Fairfield American Little League Team Wins State Title

FAIRFIELD, CT — The Fairfield American Little League baseball team is heading back to the New England Regional tournament in Bristol after claiming the state championship with a 6-3 victory over Coginchaug Saturday in Manchester.

Coginchaug took a quick 1-0 lead, but Fairfield American responded with four runs in the bottom of the first inning, highlighted by Matt Sawyer’s three-run home run, according to GameTimeCT.com.

Martin Merturi also had a key two-run single in the victory and Matt Iannazzo pitched four strong innings for the win, according to GameTimeCT.

Fairfield American manager Brian Grady told Jimmy Zanor of GameTimeCT that winning the state title and advancing to Bristol was the team’s goal and “they worked really hard all offseason to do that.”

Sawyer not only provided power at the plate but also on the mound, striking out all six batters he faced after relieving Iannazzo in the fifth inning, according to the Connecticut Post.

Fairfield American has now won five of the last seven state titles and is looking to advance to its third Little League World Series, winning the New England Regional titles in 2010 and 2012, according to the Post.

Fairfield opens play in the tournament on Sunday, Aug. 7 in Bristol.

Read more about the state championship victory at GameTimeCT.com here and the Connecticut Post here.

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