Four Milford Boys Win Big in World Series

By David Payne

This past weekend, four Milford boys represented Milford and the State of Connecticut for the CT Combat travel baseball team in the 2011 AABC Gil Hodges 11u World Series, held in Brooklyn, N.Y.

After going undefeated in the State tournament, the Combat was named State Champions and earned a bid to the AABC World Series.

In pool play, Bradley Zsampar hit a grand slam and played a stellar right field. Mike Piechota caught six kids stealing from behind the plate, and Mitchell Smith played an outstanding left field, throwing a runner out at the plate.

David Payne went 2-0 on the mound in pool play, earning him the pitching spot in the World Series Championship game. David pitched six solid innings, allowing two earned runs while striking out five.

In that game, Bradley hit a solo home run for his second of the World Series and Mike added an RBI single.

Though losing the championship game to the Ohio Flames 3-2, the CT Combat finished as the World Series runner up ranking them No. 2 out of 1,513 AABC affiliated teams in the country.

These four Milford boys truly had a season to remember.