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STORRS – Two years ago, the St. Paul softball team ran into North Branford in the Class S state tournament quarterfinals and won.
Last year, the two teams met again, this time at UConn for the Class S championship. North Branford won.
Saturday night the game at the Class S state final, as St. Paul coach Gary Hovhanessian put it, was “the rubber match” – once again against North Branford. No. 1 St. Paul put on a hitting display, batting around in the sixth inning and scoring six runs, and the Falcons won their first softball title, 11-3, at UConn’s Burrill Family Field. The Falcons joined their baseball team, which had won a little earlier in the afternoon, as Class S champions.
“Incredible,” Hovhanessian said. “A piece of this goes to every kid that’s ever put on the uniform. There were some kids here who had been on past teams. Our pitcher from the 2017 team was here.”
It was St. Paul’s third championship game appearance. Junior pitcher Breyona Demora, who had 12 strikeouts and gave up three hits and a walk, was named the game’s Most Valuable Player for the Falcons (25-2).
Last year, St. Paul lost 4-2 to North Branford in the final.
“That motivated us a lot,” said third baseman Bella McCulloch, one of three senior starters on the team. “I did want North Branford again. I wanted to get revenge from last year. They’re a great team. Super nice.”
St. Paul had 14 hits. Sophomore Kaitlyn Wood had three hits and junior Sydney Yanavich drove in three runs.
In the first inning, Bella’s younger sister Lily McCulloch, a junior, reached on an error, stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a fielders choice by her twin sister Laila McCulloch to give the Falcons a 1-0 lead.
North Branford tied the score in the second when Addy Wyatt singled and scored on a fielders choice but St. Paul went ahead in the bottom of the inning. Demora doubled and scored on a single by Yanavich and Yanavich scored on a Julia Kozlak single and the Falcons led 3-1. They picked up another run in the fourth when Wood doubled and scored on a Lily McCulloch single.
Bella McCulloch singled and scored on a sacrifice fly by Yanavich in the fifth to give St. Paul a 5-1 lead.
St. Paul batted around in the sixth inning and scored six more runs to make it 11-1.
“Once we got to the sixth inning, (the seniors) were going, ‘This could be my last at-bat, this could be my last at-bat,’” Hovhanessian said. “On base, on base. (No. 9 batter and senior) Stella (Boucino) made it around again and got another base hit. Outstanding.”
On a 3-2 count with two out in the top of the seventh, North Branford’s Madi DiStefano hit a two-run homer over the outfield fence. Demora struck out the last batter and celebrated with her teammates.
“I’m very happy,” Lily McCulloch said. “We came into the game thinking we were going to have a really good game.
“We thought (last year) was going to be a tough game and it was. They hit the ball very well. We all hit the ball way better this year.”
Class S championship
St. Paul 11, North Branford 3
North Branford 010 000 2 – 3 4 4
St. Paul 120 116 x – 11 14 1
WP-Breyona Demora; LP-Lauren Vitarisi.
Records: North Branford, 24-3; St. Paul, 25-2.
Continue reading...
Last year, the two teams met again, this time at UConn for the Class S championship. North Branford won.
Saturday night the game at the Class S state final, as St. Paul coach Gary Hovhanessian put it, was “the rubber match” – once again against North Branford. No. 1 St. Paul put on a hitting display, batting around in the sixth inning and scoring six runs, and the Falcons won their first softball title, 11-3, at UConn’s Burrill Family Field. The Falcons joined their baseball team, which had won a little earlier in the afternoon, as Class S champions.
“Incredible,” Hovhanessian said. “A piece of this goes to every kid that’s ever put on the uniform. There were some kids here who had been on past teams. Our pitcher from the 2017 team was here.”
It was St. Paul’s third championship game appearance. Junior pitcher Breyona Demora, who had 12 strikeouts and gave up three hits and a walk, was named the game’s Most Valuable Player for the Falcons (25-2).
Last year, St. Paul lost 4-2 to North Branford in the final.
“That motivated us a lot,” said third baseman Bella McCulloch, one of three senior starters on the team. “I did want North Branford again. I wanted to get revenge from last year. They’re a great team. Super nice.”
St. Paul had 14 hits. Sophomore Kaitlyn Wood had three hits and junior Sydney Yanavich drove in three runs.
In the first inning, Bella’s younger sister Lily McCulloch, a junior, reached on an error, stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a fielders choice by her twin sister Laila McCulloch to give the Falcons a 1-0 lead.
North Branford tied the score in the second when Addy Wyatt singled and scored on a fielders choice but St. Paul went ahead in the bottom of the inning. Demora doubled and scored on a single by Yanavich and Yanavich scored on a Julia Kozlak single and the Falcons led 3-1. They picked up another run in the fourth when Wood doubled and scored on a Lily McCulloch single.
Bella McCulloch singled and scored on a sacrifice fly by Yanavich in the fifth to give St. Paul a 5-1 lead.
St. Paul batted around in the sixth inning and scored six more runs to make it 11-1.
“Once we got to the sixth inning, (the seniors) were going, ‘This could be my last at-bat, this could be my last at-bat,’” Hovhanessian said. “On base, on base. (No. 9 batter and senior) Stella (Boucino) made it around again and got another base hit. Outstanding.”
On a 3-2 count with two out in the top of the seventh, North Branford’s Madi DiStefano hit a two-run homer over the outfield fence. Demora struck out the last batter and celebrated with her teammates.
“I’m very happy,” Lily McCulloch said. “We came into the game thinking we were going to have a really good game.
“We thought (last year) was going to be a tough game and it was. They hit the ball very well. We all hit the ball way better this year.”
Class S championship
St. Paul 11, North Branford 3
North Branford 010 000 2 – 3 4 4
St. Paul 120 116 x – 11 14 1
WP-Breyona Demora; LP-Lauren Vitarisi.
Records: North Branford, 24-3; St. Paul, 25-2.
Continue reading...
