Stamford Advocate (Sunday)

Darien Little-Leaguers gain national spotlight with Today Show interview

- By Susan Shultz

Darien Little League recently celebrated the end of a shortened summer season in July. They ran two leagues, a senior league, comprised of 11and 12-year-olds and a junior league for 9- and 10-year-olds. The league had about 140 kids participat­e in a fun season of games culminatin­g with a playoff/championsh­ip round.

The senior league capped off its season with a championsh­ip game between the Royal Blue and White team.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, Royal Blue scored a run to tie the game at eight runs each. Royal Blue then loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh inning with one out. Raam Krishnan hit a fly ball to short left field, which was caught by the White team. An attempt for a double play at second base was made. The throw was not in time, the Royal Blue base runner at third, Shane Piasecki, reacted to the play and took off for home, beating the throw at the plate and scoring the winning run to end the game with a 9-8 victory.

In the junior league, Navy Blue also defeated the Red team by a score of 11-9 to end their season.

Earlier in August, members of the Darien Little League were also interviewe­d by the Today Show on NBC. Students talked about the impact of the COVID-19 school shut down and how they felt about going back to school.

One student said that if she could snap her fingers and change anything, she’d “Make the virus go away, or make it so that it never happened. So no one even knows it happened.”

For more informatio­n, visit dybs.org.

 ??  ?? The Navy Blue team included coaches Paul Ust, left, Jeffrey Danile, and Gregory Papajohn. Players included James Papajohn, left, standing, Liam Ust, Leopold Merkt, Dylan Danile Keane Schoen, and Callum Strebel; Conor Urban, left, kneeling, Luke Gallagher, Lucas Hawkins, Grady Lavine, Jackson Marcy, and Garrett Hesse. Not pictured: Coach Matt Hershey and player Mateo Hershey
The Navy Blue team included coaches Paul Ust, left, Jeffrey Danile, and Gregory Papajohn. Players included James Papajohn, left, standing, Liam Ust, Leopold Merkt, Dylan Danile Keane Schoen, and Callum Strebel; Conor Urban, left, kneeling, Luke Gallagher, Lucas Hawkins, Grady Lavine, Jackson Marcy, and Garrett Hesse. Not pictured: Coach Matt Hershey and player Mateo Hershey
 ??  ?? The Royal Blue team — Michael Kniffin, front, left, Pierce Brawley, Will Panda, and Shane Piasecki; Oliver Lefkowitz, back, left, Raam Krishnan, Liam Bortel, Jamie Charney, Rowan Stewart, Alexander Rentz, and Brady Harwick; Coaches included Jake Piasecki, back, left, Noah Charney and manager Chris Harwick. Players not pictured: Owen Craig, Andrew Hershey
The Royal Blue team — Michael Kniffin, front, left, Pierce Brawley, Will Panda, and Shane Piasecki; Oliver Lefkowitz, back, left, Raam Krishnan, Liam Bortel, Jamie Charney, Rowan Stewart, Alexander Rentz, and Brady Harwick; Coaches included Jake Piasecki, back, left, Noah Charney and manager Chris Harwick. Players not pictured: Owen Craig, Andrew Hershey

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