Simsbury blanks East Granby/Granby to win third straight D6 title

Players on the Simsbury Little League baseball team celebrate with the fans after winning the District 6 Major Division championship on Monday night at Janser Field. More photos from the game

PLYMOUTH, July 7, 2025 – Don’t give the Simsbury Little League baseball team any extra out. They will likely make you pay.

Simsbury scored eight runs with two outs Monday night to beat East Granby/Granby, 11-0 in four innings, and win their third straight District 6 Major Division championship at Janser Field. Six of those runs were unearned after untimely East Granby/Granby errors.

“Two outs. Two strikes. It doesn’t matter to any of our batters. They just get in there and swing. That is our philosophy,” Simsbury manager Scott Beaulieu said.

Outfielder Aidan Girard had a two-run home run in the third inning while Jackson Fournier clinched the game with a three-run double in the fourth inning to give Simsbury a 10-run lead to invoke the mercy rule that ended the contest.

Simsbury (8-1) advances to the state tournament for the third consecutive season and will compete in the Section II group beginning Saturday against Waterbury (District 3 champion) and Southington (District 5 champion).

“These kids have been hitting, fielding and pitching for the last three years and they really showed up in the last three games,” Beaulieu said. “They did everything and put it all together.”

Simsbury dropped their first game of the tournament to East Granby/Granby on July 2, giving up four hits and four runs in the top of the sixth inning in a 7-5 loss.

“We were able to find out who we really are after losing to (East Granby/Granby) last week,” Beaulieu said. “It was important for us to reset the table.”

Simsbury pitcher Will Haberman pitched four shutout innings and allowed just two hits. More photos from the game

Simsbury scored 16 runs in one inning and rapped out a season-high 19 hits in a win over Canton before beating East Granby/Granby on Sunday with 17 runs and 18 hits to force Monday night’s winner-take-all championship game.

Simsbury pitcher Will Haberman, who missed Sunday’s game with an illness, was healthy enough to take the mound on Monday. He pitched a complete game shutout, allowing just two hits, striking out four and walking one to improve to 3-1 this summer.

Simsbury had runners on first and second base with two outs in the second inning. Charles Weinbach singled to center field to load the bases. Brandon Mitchell stole home to give Simsbury a 1-0 lead before Brendan Hodgson walked to load the bases again.

Two errors on a ball hit by Sean Beaulieu allowed three runs to score to push the lead to 4-0 before Girard hit a two-run home run to left field for a 6-0 lead.

In the third inning, East Granby/Granby reliever Maddox Perry got the first two outs of the inning on five pitches. But Simsbury’s Noah Trythall singled and Brandon Mitchell reached on an error. Both scored on two errors on a ball hit by Charles Weinbach for an 8-0 lead.

In the fourth inning, Simsbury loaded the bases thanks to an error, Sean Beaulieu getting hit by a pitch and Girard hitting a single. Fournier cleared the bases with his double to right field.

Girard was 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI for Simsbury, which captured their sixth Major Division title in the last seven years.

Simsbury players celebrate after Aiden Girard hit a two-run home run in the second inning on Monday night in the D6 championship game. More photos from the game

For eight of Simsbury’s 12 players, it was their third straight D6 title in three different age categories. They won the D6 title in 2023 in the U10 tournament (ages 8-10), won the Section II title and advanced to the state semifinal. A year ago, this group won the D6 title in the U11 tournament (ages 10-11) to advance to the state tournament.

East Granby/Granby (5-3) was looking for their first D6 Major Division championship. It was their third loss in the finals, having fallen to Simsbury in 2021 and 2023.

East Granby/Granby had two hits. Xavier Sedaris singled to lead off the second inning but when he took too big of a turn off first base, he was thrown out by Simsbury shortstop Brendan Hodgson.

Later in the second inning, East Granby/Granby catcher Michael Magennis doubled to right field. He moved to third base on a Simsbury error but Haberman got the next batter to pop up and end the inning.

Simsbury 11, East Granby/Granby 0 (4)
At Plymouth
EG/Granby (5-3)           000  0  — 0-2-8
Simsbury (8-1)               062  3  — 11-6-1
Eamon Schmutz, Maddox Perry (2) and Michael Magennis; Will Haberman and Brandon Mitchell; WP: Haberman (3-1), LP: Schmutz; 2B: Jackson Fournier (S), HR: Aiden Girard (S); Highlights: Haberman 4 IP, 2 hits, 4 strikeouts, 1 walk; Simsbury advances to state tournament and will begin play in the Section II tournament

Double elimination portion D6 tournament
Monday, June 30
Simsbury 15, Burlington/Harwinton 5
East Granby/Granby 6, Canton 4
Wednesday, July 2
East Granby/Granby 7, Simsbury 5
Canton 7, Burlington/Harwinton 1, Burlington eliminated
Thursday, July 3
Simsbury 19, Canton 7, Canton eliminated
Sunday, July 6
Simsbury 17, East Granby/Granby 10
Monday, July 7
Final: Simsbury 11, East Granby/Granby 0 (4)

Recent District 6 championship games

2024: Simsbury 5, Avon 4
2023: Simsbury 2, East Granby/Granby 0
2022: Burlington/Harwinton 2, Simsbury 1
2021: Simsbury 3, East Granby/Granby 2
2020: Simsbury 8, Tri-Town 2
2019: Simsbury 7, Burlington 1
2018: Avon 10, Simsbury 4
2017: Canton 7, Burlington 0
2016: Avon 12, Simsbury 2
2015: Avon 14, Burlington 2 (4)
2014: Simsbury 10, Burlington 1
2013: Burlington 8, Avon 6
2012: Avon 16, Burlington 4
2011: Avon 11, Torrington Americans 7
2010: Simsbury Americans 9, Avon 7
2009: Avon 12, Simsbury American 2
2008: Burlington 7, Avon 5
2007: Avon 8, Thomaston 0
2006: Simsbury National 4, Avon 3
2005: Avon 15, Simsbury National 5 (4)
2004: Avon 8, Simsbury American 2
2003: Simsbury American 12, Simsbury National 2 (5)
2002: Simsbury American 1, Avon 0
2001: Burlington 8, Torrington National 4
2000: Terryville 6, Torrington National 1
1999: Tri-Town 7, Granby 6
1998: Simsbury National 7, Tri-Town 6
1997: Simsbury American 8, Terryville 3
1996: Torrington American 10, Simsbury National 0
1995: Simsbury 10-9, Terryville 4-6 (best of 3 final)