Fairfield American Little League in Fairfield, Connecticut has put together one of the more historic runs in recent Little League history. In 2010, Fairfield American won the New England championship and advanced to Williamsport for the World Series. While the 12-year olds were doing that, the 11-year olds won the state championship as well. While the 11 and 12-year olds were winning state championships, the 10-year olds copied the feat and advanced to the first 10-year old East region tournament... they went undefeated and won it all including a victory over Mid-Atlantic champion, Commack South, New York. It was an incredible summer for Fairfield American to say the least.
They weren't finished in 2011 though. Both the 10s and 11s moved up a year in 2011 and continued winning. The 11-year olds won the state championship again (this time without a regional to shoot for), and the 12-year olds won another state championship and went to the New England regional semifinals.
Enter the present.
The original 10-year old East Region champions are now 12 and shooting for Williamsport themselves. They have two state titles already under their belt. Another state title would mean the first 3-peat in Connecticut history at the 12-year old level. The Fairfield Americans easily won their district championship and beat one of the best pitchers in the state to open CT Section 1 pool play in a 13-0 mercy rule victory over Yalesville.
On Friday night, they faced Wilton, the district 1 champion. Wilton dropped a tough 9-8 opener to Seymour in the Section 1 tournament and another loss would be backbreaking. Facing the behemoths known as Fairfield American is not a recipe for success. Wilton would not go quietly however. Billy Black, Wilton's starter, shut down the fearsome hitters from Fairfield for four innings and Wilton hit two solo homeruns early to hold a 2-0 lead. In the fifth inning, Wilton loaded the bases with nobody out, but back to back fielders choices held Wilton to two runs. An infield single finally gave Wilton a big insurance run before a mammoth grand slam seemingly put the game out of reach with a 7-0 lead. Fairfield was shocked, the crowd was shocked, I was shocked.
In the bottom of the fifth, Fairfield's tough bottom of the order continued to stay hot. Back-to-back homeruns by the seven and eight hitters to lead off the inning gave Fairfield American some life. A couple more hits and a passed ball put runners on second and third with still nobody out and Biaggio Paoletta at the plate. Paoletta roped a line drive up the middle...this should score two, right? No. The ball was snagged by Wilton's second basemen who easily doubled up the runner at second for a double play. Fairfield hit another single scoring their third run, but the rally was killed. Wilton led 7-3 heading into the 6th inning.
After a quick top of the 6th, Fairfield American came to the plate down four runs. Once again, the hits came from up and down the lineup, but Fairfield found themselves down to their final out facing a 7-4 deficit now. With one on, leadoff batter Ryan Muery worked an impressive at-bat and fouled off a handful of tough pitches. The diminutive spark plug finally worked a walk after a taking a tough ball four to bring Paoletta up as the tying run. Paoletta worked a full count of his own before he drove a fastball to deep left field for a game-tying three-run homerun. Fairfield American had erased a 7-run deficit in two innings.
Matt Kubel who threw a perfect pair of innings in relief for Fairfield American shut Wilton down again in the seventh setting up a potential walk-off homerun for Fairfield. I don't think there was a doubt from anyone at the Southington South complex. It was inevitable. Michael Ghiorzi led off the inning by crushing another no-doubter homerun to keep Fairfield American undefeated and still kings of Connecticut with an 8-7 extra-inning victory.
Fairfield American has hit seven homeruns in two days by seven different players. The train keeps rolling towards Bristol and maybe Williamsport.
