The Simsbury Little League baseball team won the Section II tournament to advance in the state tournament. (Photo courtesy Simsbury Little League)
SOUTHINGTON, July 23 – With a season-high 17 hits, the Simsbury Little League baseball team advanced to the final four of the state Major Division tournament with a 14-4 win over Farmington in the Section II championship game on Tuesday night.
Simsbury (9-1) scored nine runs in the fourth inning to stop the game thanks to the 10-run mercy rule.
The double-elimination state finals will be held July 27-31 at Willimantic Little League with champions from Section I, III and IV. Those berths should be decided on Wednesday night.
Cam Denalsky was 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI to lead Simsbury while Lucas Gifford was 3-for-3 with two doubles and two RBI. Patrick Matyczyk, Maxwell Williams and Hunter Anastasio were each 2-for-3. Matyczyk drove in two runs while Williams and Anastasio each drove in a run.
Farmington took an early 4-0 lead before Simsbury rallied with three runs in the bottom of the first inning on consecutive hits from Gifford, Anastasio and Will Gills. Simsbury added single runs in the second and third inning to establish a 5-4 advantage.
Simsbury exploded in the fourth inning with seven straight hits to open the inning and 10 overall to end the game and take the Section II banner.
Anastasio pitched 1.2 innings of relief to pick up the victory on the mound. He allowed one hit and fanned three.
It is Simsbury’s first mercy rule victory of the summer. Simsbury went undefeated in the District 6 tournament (7-0), taking home their first D6 title since 2014.
Farmington outlasted Simsbury, 9-8 in the opening game of the three-team Section II tournament last Friday. Simsbury beat Naugatuck’s Union City, 9-0 on Sunday to earn a berth in the Section II final.
The Major Division tournament is for players ages 11-12.
Simsbury 14, Farmington 4 (4)
At Southington
Farmington 400 0 — 4-10-1
Simsbury (9-1) 311 9 – 14-17-0
Saturday, July 27
Game 1: Madison (D9) vs. Brooklyn/Pomfret (D12), 2 p.m.
Game 2: Simsbury (D6) vs. Max Sinoway-North Haven (D4), 5 p.m.
Sunday, July 28
Game 3: Winner game 1 vs. winner game 2, 2 p.m., winner advances to final
Game 4: Loser game 1 vs. loser game 2, 5 p.m., losing team eliminated
Monday, July 29
Game 5: Loser game 3 vs. winner game 4, 6 p.m., losing team eliminated
Tuesday, July 30
Game 6, Final: Winner game 5 vs. winner game 3, 6 p.m.
Wednesday, July 31
Game 7: Final: Winner game 5 vs. winner game 3, 6 p.m., if necessary
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