Voters in the Register Top 10 softball poll had quite the dilemma when both Seymour and Foran, the teams that occupied the top two spots in the previous poll, lost in state tournament play last week.

At the conclusion of championship weekend, several teams emerged as candidates to finish No. 1, including Class L champion Rockville and Class M winner Rocky Hill. Class LL champion Amity was also in the mix.

Rockville defeated Foran in the championship game, while Rocky Hill knocked off the state’s lone unbeaten team, Seymour, in the semifinals.

But after all the ballots were tabulated, Rocky Hill landed at the top.

Read more here.

Here's the ballot I submitted for the final Register Top 10 Softball Poll of the season.

It was a tough call between Class L champion Rockville and Class M champion Rocky Hill. The two split their regular season games with Rockville winning 2-0 and Rocky Hill emerging with a 15-3 win. Rockville also lost to Bristol Central. Rocky Hill defeated Class LL finalist Southington during the regular season.

Some consideration had to go to Class LL champion Amity, but the Spartans lost to Class L finalist Foran three times. I just couldn't vote Amity ahead of Foran because of that reason.

In the end, I went with Rocky Hill. After seeing every major contender this season, I thought the Terriers were just a bit better than Rockville.


1. Rocky Hill
2. Rockville
3. Foran
4. Amity
5. Seymour
6. Southington
7. Westhill
8. Maloney
9. Coginchaug
10. Brookfield
11. Granby
12. Waterford
13. Darien
14. Masuk
15. Law

 STRATFORD — When Foran tied the game in the fifth inning, it appeared the top-seeded Lions had righted the ship after a somewhat disappointing start to the Class L state championship.

But Foran’s third error of the contest in the sixth inning allowed No. 3 Rockville to score the deciding run and deny the Lions their second straight title.

The Rams, led by junior pitcher Kaitlyn Lajoie, set the Lions down in order in the bottom of the seventh and hung on for a 3-2 victory before an estimated 1,200 Saturday at DeLuca Field.

Read more here.

ROCKY HILL WINS IN CLASS M

Senior pitcher Megan Ruonavaara allowed just five hits, struck out six and helped her cause with a three-run double to lead the fourth-seeded Rocky Hill softball team to a 6-0 victory over No. 3 Granby in the Class M state championship game Saturday at DeLuca Field in Stratford.

Ruonavaara was named the game’s most valuable player. It is the first state title for the Terriers (22-1).

Erin Weber had two hits, a run and an RBI for Rocky Hill, while teammates Emily Thompson and Katie Seaver each added two hits.

Sam Groskritz had two hits for the Bears (23-2). 

STRATFORD — Catch the ball. Then celebrate.

That’s what went through the mind of Amity first baseman C.J. Semones when a foul pop up came her way with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Semones made the catch, then the senior slammed the ball to the dirt and joined her teammates in celebration.

Despite a furious Southington rally in the final inning, the sixth-seeded Spartans held off the No. 1 Blue Knights 10-6 to capture the Class LL state softball championship Friday at DeLuca Field. It was the fifth state title for Amity (23-5), and first since 2005.

Read more here.

WEST HAVEN — Even before she threw one pitch in Friday’s Class S state softball championship game, Coginchaug’s Lauren Esposito had cemented her place as one of the most prolific winners ever at the Durham school.

She then went out and made history anyway.

The Blue Devils captured their 11th state softball title — and first since 2008 — with a 6-0 victory over St. Bernard’s Friday at Biondi Field.

Esposito, a senior left-hander, blanked the Saints with a mesmerizing assortment of fastballs, breaking pitches and change-ups. She struck out 11, walked two and never allowed a Saints’ base runner to reach third base. Esposito also drove in three runs and was named the game’s most outstanding player.

Read more from Jimmy Zanor here.

WOODBRIDGE — A relaxed attitude has carried the Amity softball team all the way to the Class LL state championship game.

Some nerves are expected before first pitch tonight when the sixth-seeded Spartans face No. 1 Southington at 7 at DeLuca Field in Stratford. But Amity coach Bob Purcell hopes his team remembers the motto that helped guide the Spartans to the final.

“We call it ‘let’s have fun playing softball with our friends,’ ” Purcell said.







Read more here.

COGINCHAUG HOPES TO FINISH STORY

They’re a happy-go-lucky, ragtag group of softball players headed for a state championship game. It’s a storyline fit for a musical, really.

In fact, Mari Handley and Marissa Puchalski are already working on the lyrics.

“We’re 22-4 and we’re looking for more,” sang Handley, Coginchaug’s ace pitcher, as the team stretched out before Wednesday’s practice. There are a few more songs, Puchalski said, and the team’s even putting together a dance number.

OK, it’s a work in progress.


Read more from Middletown Press sports editor Joe Pelletier here.

Via press release.

Waterford senior pitcher  Kelli Connors has been named the  Gatorade State Player of the Year. Connors is the first player from Waterford to be selected with this honor.

The 5-foot-9 senior right-hander led the Lancers to a 24-2 record. The Lancers win a fourth straight ECC title and advanced to the Class M state semifinals. A two-time returning Class M All-State selection, Connors owned a 20-1 record in the circle with a 0.87 ERA and 151 strikeouts in 137 innings-pitched entering the final four. She batted .379 with one home run and 19 RBI through 25 games. A member of Waterford’s 2009 and 2010 Class M state championship teams, she entered the state tournament with a 67-4 career pitching record.

Also a volleyball standout, Connors has maintained a 3.04 GPA in the classroom. In addition to donating her time as a youth softball instructor, she has volunteered as a physical education teacher’s assistant at The Friendship School and on behalf of The Colby Sousa Scholarship Fund.

“She’s a hard-working kid,” said Kate Peruzzotti, head coach at rival Fitch High. “What I admire most about her is how well she’s done over the past four years—just the growth has been amazing, how she’s dominated in the circle over her entire high school career. It says a lot about her. She’s been remarkable.”

Connors has signed a National Letter of Intent to play softball on scholarship at Florida Southern College this fall.

WEST HAVEN — With one out in the bottom of the 11th inning and Rocky Hill up by a run, Seymour reached on an infield error.

That didn’t seem to faze Terriers’ pitcher Megan Ruonavaara, who seemed to only get stronger the longer this Class M state softball semifinal contest lasted.

Fittingly, Ruonavaara recorded the final outs to send Rocky Hill to the championship game.

Ruonavaara snagged a line drive off the bat of Katie Petroski and then threw over to first for a game-ending double play as the Terriers emerged with a thrilling 1-0 victory over top-seeded, and previously undefeated Seymour Tuesday at Biondi Field. Seymour entered as the No. 1 team in the Register Poll.

Read more here.

Class LL
Friday
at DeLuca Field, Stratford 
No. 1 Southington vs. No. 6 Amity, 7 p.m.

Class L
Saturday
at DeLuca Field, Stratford
No. 1 Foran vs. No. 3 Rockville, 7 p.m.

Class M
Saturday
at DeLuca Field, Stratford
No. 3 Granby vs. No. 4 Rocky Hill, 3 p.m.

Class S
Friday
at West Haven
No. 2 Coginchaug vs. No. 20 St. Bernard, 7 p.m.

STRATFORD — With Amity clinging to a one-run lead, the Spartans’ sophomore pitcher Heather Ferranti allowed the first two Westhill batters to reach safely on singles in the bottom of the seventh inning.

But Ferranti didn’t panic or buckle under the pressure with a spot in the Class LL state championship game on the line.

She quickly got a pop out, and then struck out the next two batters as sixth-seeded Amity survived with a 4-3 victory over the No. 2 Vikings in the semifinals Monday at DeLuca Field.

The Spartans (22-5) will face No. 1 Southington in the championship, likely on Friday night. Amity will seek its fifth title and is playing in the final for the first time since 2006.




Read more here.


Class L: Foran walks-off with win against Brookfield
Class S: Handley leads Coginchaug past  Morgan

Monday's results

Class LL
Semifinals
Amity 4, Westhill 3
Southington 5, Masuk 1
Class L
Semifinals
Foran 2, Brookfield 1 (8)
Quarterfinals
Maloney 2, Bethel 1
Class M
Quarterfinals
Granby 5, Griswold 1
Class S
Semifinals
Coginchaug 8, Morgan 2

Tuesday's Schedule

Class L
Semifinals
at DeLuca Field, Stratford, 7 p.m.
Maloney vs. Rockville
Class M
Semifinals
at West Haven
Granby vs. Waterford, 4 p.m.
Seymour vs. Rocky Hill, 7 p.m.
Class S
Semifinals
at De Luca Field, 4 p.m.
Canton vs. St. Bernard

FRIDAY

CLASS LL
FINAL
at DeLuca Field, Stratford, 7 p.m.
No. 6 Amity vs. No .1 Southington

Here's the schedule for semifinals games.


CLASS LL
Monday
at DeLuca Field, Stratford
No. 1 Southington vs. No. 4 Masuk, 4 p.m..
No. 2 Westhill vs. No. 6 Amity, 7 p.m.

CLASS L
Monday
at West Haven
No. 1 Foran vs. No. 5 Brookfield, 4 p.m.
Tuesday
at DeLuca Field, Stratford
No. 3 Rockville vs. No. 2 Maloney/No. 7 Bethel, 7 p.m.

CLASS M
Tuesday
at West Haven
No. 1 Seymour vs. No. 4 Rocky Hill, 7 p.m.
No. 2 Waterford vs. No. 3 Granby/No. 11 Griswold, 4 p.m.

CLASS S
Tuesday
at DeLuca Field, Stratford
No. 8 Canton vs. No. 20 St. Bernard, 4 p.m.
Monday
at West Haven
No. 2 Coginchaug vs. No. 6 Morgan, 7 p.m.

MILFORD — With top-seeded Foran clinging to a one-run lead, visiting Wethersfield had its best opportunity to score in the top of the sixth inning.

Lions sophomore pitcher Jess Harkness allowed a leadoff walk to the Eagles’ Kristen Linnartz, who was then sacrificed to second. But as she’s done all season long, Harkness kept her poise and worked out of the jam by striking out the next two batters.

Foran, ranked second in the Register Top 10 Poll, scraped together enough hits and Harkness did the rest as the Lions recorded a 4-0 victory in the Class L state quarterfinals Friday.









Coginchaug advances in Class S

Amity rallies past Darien in Class LL

Top-seeded Foran advanced to the Class L state semifinals after a 4-0 victory over No. 8 seed Wethersfield in the quarterfinals on Friday in Milford.

Fallon Bevino had a hit, RBI and scored twice for Foran (24-1). Alyssa Puccilli added a two-run single as part of a three-run sixth inning.

Sophomore pitcher Jess Harkness allowed just two hits, one walk and struck out 10.