Fairfield American takes down North Branford for Section I title

ORANGE » It could have been a close game in the Little League Section 1 final at Henry Roche Field on Saturday night, but Fairfield American refused to let North Branford get away with any miscue whatsoever.

Two big innings gave Fairfield American a 9-0 win as it seeks its sixth state championship in eight years.

“Fortunately, we’ve been doing that all summer,” Fairfield American manager Mike Randazzo said. “No one waits for the next person to do something.”

All but one Fairfield American run was unearned against North Branford’s ledger.

But big hits after those miscues — Michael Iannazzo’s RBI triple in the bottom of the second, Matthew Vivona’s three-run home run in the fifth to provide the final margin — made for big innings.

“They’re a solid team, top-to-bottom,” North Branford manager Joe Mascari said. “It’s actually exhausting trying to get those guys out. You get one, then there’s another and another.”

Fairfield American moves on with the other three sectional winners to the double-elimination state tournament, at Adams Middle School in Guilford. Its first opponent is Wallingford on Friday at 5:30 p.m.

“We just need to keep hitting the ball,” Fairfield American’s Ethan Righter said. “If we keep going that way, we should be as good as other Fairfield American teams in past years.”

North Branford had last won District 4 nine years ago. It’s last win in a sectional game was in 1999, when it won the state championship.

“I’m proud of the boys,” Mascari said. “They’ve come a long way. They’ve battled through games. Like I said, (Fairfield American) is a really strong team. I wish them well.”