CIAC softball tournament preivew
CLASS LL STORYLINES SOUTHINGTON'S NATIONAL RECORD:
Last season when Southington won its third straight Class LL state tournament, it broke the national record for most state titles with 20. This year Southington (23-0) has been the GameTimeCT Poll’s No. 1 team throughout the season, outscoring opponents 241-11.
The Blue Knights have been led by the pitching duo of Stella Blanchard and Maddie Furniss. Blanchard has arguably been the best pitcher in the state, going 13-0 with a 0.00 ERA, having only let up one unearned run in 71 innings pitched. She has only allowed 15 hits and 10 walks (0.35 WHIP) while recording 151 strikeouts.
Furniss has been dominant in her own right with a 0.36 ERA, having allowed four runs (three earned) on 17 hits and 15 walks over 58 innings pitched (0.55 WHIP). She has stuck out 104 batters.
Southington is the favorite to win a fourth straight title, but both No. 2 Fairfield Ludlowe and No. 3 Newtown, among others, hope to dethrone the perennial champion.
LUDLOWE'S LAST HURDLE: Fairfield Ludlowe has been on the cusp of its first state title for three years, all with the group of seven seniors leading the team this season. While Ludlowe (22-1) has found success winning three straight conference titles, it has just fallen short in the state tournament.
In 2021, Ludlowe was defeated by Southington in the Class LL championship game, 4-3 on a walk-off single. Those girls have not forgotten that loss. Then last year Ludlowe was upended in the Class LL semifinal, once again by Southington, 7-3.
Pitchers Alex Lewey and Anna Gedacht have combined for a 0.98 ERA and a 0.90 WHIP in 147.2 innings pitched with 227 strikeouts between them. Offensively, Ludlowe has slashed .387/.473/.533 (1.006 OPS) with 15 home runs, 11 of which have come from senior center fielder Chelsea Villar.
The bracket is difficult for Ludlowe this year, as it could face SCC champion Amity in the quarterfinal, and potentially SWC champion Newtown in the semifinal.
TOP PLAYERS Sydney Adolfson, Newtown:
The senior ace has led Newtown to a 21-2 record and its first SWC title since 2016. Now she will try to bring Newtown back to a state final, which is has never won, for the first time since 2010.
Stella Blanchard, Southington: The Southington ace has a 0.00 ERA, having only allowed one unearned run in 71 innings pitched. She has surrendered 15 hits and 10 walks (0.35 WHIP) while recording 151 strikeouts.
Grace Carrington, Amity:
The Maryland commit hit a go-ahead home run against Jonathan Law to send Amity to the SCC championship game, which it won. She homered twice in the tournament to push her season total to 10. She is slashing .494/.522/1.024 (1.547 OPS).
Maddie Pickett, Ridgefield:
The Ridgefield ace pitched well enough to earn Ridgefield a spot as the No. 4 seed with a first round bye. Ridgefield has only allowed 17 runs.
Karissa Spring, Cheshire:
The Cheshire ace has been among the top in the state and is committed to Manhattan.
SEEDED UPSETS
No. 5 NFA over No. 4 Ridgefield, Quarterfinal
ALDAM'S PICKS
FINAL FOUR: Southington, Ludlowe, Newtown, NFA
CHAMPIONSHIP: Southington over Newtown
CLASS L STORYLINES
CAN MASUK MAKE IT FIVE IN A ROW: Masuk has won the last four Class L championships and will enter this year as the No. 4 seed with a first round bye. Masuk lost its first SWC championship in six seasons to Newtown, but it has only lost to Class LL teams this season (Newtown twice, Ludlowe, and Southington).
As a team, Masuk is slashing .361/.465/.583 (1.048 OPS) while sophomore ace Julia Bacoulis has a 2.08 ERA with 177 strikeouts in 114.1 innings pitched.
Masuk’s bracket has the potential to be extremely difficult, with either ECC champion Waterford or Fitch in the second round, Windsor in the quarterfinal, and potentially NCCC champion Ellington or SCC runner-up and No. 1 seed North Haven in the semifinal round.
BRISTOL CENTRAL MOVES TO L:
Bristol Central proved just good it is in 1-0 CCC championship game loss to Southington. Last year Bristol Central made it to the Class LL championship
game, which it also lost to Southington.
This year the Rams enter the Class L tournament as the No. 2 seed behind its DI bound pitching duo of Sophia Torreso and Alex Sciarretto. Torreso, headed to George Washington, has a 0.58 ERA with 216 strikeouts in 108 innings pitched. Sciarretto, headed to Stonehill, has a 0.75 ERA with 34 strikeouts in 28 innings pitched.
As a team, the Rams have slashed .350/.430/.504 (.935 OPS), led by Kelsea Laird, who is hitting .542 with three home runs and holds a 1.384 OPS. Bristol Central has not won a state title since 1985.
SCC BOOKENDS: The No. 1 seed in the tournament is SCC runner-up North Haven which lost to Amity by one run in the championship game for its first loss of the year. On the opposite side of the bracket sits No. 3 Jonathan Law, which also lost to Amity by one run, but in the SCC semifinal round.
The two SCC regular season division winners both have an outside shot at redemption after being upset by No. 6 Amity in the conference tournament. Jonathan Law ace Maddy Bull has a 0.85 ERA with 254 strikeouts in 157.1 innings pitched and will try to help Law win its first title since 1980.
North Haven will have to potentially get past Masuk if it wants a chance to win its first title since 2008.
TOP PLAYERS
Maddy Bull, Jonathan Law: The sophomore ace has a 0.85 ERA and has struck out 254 batters in 157.1 innings pitched while slashing .481/.584/.722 (1.306 OPS).
Alyssa DiGiovanna, North Haven:
The outfielder has slashed .405/.478/.670 (1.149 OPS) with four home runs, 22 RBIs and 36 runs scored in her sophomore season.
Camryn Fisher, Ellington: The sophomore is coming off a shutout of Coventry in the NCCC championship game. She holds a 0.50 ERA and has 251 strikeouts in 112 innings pitched.
Natalie Lieto, Masuk: The junior center fielder has slashed a ridiculous .500/.642/1.206 (1.848 OPS) with 10 home runs, 38 RBIs, and 39 runs scored.
Sophia Torreso, Bristol Central: The senior ace has a 0.58 ERA with 216 strikeouts in 108 innings pitched and is slashing .457/.535/.571 (1.106 OPS).
SEEDED UPSETS
No. 22 Bristol Eastern over No. 11 Nonnewaug, First Round
ALDAM'S PICKS
FINAL FOUR: North Haven, Masuk, Bristol Central, Jonathan Law
CHAMPIONSHIP: Bristol Central over Masuk
CLASS M STORYLINES
WOODLAND TITLE DEFENSE: Woodland saw its 49-game winning streak come to an end as it lost 3-0 in the NVL final to Oxford, which it had defeated in the Class M state championship last season. The Hawks were attempting to win a third straight conference title, but will now turn their focus toward a second straight state title.
Sam Sosnovich has been a force on both sides of the ball for Woodland (22-1). The senior owns a 1.00 ERA with 175 strikeouts in 98 innings pitched while slashing .549/571/1.024 (1.596 OPS) with seven home runs, 45 RBIs and 31 runs scored.
As a team, Woodland is slashing .492/.537/.733 (1.270 OPS) with 22 home runs in 23 games played. Woodland will enter the tournament as the No. 1 seed and will get a first round bye.
OXFORD REVENGE TOUR: Oxford has won two state titles in program history, back in 2013 and 2015, but last year’s 4-0 loss to Woodland in the championship game is fresh in mind. Shay Webb, who lost in the championship game last year, has already gotten a taste of revenge against the Hawks.
Webb threw a complete game shutout in the NVL final to snap their 49-game winning streak.
Oxford will attempt to pull off one more upset as it enters the Class M tournament as the No. 14 seed against No. 19 Wolcott. Oxford would have to get past No. 3 Watertown, an NVL foe, in the second round.
TOP PLAYERS
Nadia Andarowski, Watertown: Has a season slash line of .459/.566/.852 (1.418 OPS) with five home runs, 29 RBIs, and 23 runs scored while going 12-3 with a 1.54 ERA. She has 223 strikeouts in 118.1 innings pitched.
Katelyn Bailey, Mercy: The senior third baseman has slashed .525/.659/1.114 (1.774 OPS) with eight home runs, 29 RBIs and 37 runs scored.
Kaleigh Bodak, Haddam-Killingworth: The senior has gone 15-5 with a 1.04 ERA with 134 strikeouts in 114.1 innings pitched, while slashing .373/.434/.582 (1.016 OPS)
Sam Sosnovich, Woodland: The senior has a 1.00 ERA with 175 strikeouts in 98 innings pitched while slashing .549/571/1.024 (1.596 OPS) with seven home runs, 45 RBIs and 31 runs scored.
Shay Webb, Oxford: Webb led her team to the Class M championship game last year but lost to Woodland. She earned some revenge last week, throwing a complete game three-hitter against Woodland to snap its 49-game win streak and claim the NVL title.
SEEDED UPSETS
No. 18 SHA over No. 15 Weaver, First Round; No. 23 RHAM over No. 10 Stonington, First Round; No. 22 Plainfield over No. 11 Comp Sci.,. First Round; No. 14 Oxford over No. 3 Watertown, Second Round
ALDAM'S PICKS
FINAL FOUR: Woodland, Oxford, RHAM, Haddam-Killingworth
CHAMPIONSHIP: Woodland over Oxford
CLASS S STORYLINES
NORTH BRANFORD LOOKS FOR FIRST STATE TITLE: North Branford has won eight straight Shoreline Conference championships, but in the last two years has just fell short of its ultimate goal of winning a state title. The Thunderbirds lost in the Class M championship game to Seymour 6-0 in 2021, and then lost the Class S title 3-0 to Cromwell last year.
Kiley Mullins will return to the circle for her third state tournament and will look to help lead her program to its first state championship, which it has lost in all four of its previous appearances. North Branford enters the tournament as the No. 2 seed and will get a first round bye, though it has a difficult bracket with the winner of Immaculate/Coginchaug in its first game.
SHORELINE BATTLES: A shoreline conference softball team has won the last two Class S titles, and the conference has plenty of title contenders this season. Cromwell, the defending champion, returns ace Lily Kenney as the No. 11 seed. Old Lyme, led by Shoreline Pitcher of the Year Emma Bayor, also could make a deep run as the No. 3 seed.
No. 18 Coginchaug, which won the tournament in 2021, will also represent the conference. Despite there being four conference rivals in the tournament, they are all on the same side of the bracket and will begin eliminating each other in the second round.
TOP PLAYERS
Emma Bayor, Old Lyme: Has gone 17-3 with a 0.56 ERA, recording 253 strikeouts in 125.1 innings pitched to win SLC Pitcher of the Year. She is slashing .429/.579/.892 (1.472 OPS) with five home runs, 25 RBIs and 29 runs.
Amelia Jacob, Shepaug: The ace holds a 0.50 ERA and has struck out 270 batters in 111 innings pitched. Her season low for strikeouts in a game was 10 in a 1-0 loss to Newtown. She is also slashing .360/.500/.820 (1.320 OPS) with four home runs.
Lily Kenney, Cromwell: Kenney was pitching when Cromwell won the Class S championship last year and will look to reclaim the title. She has a 0.82 ERA with 259 strikeouts in 146 innings pitched.
Elizabeth Mitchell, Coventry: The junior ace has gone 22-2 with a 0.94 ERA and 231 strikeouts in 149 innings pitched. She is also slashing .481/.517/.805 (1.322 OPS) with 26 RBIs and 38 runs scored.
Natalia Lucibello, North Branford: The junior has slashed .434/.476/.789 (1.265 OPS) with four home runs, 22 RBIs and 26 runs scored.
SEEDED UPSETS
No. 11 Cromwell over No. 22 Hale Ray, First Round
ALDAM'S PICKS
FINAL FOUR: Coventry, North Branford, Shepaug, Old Lyme CHAMPIONSHIP: North Branford over Coventry