Fairfield, CT - The Fairfield Little League Girls Softball (FLLGS) 11u All-Stars battled Bristol and the weather on Thursday, July 11 to capture the Connecticut State title. The team beat Bristol twice in the best of three game state championship tournament at Dougiello Park. It marked two firsts for the league, as it was the first time Fairfield has hosted a State Championship tournament and the first time FLLGS has won a state title on its home turf.
The post season was a team effort, as all players contributed to the final 4-1 record. Both Francesca Colangelo and Emily Dowd were counted on to pitch well against a strong group of opponents. Fairfield battled teams from Wilton and Seymour to reach the championship round. The team began with an opening game loss to Seymour 4-2, so it did not look like their run would be very long. But, a miraculous 1-0 win against Wilton, (where the team was actually no hit) turned their fortunes around. In the finals of the Sectionals, they came from behind 3 different times over two days (due to a weather suspension) to outlast Seymour 4-3 in 8 innings. Patty Greene was a star of the game with the walk off hit with two outs and two strikes.
The team was managed by Matt Colangelo, with Coaches Steve DeBernardis and Ed Tournas. “We have a great group of girls who picked each other up every game”, said Colagnelo, “It was a different contributor every night that made a difference in winning the championship,” he continued.
About FLLGS
Fairfield Little League Girls softball is its own independent little league program and represents the entire town of Fairfield. It is the largest girls softball program in Fairfield County and one of the largest in the State of CT with over 350 players participating in spring, summer, and fall seasons. The league offers levels of play from T-Ball to Juniors spanning the ages of 6-14. For information on programs and how to join please visit www.fllgs.org or email us at info@fllgs.org.
PHOTO:
11U Fairfield Girls Softball All Stars; Front Row (L to R) Gianna Grant, Allie Tournas, Emily Dowd, Caroline Branscombe. Back Row (L to R) Ellie Valentino, Francesca Colangelo, Amelia Johnson, Angie Tavella, Eva Vergara, Leah Encarnacion, Caitlin DeBernardis, Patty Greene, and Emma Heitzman.