Sports
Darien American Falls to North Stamford, 8-1 [Video]
After going 6-0 in pool play, Darien American loses in the first win-or-go-home game.
The old adage is that good pitching will always beat good hitting, but North Stamford had both weapons on its side Wednesday.
The team allowed just one hit and notched 11 of its own, sealing an 8-1 win over previously unbeaten Darien American at Stamford Springdale in the District One Little League semifinals.
Grant Stone singled to start off the second. With one out, manager Dave Grafstein gave his son Michael the bunt sign.
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But Michael missed it and hit a home run just underneath the scoreboard beyond the left field wall to give North Stamford a 2-0 lead.
That was all the team needed as Stone threw 87 pitches in his five innings. He struck out six out and walked only one.
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After loading the bases in the fourth, North Stamford broke open the game, scoring four runs on two-run doubles by Telly Colarossi and Alex Mella.
Darien American still had three at-bats but could only muster one unearned run in the fourth when Luke Leasure's groundball was bobbled and overthrown at first. That allowed Nick Walter to score from third.
Stone led off the top of the fifth with a home run, restoring the five-run margin, then left in the bottom of the inning after reaching his pitch count.
Grant Purpura led off the sixth inning with a deep home run over the right-field wall.
Purpura retired Darien American in order in the bottom of the sixth, sending North Stamford into Sunday's championship game against National Lione, which defeated Wilton 7-3 in Wednesday's other semifinal.
