Canton Junior baseball is one win away from a Little League state title

Canton pitcher Mason Morabito pitched a complete game to beat Somers, 9-1, in the opening game in the best-of-3 state championship final Thursday nigh tin South Windsor.

SOUTH WINDSOR, July 11, 2024 – The Canton Little League’s Junior Division baseball team is one win away from a state championship.

Canton won the first game of their best-of-three championship series with Somers on Thursday night at Duprey Field, 9-1 with pitcher Mason Morabito throwing a complete game, allowing just four hits and striking out two.

Canton (3-1) had seven hits including doubles from catcher Lucas Steniger and first baseman Cole Cottingham.

Game two is Friday night at Duprey Field beginning at 5:45 p.m. A victory would give Canton their first-ever state championship at any level in Little League baseball and send the team to the Eastern Regional, an 11-team event on July 20-26 in Dubois, Pennsylvania.

Game three, if necessary, would be on Saturday.

Somers took and early 1-0 lead on a RBI single from Bennett Kukucia but Canton responded immediately in the bottom of the first inning. Shea Flaherty drew a leadoff walk, moved to second base on an error, moved to third on a single from Kyle Hiscox and scored on a two-out sacrifice fly from Steniger.

Somers threatened in the third. They had runners on first and second base and they advanced one base on a sacrifice bunt from Chase White. But Morabito got lead off hitter Aiden Hevey to fly out to second base to end Somers’ hope of taking the lead.

Canton’s Kyle Rossi, right, is tagged out by Somers’ Jack Piscottano, left, after Rossi tried to advance to third base on a hit from Kyle Hiscox in the first inning Thursday in the Junior Division state finals..

Canton’s defense helped in the fourth inning. Somers had runners on first and second base with no outs when Somers’ Jack Piscottano tried to steal third base but Steniger, Canton’s catcher, threw out Piscottano for the first out of the inning.

After a ground ball out for the second out of the inning, Flaherty, Canton’s center fielder, made a diving catch on a fly ball from Kukucia that nearly dropped in front of him.

Canton broke through in the fourth inning with four runs to take a commanding 5-1 lead.

After walks to Kyle Rossi and Kyle Hiscox, Steniger ripped a RBI double to center field for a 2-1 lead. Cole Cottingham was hit by a pitch to load the bases.

Jack Siana and Jack Kennedy each followed with sacrifice flies to center field to give Canton a 4-1 lead. Cottingham expanded the lead to 5-1 by scoring on a passed ball.

Cottingham had a two-run double in the fifth inning to expand the lead to 8-1 while Morabito scored in the fifth on a passed ball.

In the sixth, Siana reached on a single, stole two bases and scored on an error by the catcher for a 9-1 lead.

Steniger and Cottingham each had two RBI for Canton while Hiscox and Steniger each had two hits.

Canton 9, Somers 1
At South Windsor
Somers (3-1)                 100  000  0  — 1-4-3
Canton (3-1)                  100  431  x  –  9-7-0
Logan McGuiness, J.J. Cruz (6) and Bennett Kukudka; Mason Morabito and Lucas Steniger; WP: Morabito (2-1), LP: McGuiness; 2B: Steniger (C), Cole Cottingham (C)

2024 Junior Division
State championship (best-of-3)
At South Windsor
Thursday, July 11
Canton 9, Somers 1
Friday, July 12
Canton vs. Somers, 5:45 p.m. at Duprey Field
Saturday, July 13
Canton vs. Somers, if necessary, time TBA