UPDATE: All-Star 11s Take Game One of Regionals

OAKLAND, ME – The Cal Ripken 11-year-old Northeast Regional tournament got under way Saturday at Harold Alfond Fenway Park here, and New Canaan’s All-Stars announced their presence with a decisive 11-6 win over West Warwick, RI.

The last time New Canaan saw West Warwick was in last year’s regional tournament, when New Canaan battled back from a loss to the Rhode Islanders to beat them twice in a double header to win the championship and advance to the World Series. Both teams stepped onto the field today knowing that they would have to be at their best if they wanted to leave the field as winners.

And so it began, as it has so many times for New Canaan, with their opponents drawing first blood. West Warwick scored on an unearned run in the first inning to put West Warwick up 1-0. Rhode Island’s starter Ray Zincone was effective on the mound, keeping New Canaan to only two hits in his three innings of play, both by second baseman Kyle Levasseur, who hit a base hit in the first, and a double in the third (and another double in the fifth).

It wasn’t until the fourth inning that the game broke open. After West Warwick posted another run in the top of the inning, ace reliever Matt Grenier, who the boys remembered well from last year’s games, took the mound. But New Canaan was not intimidated. First up was Alex LaPolice who greeted the pitcher with a double. Next up was Zack Allen, who ripped an RBI single that scored LaPolice. Mike Collins followed with another single that forced Allen out at second. Kane Curtin poured it on with a double that put runners on second and third with one out. Fahey walked to load the bases, and then David Giusti ripped an RBI double that scored two, putting New Canaan ahead 3-2. Kyle Levasseur walked to load the bases again, and then Justin Clark was hit by a pitch, scoring another run. With the bases still loaded, Zack Smith turned a double into a base-clearing triple on throwing errors by West Warwick to put three more runs on the board. When the inning was over New Canaan was ahead 7-2.

David Giusti started for New Canaan at the top of the fifth and despite loading the bases, was able to fend off West Warwick with two strikeouts and a ground out. In the bottom of the fifth, with Trevor Lawton pitching for West Warwick, Mike Collins and Kane Curtin hit singles to put runners at first and second, and then Giusti walked to load the bases. Kyle Levasseur ripped an RBI double (his second on the day) to score two and put runners on second and third. Justin Clark followed with an RBI base hit that scored another two, putting New Canaan ahead 11-2 heading into the final inning.

West Warwick fought back in the sixth, with Grenier leading off with a double to deep center. Dave LaMountain followed with a single to left-center that was fielded by Kane Curtin and hurled to the infield to keep the runner at third from attempting a dash home. Ray Zincone hit a single, then made it to second on an error, scoring one and putting runners on second and third with no outs. Tyler Boisclare was up next, and cranked a triple into the center-right corner scoring another two. Trevor Lawton followed with a sacrifice that scored another, putting the score at 11-6 New Canaan. But that’s as far as West Warwick would get as the inning ended on a fly out and ground out.

“While we had to play the runners-up from last year in the first round, it was a great start to come out of the winning end of that,” said Coach Paul Giusti. “We knew them well and they’re a tough team, but our team played our game and it’s nice to start the tournament with a big win.”

New Canaan’s defense was solid, and was responsible for holding West Warwick in check for most of the game, with excellent field work by Colin Tiller, who played a hit by Matt Grenier off the left field wall and threw a bomb to third for the out in the second inning; Kyle Levasseur at second base, who made several spectacular plays, including a diving catch in the first for an out, and an amazing backhand flip from his knees to shortstop Jimmy Fahey for the out at second in the third; and Jimmy Fahey, who made four scoop-and-throws to Alex LaPolice at first for outs. LaPolice made a gutsy play at first base in the fourth when he dove onto a ripper by LaMountain up the line and then crawled to the base in time to make the out. Catcher Mike Collins was a wall behind the plate throughout the game and was named by the tournament committee as New Canaan’s MVP for the game.

New Canaan will face Fairfield, ME, in game two Sunday at noon.