A great summer of baseball for the U11 Simsbury Little League baseball ended on Monday night in the championship game of the state tournament at Peter Foley Field in Naugatuck.
Stamford American scored a run in the bottom of the seventh inning to beat Simsbury, 2-1 and win their first state championship in the U11 division. In extra innings, a runner is placed at second base. That Stamford runner moved to third base on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a single to center field to win the game.
Simsbury finished the season with an 8-3 record, a District 6 championship and a Section II pennant. Simsbury won two elimination games at the Final Four with victories over South Windsor and Madison to earn a spot in the championship for the third time since 2019.
Simsbury had the tall task of beating Stamford American twice in two days to win the state title. If Simsbury had won on Monday, a decisive game would have been held Tuesday.
Stamford American took a 1-0 lead in the third inning on a RBI single to left field.
Simsbury tied the game in the fourth inning. Gavin Dery led off the inning with a single to right field and moved to second base on Hodgson’s single to left field. Charlie Berger reached on a fielder’s choice with Dery thrown out at third base. Ripley Russell singled to load the bases with one out.
Simsbury pitcher Caleb Weinberg hit a sacrifice fly to right field and Hodgson scored from third base to tie up the game, 1-1. A ground ball to shortstop ended the inning for Simsbury.
Simsbury got into a jam in the second inning after Stamford American led off the inning with a single and a double. Weinberg got the hitter to ground to Simsbury shortstop Brendan Hodgson, who threw out the runner at home. The next Stamford hitter grounded into a double play to end the threat.
Hodgson was 2-for-3 with one run scored for Simsbury. Russell, Augie Thomson, Daniel Cerreta, Declan Burke and Gavin Dery also had hits for Simsbury. Thomson had a double.
Weinberg pitched five innings, allowed five hits and struck out two. He didn’t walk a batter.
Stamford American 2, Simsbury 1 (7)
At Naugatuck
Simsbury (8-3) 000 100 0 — 1-7-0
Stamford American 001 000 1 — 2-9-0
Daniel Cerreta, Caleb Weinberg (2) and Bennett Roach; Nicholas F, Bryce V (7) and Thomas O; WP: Bryce; LP: Weinberg (3-1); 2B: Luca D (Stam) 2, Augie Thomson (Sims)
Final Four U11
Thursday, July 17
At Shelton Nike Field
Stamford American 11, Simsbury 0 (4)
Madison 2, South Windsor 1
Friday, July 18
At Shelton Nike Field
Simsbury 3, South Windsor 2, South Windsor eliminated
Stamford American 9, Madison 3
Sunday, July 20
At Naugatuck (Peter Foley)
Simsbury 5, Madison 3, Madison eliminated
Monday, July 21
At Naugatuck
Final: Stamford American 2, Simsbury 1 (7)
2025 Connecticut Little League baseball state tournaments
