Branford Legion Denied State Championship By Strong Norwalk Pitching

When asked about momentum, Hall of Fame baseball manager Earl Weaver responded, “Momentum? Momentum is the next day’s starting pitcher.”

The phrase rang true in the final of the Connecticut Senior American Legion Tournament on July 30.

Branford had defeated Norwalk 4-1 to force a second game in the double-elimination tournament championship series, held at Muzzy Field in Bristol.

Any momentum Branford gained from the Friday win was stopped by Norwalk’s starter, Leon Fleming, who tossed a complete-game shutout to clinch the championship.

Norwalk scored three runs, two of which were earned, on 10 hits and two walks off of Branford starter Connor Moriarty.

“After last night’s game, we went into the locker room and said, ‘This is done,’” said Norwalk Coach Chris Brown. “They were relaxed and they were ready.”

Fleming, a 2011 graduate of Norwalk High School who will attend Central Connecticut in the fall, allowed six hits and walked two in nine innings of work. Fleming was named to the All-Tournament team and received the Most Valuable Pitcher award.

“He was good, but not so good that we couldn’t score any runs against him,” said Branford Coach Rich Balzano. “Yet we didn’t score any runs against him.”

Branford’s six hits were scattered, with no runner making it past second base and no inning having more than four batters. Left-fielder Alec Jannotta hit two singles in four at-bats.

Mike Forgione, Anthony Pellegrino and Jesse Castaldi also hit singles. Shortstop Oliver Hart hit a double.

“It doesn’t matter what he did the pitch before. It doesn’t matter what the batter did before,” Brown said of his righthander. “It’s always the next pitch with him.”

Moriarty, a lefty, pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing all 10 of Norwalk’s hits and all three runs. Jeff Stoddard came on in relief in the sixth and retired all 10 batters he faced.

Stoddard, who is also a southpaw and earned the win against Greenwich in a complete-game effort on Wednesday, was also named to the All-Tournament team.

Branford did not help itself in the field, as three errors led to one unearned run and extra outs for Norwalk.

Norwalk took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Mike Parlanti led off the game with a double, moved to third on a dropped pop-up, and scored on a double-play grounder to third.

Moriarty struck out the first two batters he faced in the second before allowing back to back singles to Lukas LaBry and Eric Stenger, but then got out of the inning unscathed when he induced Parlanti to fly out to left.

Moriarty ran into trouble again in the fourth when Kevin Cawley led off with a single and moved to second on an error by second baseman Dylan Palluzzi.

With two on and none out, Norwalk attempted a bunt and run, but Scott Angeley could not get the bunt down and Branford catcher Buddy Shea fired to third to catch Cawley in a rundown with Forgione, Hart and Palluzzi.

Moriarty struck out Angeley, walked LaBry and, after giving up a bunt single to Eric Stenger, fanned Parlanti.

LaBry, Stenger and Matt Eberle each had two hits.

Branford had chances in the fourth and seventh innings but could not string anything together to score runs. With one out in the fourth, Pellegrino reached on a walk and Jannotta followed with a single.

Castaldi lined out to third and LaBrey doubled-off Pellegrino at second to end the inning.

Branford had first and second with one out again in the seventh—with Pellegrino on second after a single and Castaldi on first after a walk—but Fleming fanned Stoddard and induced Alex Velardi to ground out to third.

“We hit, we just hit them at somebody,” said Balzano.

Norwalk added two more runs in the fifth. Matt Eberle led off the inning with a base hit and Spencer Jacoby and Kevin Daniele followed with singles to load the bases.

A misplay by Palluzzi on a ball to second led to a run by Eberle. Daniele scored on a 1-4-3 double-play hit into by Fleming.

In his 3 1/3 innings of relief, Stoddard struck out six batters.

“It was a great run. The kids did awesome,” Balzano said of his team. “They had their backs against the wall all week. They had a lot of fun and they worked hard.”

Also making the All-Tournament Team from Branford were Shea, Forgione, Hart and Moriarty, as an outfielder. For Norwalk, Cawley made All-Tournament at first base and Parlanti at outfield. Cawley won the tournament batting crown and Jacoby won tournament MVP.

Norwalk will advance to the Northeast Regional Tournament in Old Orchard Beach, Maine from Aug. 4 to 8 to seek a bid to the American Legion World Series.