old Lyme on Wednesday.