Bridgeport tops Southington to win CCBL title in first season

The Bridgeport Barnums won the CCBL championship in their first season Tuesday night at Memorial Field (Photo courtesy Bridgeport Barnums)

SIMSBURY, July 30, 2024 – The Bridgeport Barnums scored five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to beat the Southington Black Knights on Tuesday night, 5-2 and captured their first Connecticut Collegiate Baseball League championship at Memorial Field.

In the team’s first season, the Barnums (16-9-1) went undefeated in the CCBL’s post-season tournament with four straight victories. Bridgeport won seven of their last eight games to win the CCBL title.

Bridgeport’s Hayden Lee, a pitcher from Fairfield and Salve Regina, went six scoreless innings to pick up the win. Lee allowed just four hits and struck out six.

Bridgeport broke open a scoreless game in the fifth inning. Southington starting pitcher Ty Davis had a pair of walks to open the fifth. Kieran Shea moved to third base on an error during a pickoff attempt.

Sebastian Sampieri gave Bridgeport a 1-0 lead on a RBI single to left with teammate Joey Delia moving to third base. Yeudy Ramirez’s RBI single gave the Barnums a 2-0 lead with Sampieri moving to third.

Sampieri stole home for a 3-0 lead and Christian Nelson reached base after getting hit by a pitch. John Heitzman had a RBI single and Will Stellato had a sacrifice fly for a 5-0 lead.

Southington, which had the league’s best record in the regular season (18-4), threatened in the seventh inning. The Black Knights (22-6) loaded the bases with one out thanks to a pair of singles and a walk.

Ryan Kilpatrick’s RBI single to right field drove in a run. After reliever Cole Gibson got a strikeout for the second out, a walk drove in a second run and cut the lead to three, 5-2.

But Gibson fanned the final batter of the game to give the Barnums the win.

Bridgeport 5, Southington 2
At Simsbury
Southington (22-6)     000  000  2  — 2-5-2
Bridgeport (16-9-1)     000  050  x  — 5-4-1
Ty Davis, J Ferrucci (6) and O Davis; Hayden Lee, Cole Gibson (7) and K Shea; WP: Lee; LP: Davis; Save: Gibson; 2B: Will Stellato (B)

2024 CCBL championship tournament

Previous CCBL champions

Double-elimination tournament
Championship game
2022: Hamden Miners 9, Wallingford Silver Storm 6
2021: West Haven Sailors 7, Manchester Eagles 1
2020: Brass City Bombers 13, Manchester Eagles 1 (6)
2019: Manchester Mavericks 8, Glastonbury Arrows 3
2018: Simsbury Sabercats 2, Wallingford Silver Miners 0
Best-of-3 championship series
2017: Glastonbury def. Manchester Mavericks, 2-0
2016: Southington Shock def. Manchester Mavericks, 2-0
2015: Southington def. Glastonbury, 2-0
2014: Southington def. Glastonbury, 2-0
2013: West Hartford Thunder def. Manchester Mavericks, 2-1
2012: Tobacco Valley Renegades def. Simsbury, 2-1
2011: Southington def. Tobacco Valley, 2-1
2010: Southington def. Tobacco Valley, 2-0
2009: Southington def. Simsbury, 2-0