The North Branford Thunderbirds defeated the St. Paul Bristol Falcons to win the CIAC Class S state softball championship.
STORRS, CT — Regardless of who won Sunday's CIAC Class S girls softball title game, history would be made as both teams competed for their school's first state championship.
But in the end, it was the North Branford High School Thunderbirds and their calm junior hurler Lauren Vitarisi who walked out of Storrs with a 4-2 win over St. Paul High School in Bristol.
It all prompted North Branford softball coach Nicolas DeLizio to call this squad a "legacy team," one that, after nearly a decade of conference dominance, finally was able to win a state title.
He said his pals jokingly reminded him of that absence of state glory. "Absolutely," an elated DeLizio said after the game. "My friends reminded me of that all the time."
He said, ultimately, a championship was what he wanted his players to experience, and they did.
"You want it for the players," DeLizio said. "You want them to experience that joy."
With two RBIs in the title game, junior Ava Ryszczyk was the game's most valuable player.
It was especially gratifying for her, as she missed her freshman and sophomore seasons recovering from hip surgery.
Needless to say, she's back.
"It feels great," Ryszczyk said after receiving her trophy and medal. "It means a lot to me.. I'm so happy for all of the girls. I feel like we earned it, and we were all ready to work together."
It was a battle of Class S powerhouses, with the top-seed Thunderbirds carrying a 22-1 total record going into Sunday's game. The second-seed St. Paul Falcons, coached by Gary Hovhanessian, were nearly as good, 21-2.
Both were looking for their program's first-ever state championship, with history along with a winner's plaque the goal.
The Class S game was the first of four taking place on a cloudy Father's Day at the Burrill Family Field Softball Complex at the University of Connecticut in Storrs.
Originally slated for Saturday, June 14, the slate of softball championships was moved to Sunday and a more promising weather forecast.
The Thunderbirds retired St. Paul at the start of the game, despite allowing one hit
Then, in North Branford's half of the first, senior captain Adrianna Hills led off with a single to center, which was quickly followed by a double to right by senior co-captain Alexa Falcioni.
With runners on second and third and one out, Ryszcyk singled to left, driving in Hills for the game's first run, giving North Branford a 1-0 lead off.
North Branford got another run when Falcioni scored on an out and carried a 2-0 lead after one inning.
The good start gave Vitarisi a boost, and she quickly shut down St. Paul in the second.
In the bottom of the third, sophomore St. Paul hurler Breyona Demora walked Hills, who then stole second.
With two outs, Hills scored when Ryszczyk singled up the middle, extending the Thunderbird lead to 3-0.
In the top of the fourth, St. Paul sophomore Julia Koziak led off with a single to right, then stole second on a Falcon strikeout.
She scored on a single that went past North Branford's first baseman, getting the Falcons on the board and cutting the deficit to 3-1.
But two pop-up outs got Vitarisi out of the inning, and the damage was limited.
Demora, however, settled down for St. Paul and proved to be stingy, and she was able to keep the deficit within striking distance in the game's late innings.
Then, the Falcons struck and threatened to take over the game.
St. Paul senior Taylor Williams led off the top of the sixth with an infield single, just beating out the throw from third base.
She advanced to second on an error by the North Branford third baseman, which put runners on first and second before a St. Paul single loaded the bases.
With the bases loaded and nobody out, the Falcons pulled a run back on a sacrifice fly by Koziak, scoring Williams and cutting the lead to 3-2.
Then, with two outs and runners on second and third, Vitaris got a soft lineout by St. Paul sophomore Lilliana McCulloch to keep the lead 3-2, North Branford.
That was the inning that could have ended North Branford's run, but Vitarisi calmly pitched out of it.
It was something she said she knew she could do.
"I knew what I could do," Vitarisi said calmly after the game. "It's definitely a little nerve-wracking having all those people on base."
The nerves calmed just slightly when North Brnaord scratched out another run in the last inning.
North Branford sophomore Alia Martone led off the bottom of the sixth with an infield single in the hole at short.
With one out, she stole second as the Thunderbirds desperately sought an insurance run.
That run came when Martone scored on a bloop single to left by junior Madison DiStefano with two outs, giving North Branford a 4-2 lead.
Boosted by that crucial run, Vitarisi took the mound in the top of the seventh with a chance to win the school's first-ever title.
She quickly retired St. Paul on a popup and a lineout, setting the stage for the last, history-making out — a popout to short and wild cheering in the center of the infield.
Vitarisi said those first two outs, on a total of three pitches, gave her no doubt of the outcome and allowed her to breathe a sigh of relief.
When it was over, Vitarisi said she and her teammates felt just as happy for their coach as themselves.
Their coach, however, said it was the players who deserved the praise. Said DeLizio: "It was on them this year. They said they were going to go for it."