New Hampshire Tops Connecticut, Heads To New England Semi-Final

BRISTOL, CT — New Hampshire beat Connecticut on Thursday in a Little League Baseball New England Regional tournament elimination game and will go on to play Rhode Island in the semi-final. The Goffstown Junior Baseball Little League team, based out of Goffstown, New Hampshire, scored three runs in the first inning and never looked back, piling on run after run throughout the rest of the game against the Fairfield American Little League team, based out of Fairfield, Connecticut. The game was played in Bristol, Connecticut.

The winner between New Hampshire and Rhode Island on Friday afternoon will go on to play Massachusetts for the regional championship and a trip to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The New England champion will play the Southwest champion Aug. 16.

Goffstown is about 8 miles west of Manchester. Fairfield is about 21 miles southwest of New Haven.

Fairfield American (1-2) had been coming off a big win Tuesday against Maine, where the offense piled on seven runs and limited Maine to just one run. But the team couldn't string together timely hits Thursday. Despite collecting eight hits on the afternoon, Fairfield scored just three runs. Robbie Donahue lead the offense, contributing two RBIs on one hit — a double. Connecticut pitcher Charlie Yates labored through his third of an inning to open the game, allowing three earned runs on two hits — including a home run — and a walk. Pierce Cowles followed up throwing 3.2 innings and gave up another five earned runs on seven hits and a walk.

The boys from Goffstown (2-1), coming off an impressive 13-0 win Tuesday over Vermont, got the bats going again in this contest. New Hampshire stroked 10 hits on the day, including a home run from Ryan Strand, who powered the offense with four hits, two RBIs and two runs scored. Cam Hujsak and Max Oullette added two RBIs a piece as well. Perhaps just as impressively was Goffstown's pitching. Starting pitcher Logan Simmons hurled 3.1 innings of two-run ball — both earned — and allowed just three hits. He struck out nine batters and issued four free passes on the day. Ouellette and Morin closed things down in relief, with Ouellette allowed one unearned run over two innings.

Connecticut

Gavin McGuire

Timmy Domizio

Eli Balkan

Jude Gussen

Liam Grady

Pierce Cowles

Timmy Donahue

Will Meyers

Robbie Donahue

Dustin Walters

Jon Morris

Charlie Yates

Aidan Gouley

New Hampshire

Nate Kiah

Alex Magdziasz

James Baggs

Logan Simmons

Ryan Strand

Braeden Lambert

Will Patenaude

Max Ouellette

Will Perkowski

Cam Hujsak

Isaac Morin

Maddox Turck

Jake Klardie

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