Waterford wins Connecticut Section 3 Little League softball championship

District 10 champs beat H-K and reach state tourney Final 4

Stonington — Nobody would have blamed Waterford coach Brian Majeski for being a little nervous Thursday night, what with the Connecticut Section 3 championship game against a team — Haddam-Killingworth — that had beaten Waterford 4-3 earlier this week.

"I have to admit," Majeski said later, "I wasn't nervous at all."

Majeski's team rewarded his serenity with a nearly flawless 7-0 win in the sectional finals at the Pawcatuck Little League complex, sending Waterford to the four-team Connecticut Little League Softball (10-12) tournament beginning Friday night in Durham against Section 4 Windsor at 5:30 p.m.

Section 1 winner Milford plays Section 2 champion Wallingford at 8 p.m.

"We've been playing well," Majeski said, not long after his players took a victory lap. "I had all the faith in the world in them. Their attitude is phenomenal."

And so was winning pitcher Lexi Collins, who finished with a two-hitter. Collins yielded a single to the first hitter of the game and one hit the rest of the way. Her teammates did the rest.

"It's the fruits of all their hard work," Majeski said. "They get along so well off the field and it shows on the field. We expect them to make plays because they can."

Waterford, the District 10 champion, took a 2-0 lead in the second after Melody Martin's RBI single scored Amelia Podeszwa, who walked and

“We've been playing well. I had all the faith in the world in them. Their attitude is phenomenal.” WATERFORD’S BRIAN MAJESKI

stole second. Bella Correa's sacrifice fly scored Paige Jessuck to make it 2-0.

Zoe Zito's RBI single made it 3-0, scoring Lyra DeAngelis, who led off with a walk.

DeAngelis followed an inning later with a bunt single that scored a run to make it 4-0.

Zito's RBI single in the fifth gave Waterford a 5-0 lead before Grace Muti (RBI double) and Podeszwa (RBI triple) made it 7-0.

DeAngelis put an exclamation point on the win with a leaping catch in left for the game's final out.

From Pawcatuck on Thursday night to Coginchaug in Durham for the state tournament tonight.

"I'm not changing a thing," Majeski said. "I'll tell the kids the same thing: on to the next challenge.

“I don't know if we'll win 1-0 or lose 50-0, but I know that we'll compete." m.dimauro@theday.com

SEAN D. ELLIOT/THE DAY Waterford’s Lyra DeAngelis, right, begins to celebrate in left field after making a leaping catch for the final out of Waterford’s 7-0 win over Haddam-Killingworth in Thursday’s Connecticut Section 3 Little League softball final at the Pawcatuck Little League complex. Visit www.theday.com to view a photo gallery.

SEAN D. ELLIOT/THE DAY Teammates mob Waterford’s Lyra DeAngelis, center, after she made a leaping catch in left field for the final out of Waterford’s 7-0 win over Haddam-Killingworth in the Connecticut Section 3 Little League (1012) softball final at the Pawcatuck Little League complex on Thursday night.