All-Star 12s Take Game One in State Championships

Fresh off their District One win against West Norwalk on Wednesday, New Canaan's All-Star 12s carried their momentum into this afternoon's Cal Ripken State Championship tournament, besting Coventry 16-5. The win puts New Canaan in the winner's bracket game tomorrow at 11:00 a.m.

New Canaan came out swinging in the first inning, roughing up Coventry starter Logan Green with eight runs on seven hits. Green ran through 12 batters before surrendering the mound to New Canaan starter Zack Smith.

After his trouble on the mound, Green got some action at the plate, belting a two-run bomb off a Smith fastball to end the first inning with a score of 8-2 in favor of New Canaan. Smith responded in the top of the second, with a home run of his own off a Green fastball to put New Canaan up one more.

Smith retired the next three batters in order on two ground outs and a strike out, setting the stage for New Canaan to continue its hit parade in the third. David Giusti reached second on a base hit and a steal; Colin Tiller reached on a walk and then both runners pulled off a double steal on a passed ball. Zachary Allen followed with a sacrifice fly that scored Giusti; and Alex LaPolice smashed a double that scored Tiller to put New Canaan up 11-2.

Coventry's Mal Emand belted a three-run homer in the bottom of the third, closing the score to 11-5, before Smith shut down the side on a strikeout, ground out, and fly out to Tiller in center field.

New Canaan poured it on in the fourth. With Tanner Delillo on the mound for Coventry, Kane Curtin nailed a base hit; Thomas Williams reached on a walk; and David Giusti smashed an RBI single into the gap. Kyle Levasseur followed with an RBI single, then took second while the pitcher was distracted. With runners on second and third with two outs, slugger Zachary Allen belted a three-run missile over the center field fence to put the score at 16-5. Smith shut down Coventry in the bottom of the inning, striking out the side, and forcing a run-rule end to the game.

Tiller went three for four with a single, a double, a walk, an RBI, and three runs scored; Levasseur earned two hits, a walk, three RBIs, and two runs scored; Allen went two for four, with a base hit and a home run, earning three RBIs and one run scored; LaPolice earned a double and a walk, an RBI and one run scored; Smith went two for three, with a single, home run, an RBI, and two runs scored. Kane Curtin went three for three with a single and two walks and a run scored; and David Giusti went three for three, with three singles, three RBIs, and three runs scored.

Smith worked the mound for the complete game, letting up three hits and striking out six.

The All-Stars will face West Norwalk, which received an at-large bid into the States following its defeat against New Canaan in the Districts, tomorrow at 11:00 at Ewald Field in Southbury.