Local roundup: Jones shoots a 70, seven locals still in play in Connecticut Senior Open
Groton — Seven golfers with local ties made the cut in the 42nd Connecticut Senior Open after Monday’s first round at Shennecossett Golf Course.
Dave Jones of Norwich is in a seven-way tie for ninth at 1-under 70, trailing leader Francis Quinn of Holden, Massachussets, by five strokes. Quinn fired a 6-under 65.
John Elliott, a Norwich Free Academy graduate from Atlantis, Florida, and James Lathrop of North Stonington are tied for 16th at even par 71.
Other locals remaining in the field include: Bill Hermanson of East Lyme, 73, tied for 36th; Kenny Hall of Waterford, James Lawler of Colchester and Kevin Shea of Waterford, all at 75.
Quinn will carry a two-shot lead into Tuesday’s final round. Bobby Gage of Lake Worth, Florida, is second at 67 while Alan Sorensen of Bakersfield, California, amateur Bart Weissman of Stamford and amateur Kris Lang of West Hartford are locked in a three-way tie for third at 68.
Defending champion Brad Adamonis of Ponte Verde, Florida, enters the second round tied for ninth at 70.
Former Sea Unicorns’ 2B Culpepper drafted
• Former Norwich Sea Unicorns second baseman Kaelen Culpepper, who played with Norwich in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League during the 2021 season, was selected in the first round of the Major League Baseball Draft on Sunday by the Minnesota Twins.
Culpepper, out of Kansas State, was taken 21st overall, giving the FCBL a run of five straight seasons with a first-round draft pick. Culpepper is the second Sea Unicorn drafted, following Lyman Memorial High School’s Colton Bender — a 10th-round pick in 2021 by the San Diego Padres — and the first opening-round pick.
During the 2021 season, Culpepper hit .301 with six doubles, two home runs, 19 RBI, 30 runs scored and 11 stolen bases across 40 games in Norwich, earning FCBL All-Star and All-FCBL first team postseason honors.
This season at Kansas State, Culpepper, a junior, hit a team-best .328 and slugged .574 while recording 15 doubles, 11 homers and 59 RBI, being named All-America Second Team (D1Baseball), All-Central Region Second Team (ABCA/Rawlings) and All-Big 12 Second Team.
Last summer he split his time between the Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod League and the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team.
American Legion
• Brian Ingraham and Martin Light each had three hits for Waterford in a 10-0 victory Sunday against Danielson in Zone 6 American Legion baseball. Fin Eck added two hits and Light and AJ Montejano had three RBI apiece for Waterford (17-1), which won its 16th straight game. Dylan Matis earned the victory, allowing two hits over five innings, striking out six and walking none.
Section 3 baseball (8-10)
• Wyatt Hogarty and Liam Luna made key defensive plays in the bottom of the sixth inning to help Waterford beat Middletown 5-3 Sunday in the Connecticut Section 3 8-10-year-old state tournament in Durham. Hogarty, James Smith and Hunter Hodgson each had RBI in the win that advanced Waterford, 2-0 in the tournament, to Wednesday's title game.
Comment threads are monitored for 48 hours after publication and then closed.