Southington Boys Soccer, Down A Senior Captain, Eyes Playoffs

Senior captain Cian Twohill NMR PHOTOGRAPHY

Head coach Austin Magaro and the Southington High School boys soccer team are not just looking to return to the postseason; they hope to host a State Tournament game. However, they’ll be making that playoff quest without one of their key players.

Senior midfielder Gianni Baker, one of Southington’s two 2025 captains, tore his ACL during a club match in June and is now out for the season. Magaro stated that Baker would have been a dynamic player for the Blue Knights and that his loss has taken a significant toll on the program.

Even if the senior is not on the field, he is still taking his duties as captain seriously. Baker knows the Blue Knights have lofty expectations entering the campaign. Magaro has seen his senior captain continue to push the Southington squad forward despite his devastating injury.

“He played a big part in our summer league, he was always a big presence on the bench,” Magaro said of Baker. “He’s one of the team’s favorite guys. He’s a big friend of all of them. Obviously, the injury is brutal and we feel for him that he’s missing his senior season. But to still have him on the bench, bringing a smile and a joke, kind of razzing the guys when they make a mistake at practice, is great, it’s good to have him there.”

Joining Baker as captain is fellow senior Cian Twohill. After serving as the team’s starting center during his junior year, Twohill will serve the same role in 2025. Magaro expects Twohill, a sturdy defender, to be a true leader and force on the defensive side.

The Blue Knights’ 2025 senior class also features a trio of attackers in Nicholas Fusco, Matthew Angus, and Eric Orstad. Joining Twohill on defense will be Kacper Kurzatkowski, Kacper Tomczyk and Colby Moskal. Adam Sobkiewicz has been battling an injury, but will play a key role in the midfield once healthy again. Magaro thinks the balance between offense and defense with this senior class will only make Southington stronger.

Southington Sees Young Talent Rise To Top

Next to Twohill will be junior Ethan Prata, whom Magaro expects to start this season. Behind the entire defense will be junior goalkeeper Jonathan Plourde. Plourde started every game as a sophomore, earning Southington’s trust as a brick wall between the pipes. Magaro expects his experience to be a crucial factor in the Blue Knights’ success.

“He’s great. He has seen some difficult games last year and he battled through those,” Magaro said. “Coming back this year, he knows the guys, he knows the game. He’s loud, he communicates really well and knows where he wants his defenders to be. Since we have a young team and not a lot of guys with varsity minutes under their belt, he’s great to have in the back because he’ll direct traffic.”

When you watch Southington boys soccer in 2025, it’ll be hard to miss sophomores Ryan Andrews and Kevin Porzycki. Both were named starters during their freshmen year and are poised to take on feature roles once again in 2025.

“Ryan and Kevin played a lot of minutes for us as freshmen,” Magaro said. “They are in their second year, but do have experience. Both play at a high club level in the offseason. I love having those two guys back.”

Andrews, who plays forward, scored the goal that sent Southington to the playoffs in 2024. Needing a win in their final matchup away against Northwest Catholic, Andrews found the net late in the game to secure a 1-0 victory.

Porzycki, a midfielder, was recently in Seattle attending Nationals with his club soccer team. Magaro called him an “unbelievable talent,” with the ability to play in the middle or out wide. With his speed and physicality, Magaro stated that Porzycki, “is definitely a guy you want to see with your own eyes, because he is one of the better players in the state.”

Fellow sophomores Nicholas Dura and Sebby Lompart were described as, “wide, technical,” players by Magaro. If they can adapt to the intensity needed to succeed at the varsity level, the head coach expects both to make an impact.

Junior Jacob Morkos

Boys Soccer Schedule Shift 

Southington boys soccer’s 2025 schedule looks very different from what it has been in years past. The Central Connecticut Conference has been re-aligned, going from 32 to 30 members. There are now three divisions of 10, with Southington joining the CCC South.

The geographical change will help with the busing to and back from games, in Magaro’s eyes. Furthermore, it gives Southington an opportunity to face off against teams they have not seen in a while.

“We’re playing a bunch of teams we haven’t played in a while,” Magaro said. “We get the Meriden schools in Maloney and Platt, we get New Britain, Berlin, Plainville. And then we get some that I haven’t seen in a while in Middletown, Rocky Hill and Wethersfield."

Due to the schedule shift, Southington won’t be playing perennial powerhouses like Farmington or Glastonbury anymore. Magaro admits that this is a relief. However, the Blue Knights’ schedule is still filled with plenty of challenges the head coach says this squad must be prepared for.

“There’s still going to be some difficult games for sure,” Magaro said. “I’m looking forward to the season. I think we’re going to grow to become ourselves, seeing that we have so many young guys. We’re going to have to get used to the speed of play, the physicality of this level. But I think guys will produce.”

Southington Scrimmages Trio Of Competitors

Before kicking off their season, Southington took part in a trio of scrimmages. While the final outcome will not affect their overall record, the Blue Knights fell to Conard, took down Cheshire and lost to Pomperaug. All three matches taught the team something different.

Magaro noted that Conard played a fast brand of soccer, a good test for the team’s young players. Cheshire played more physically, and the win proved to Magaro that this year’s team had grit. Nevertheless, their final scrimmage against Pomperaug saw a noticeable drop off. The head coach said that he wished he could have called a timeout in the first half – the team’s play wasn’t up to standard.

Perhaps the biggest takeaway from preseason action is that Southington scored just one goal. It came from Porzycki against Cheshire, in what was a 1-0 win for Southington. Magaro was happy to earn the victory, but he knows Southington must grow and adapt following their scrimmage slate.

“It’s always a good feeling for Southington to beat our neighbors to the south,” Magaro said. “Only one goal during the preseason is a little concerning. That production is going to have to pick up. We have it in us, we just need consistency.”

Boys Soccer Sets Their Sights On Playoffs

Magaro said that every season, making the postseason is Southington’s ultimate goal. They advanced last season after going 5-8-3. Just to make the postseason again, each player on this year’s roster must take a step forward. But to finish within the top 16 in the LL conference and host a playoff game will take much more effort.

“We just want to keep growing, we want to keep getting better,” Magaro said. “In the last couple of seasons we’ve put together some good records and we’ve been able to make the playoffs. That’s always our goal, to participate in that postseason.”

“But I’d also love to host a playoff game,” he continued. “It’s no easy feat. But man, it’d be really good to have a home playoff game here in November, here at Fontana.”

Consistency will always be key. It will be one of Southington’s biggest coaching points throughout the season – as will avoiding the dreaded “stinker.” For the Blue Knights to be successful, they cannot have a lack of focus.

“It’s going to take consistency. We’re getting better, but we need consistency,” Magaro said. “We need the kind of performance that I know they can produce day in and day out. We just have to find that level, stay there, and build off of that. We can’t have dips in form. We can’t have a stinker, we can’t put up a stinker.”

“Every day counts, every game matters,” he continued. “Especially if we’re trying to get to that home playoff game. We have really got to take advantage and come out of the gates hot.”

Southington will begin play at home on September 3^rd against Bristol Eastern. Kick off is set for 6:00 PM. Given the absence of their captain Baker and the Blue Knights’ reliance on younger players, this year’s team will need to show it can battle back. That’s exactly what Magaro expects to see when Southington boys soccer opens their season.

“This season, you’re going to see some heart. You’re going to see some courage,” Magaro said. “Being a younger team, we have to have those two things or else we’re not going to compete. We’re going to be brave out there and we’re going to take on seniors or 18-year-olds. We might be younger, but I know we can battle because we have that edge and that heart and that courage.”

The players on this year’s Southington boys soccer team are seniors: Matthew Angus, Nicholas Fusco, Kacper Kurzatowski, Colby Moskal, Eric Orstad, Adam Sobkiewicz, Kacper Tomczyk and Cian Twohill; juniors: Jacob Morkos, Jonathan Plourde, Ethan Prata, Jacob Rogalski, Phoenix Vesneski and Matthew Villacis; and sophomores: Ryan Andrews, Nicholas Dura, Mason Indomenico, Sawyer Johnston, Sebby Lompart, Mitch Moon and Kevin Porzycki. Magaro is joined by assistant coach Rob Palko.

To see more SHS Boys Soccer game photos, visit NMR Photography.

Southington Baseball 10U All-Stars Claw Their Way Into State Finals

JAY PEKRUL PHOTOS

The Southington baseball 10U All-Star team was down to their final out, with no one on base and trailing by a run in the District 2 championship. One more out would have halted Southington’s summer season in its tracks. But just as they had done at many points throughout their multi-tournament run, the 10U All-Stars refused to go down without a fight.

It had taken a long but successful journey to get to this critical point. The players for the team were originally selected through a league vote. The same goes for the coaching staff. Head coach Jay Pekrul received the nomination and was handed the roster. He may have not picked the team, but Pekrul knew Southington was in for an unforgettable journey.

This was the first time members of North, South and West little league were all playing on the same team. Many of the members of this year’s squad had played together on the Southington Jays travel team. Even if they hadn’t, every 10U All-Star eagerly adjusted to their new teammates. Pekrul began the summer season with an inspiring message when he informed each member that they had made the team: “I’m so excited to go on this absolute crazy ride with you guys.”

“It felt like they had played together all their lives,” Pekrul said. “They meshed together unbelievably well, they fed off each other. They have awesome personalities. Winning culture is already in their blood. The chemistry is incredible to see. We have the most balanced one-through-twelve team in the state. And I’d go to bat with that comment.”

The players on this year’s Southington 10U All-Star team are: Chase Beaudoin, Cam Denorfia, Andrew Echard, Logan Giguere, Chase Michalak, Nash Pekrul, Owen Pugliese, Vincent Ralabate, Cameron Rubino, Owen Salvesen, Benjamin Sisson and Henry Villegas. Pekrul was joined by assistant coaches Matt Denorfia, Dan Ralabate, Eric Beaudoin and Rob Giguere.

Southington’s Last Stand Wins District 2 Crown

At the beginning of their run, five teams entered District 2 pool play, with the top four advancing to a single elimination tournament. Southington managed to go 4-0 before taking down Berlin in the semifinals. Pekrul said it didn’t take long for the coaching staff to learn exactly what this year’s All-Star team was made of.

“Our 12 hitter could easily be a lead-off hitter. With other teams we see, there may be a bit of a dropoff as you go down the lineup. That’s just not the case with this team,” Pekrul said. “There’s no easy out on this roster, and we learned that really quickly in pool play.”

At the same time, Pekrul knew that Southington had a target on their back by virtue of being undefeated. Once pool play was done, the 10U All-Stars understood they were back to a 0-0 record, and that a single loss would knock them out of the tournament.

Southington’s success led them to a matchup with Bristol in the finals. The team had previously come away victorious in their pool play matchup, earning a 4-3 walkoff victory. Since “the baseball Gods work in mysterious ways,” as Pekrul put it, Southington found themselves in a similar situation in the finals, which played out in a manner unlike anything Pekrul had experienced as a player or coach.

When Southington earned their first walkoff win, it was the bottom of the order that came through. This time around, the 10U All-Stars had been leading all game 2-1 until the top of the sixth inning. Southington had their opponents down to their last out, but after a pair of infield miscues, Bristol took a 3-2 lead.

The bottom of the lineup was up once again, and after a line out and pop out, the 12 hitter was at the plate. He was hit by a pitch, but did not go down and took his base. The leadoff man then earned an infield hit, putting the tying run at second base. The next hitter was Southington’s starting pitcher, who pitched five innings of one-run baseball. But he also made the two errors in the field to lose the lead.

In the batter’s box, however, those infield woes were forgotten. He squared up to the pitch and hit a walkoff triple, propelling Southington to a 4-3 victory and the District 2 championship.

Pekrul is grateful that parents in the stands were taking pictures and videos, because it was hard to avoid blacking out at that point. Southington had dealt with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. When the winning run crossed the plate, the head coach knew it was an accomplishment that this group of 10-year-olds will never forget.

“You guys made a memory today that you won’t forget for the rest of your lives,” Pekrul said. “You’ll be telling this story to your kids and even your grandkids. That’s a very special thing to tell a 10-year-old.”

Pekrul knew a win like this could propel Southington to even greater heights. It was a special moment for the 10U All-Stars and the way players rallied around each other would become even more crucial as the summer progressed.

Sectional Championship Runs Through Southington

Simsbury and Seymour joined Southington in the Sectional Tournament, with the winner advancing to States. The 10U All-Stars were beaming with excitement and ready to prove that they belonged.

“We escaped districts, we were kind of playing with house money going forward,” Pekrul said. “When you have an emotional win like we did to win districts, there’s less pressure on the kids. It instilled confidence.”

In their first matchup, Southington got out to an early lead against Seymour and didn’t look back. They racked up 10 hits and 11 runs in four innings, earning an 11-1 victory.

That offensive firepower didn’t stop in their second game against Simsbury, as the 10U All-Stars held a 6-1 lead after two innings. Their opponent was forced to pull their pitcher, and Southington, which put up 10 hits in four innings, won 12-2.

On the Tuesday before the championship game, the All-Star team was able to get in a practice. They focused on their brand of baseball, which highlights pitching, defense, timely hitting and aggressive base running, in that order. Pekrul and the coaching staff reiterated at the start and end of practice that if they stuck to the script, “the only team that can beat us is ourselves.”

Southington faced Seymour in a rematch for the championship, and after ending the top of the first inning with a double play, tacked on a run of their own to end the frame. The score remained 1-0 until the fourth inning when Seymour would tie the game on a triple.

The 10U All-Stars were playing tense, and the coaching staff reminded them that putting pressure on Seymour’s defense would be key. In the bottom of the fourth, they put that message into action and scored a pair of runs to take a 3-1 lead on a grounder to third.

But Seymour didn’t back down, putting runs on first and third with one runner out. Pekrul walked to the mound and set up a play where Southington focused on getting the runner out at second. The All-Stars executed it to perfection, and while a run scored, the catcher made a perfect throw to tag the runner out.

Southington’s starting pitcher had one batter left. After starting with a 3-1 count, he battled back to get a strikeout. The team’s closer then struck out the side in the sixth, helping the 10U All-Stars earn the Sectional Championship with a 3-2 victory.

“There’s a lot of momentum in this team. They’re beyond gritty and they just don’t have that losing mentality,” Pekrul said. “Another close game like this after we beat them by 10 runs shows a lot about Seymour – hats off to them. And to our team as well, the way they can get through the hard circumstances that come with high level, 10-year-old baseball. It was awesome.”

Having advanced to the State Tournament, Pekrul saw this year’s squad begin to mature. They understood that baseball is not an “I”-game, that Southington must instead succeed as a team. Whether the team was winning or losing, every member was up on the fence cheering each other on. It was that level of maturity that Pekrul believes helped lead 10U to States.

At the same time, Southington wanted to keep it fun. Their motto had been Crisp and Clean until a flub from assistant coach Matt Denorfia, who accidentally said, “Kwisp and Kwean.” This became the 10U All-Stars’ rallying cry, the phrase they broke the huddle with. The coaching staff did all they could, whether teaching the game or keeping spirits light. Southington had all the tools to succeed.

10U All-Stars Reach State Championship Finals 

Pekrul and company were excited to advance to the State Tournament. At the same time, they knew their success was no accident. Their first matchup against Stamford posed a difficult challenge, but Southington was ready for any competitor.

The All-Stars got out to an early lead and relied on their pitching throughout the matchup. Trailing 3-2 late in the game, Stamford hit a hard line drive down the first base line. Southington’s first baseman made a leaping grab, then tagged the runner for a double play. After earning a hard-fought one-run victory, the team realized that winning States was a realistic possibility.

The next day, they took on South Windsor, who hadn’t trailed in a game up to this point in States. Southington wanted to get an early lead and see how their opponents would react. The All-Stars manufactured a run on a sac fly and put their plan into place.

Southington’s strategy worked as intended and South Windsor was held scoreless in the bottom of the frame. The 10U All-Stars then tacked on two runs in the second and another three in the third to go up 6-0.

With their starting pitcher throwing five innings of three-hit baseball and their closer striking out the side in the sixth, Southington earned a 7-0 victory. Whoever they played next would have to beat them twice. Pekrul’s squad was prepared to face anyone.

Their opponent ended up being South Windsor. Things were different this time around, however. South Windsor threw their No.1 pitcher, and he performed like a No. 1, throwing a complete game shutout. Southington threw their ace as well, but fell 4-0.

In the bottom of the third, trailing 1-0, Pekrul saw a worrying change in his team. They were emotionally wrecked, crying in the dugout. It was unlike anything the coaching staff had seen from the squad over the summer. They grew concerned about the kind of attitude the team would have when they showed up the next day.

Those worries dissipated as soon as Southington arrived for batting practice. The 10U All-Stars were locked in and ready to win a State title.

“When we showed up for [batting practice] – I’ve never seen this team more pumped up to play,” Pekrul said. “The fire in them, the confidence, especially after getting beat pretty bad the night before. All the coaches were like, ‘We’re not losing this game.’ We really felt comfortable that this was going to be a good game.”

Southington 10U Finishes Top Two In Connecticut

As the away team, South Windsor got first at-bats. They made the most of that opportunity, getting out to a 5-0 lead. Pekrul started to get nervous that Southington would struggle mentally again. But that wasn’t the case. The All-Stars battled back, keeping South Windsor at bay. However, in the bottom of the second, when Southington had the bases loaded with no outs, they were unable to get a run across the plate.

The All-Stars finally scored a pair of runs in the third before South Windsor added another in the fourth. Southington continued to battle, scoring a trio of runs, including a pair on a two-out triple, to cut the lead to 6-5 after four innings. A bang-bang play would have put the leadoff hitter up with the tying run at second base had it not gone against Southington. Instead that same hitter hit a leadoff double to start the fifth. However, the team couldn’t drive him in.

Now trailing 7-5 in the bottom of the sixth, Southington once again had a chance to tie the game. But with runners on second and third and two outs, they hit a first-pitch pop up. Southington lost; the summer season was over.

“It was a surreal game. To be down 5-0 after the first inning and have them claw back… if we had tied the game. I think it would’ve been a different story,” Pekrul said. “They didn’t quit, they never did this season.”

While the coaches and parents were drained, Southington attended a birthday party for one of their friends on the 11U Team after the game. The loss might have stung, but everyone on the roster seemed to put it in the past and just enjoy being together. Perkul said it is hard to believe just how far Southington came, one hit away from Regionals. But he is confident the progress each player made on and off the diamond will carry on far beyond the summer.

“This has been an awesome learning experience for these kids and the coaches,” Pekrul said. “The emotions when the kids got down in little league or travel ball were tough. Still, it took them maybe an inning, maybe two to get their emotions back to positivity. I don’t know what happened with this team, but I never see strikeouts now where there’s a tear in their eye. It is incredible how much these kids have grown up and matured.”

Southington Ready For Redemption

After the State Championship was over, South Windsor’s head coach came over to the team and said, “Great game Southington, thanks for the competition.” The next time the 10U All-Star team competes, Pekrul is hoping they can offer a similar message to their opponents.

“We know we’ll see them again,” Pekrul said. “The way it all transpired gives us some fire to get back there. Hopefully we can then say the same thing back to them.”

The 10U All-Stars made tremendous strides throughout their summer campaign. But if they want to hoist the State Championship crown, Pekrul says, each player has to keep their head up and continue striving for greatness: “Understand that if you don’t want this feeling again, there has to be something you do that’s one percent better,” Pekrul said.

“Still, we try to focus on how proud we were of the kids. To come in second place out of those 78 teams is such a remarkable achievement. You guys are winners; just because you come in second out of 78 teams does not make you a loser.”

Pekrul felt confident that Southington practiced more than any other team in the state. Yet no All-Star complained, even as temperatures rose above 100. They were determined not only to grow individually, but for their teammates. Each All-Star bought in and played for each other, through all the ups and downs.

“It doesn’t matter where you bat in the lineup, it doesn’t matter how many innings you play in the field. It is so freaking hard to make this team. It’s great to see how humble these kids are, to see how they’ve matured, to see them understand that being a teammate and coachable is number one,” Pekrul said.

“They accept that, and they truly are best friends,” he concluded. “They love each other. They cared about going to pool parties right after the games and spending time being kids. If they can keep on doing that and not take this game too seriously, then we’ve done our job as coaches.”

The 2025 Southington 10U All-Star team will be remembered for their run to the State Tournament game. For each player, however, the first thing that will come to mind is the summer they became family.

Southington 12U All-Stars Reach New Heights In Tournament Run

The Southington 12U All-Star Team MATT PRESTON PHOTOS

The members of this year’s Southington 12U All-Stars team have played plenty of baseball together. From ground-ball drills to District titles, Southington’s squad had been through it all before entering the 2025 summer season. Still, one thing had evaded their grasp – the Sectional Championship title.

Five of the 12 members of this year’s team have been playing All-Stars together for the past three seasons. Another four have been on the squad the last two years. Outside of All-Stars, they have played against each other in little league and in travel leagues.

Head coach Matthew Preston, who was with the team last year for their 11U season, knew he was working with an experienced group. While Southington had big goals for this summer, everyone on the team was just as excited to be playing baseball together again.

“It’s just a big group of buddies and friends and now they feel like brothers,” Preston said. “They’ve played together for years. Some play at North, some play West, some play at South. But they all go to school together, they’ve played baseball together since they were little. Some of them play on the same travel teams too.”

The members of this year’s Southington 12U All-Star team are: Rowan Pelletier, Elijah D’Abramo, Cam Kenny, Chase Crespan, Austin Briseno, Andrew Maliga, Dillon Callahan, Carson DiNello, Mason Tarfano, Noah Preston, Logan Hager and Davin O’Shea. Preston was joined by assistant coaches Daron Callahan and Adam Tarfano.

Southington Continues District Dominance

The members of this year’s Southington team had won the District title at the 10U and 11U level in the two previous summers. As pool play began, the team got off to a 3-2 start. Both of their losses were by one run, including a 10-9 loss to Bristol in which all of their opponents' runs came in one inning.

Preston knew the team had to tighten up on defense. They worked on their bunt coverage and how to handle a rundown. He knew that if Southington closed the gaps in their defense, they’d come out a much stronger team.

“We did pretty well,” Preston said. “We lost a couple of games by one run, but those were learning moments for the team to figure things out, to find the areas we needed to work on. Sometimes you have to face some adversity early on to be successful in the long run.”

Southington got their chance at pay-back when they took on Bristol in the District 5 Championship. With all the games taking place in town, Preston and the coaching staff were able to lead practice at the field where the team was scheduled to play. Southington entered the game confident, and continued their District dominance by coming away with a 6-1 victory.

“We’ve been here,” Preston said. “We just have to give it our best. We always ask the team to give their best effort. The results will come out on the field. We were fully prepared, we practiced on the right fields. We came into it with confidence and they performed.”

District 5 Semifinals Home Run Celebration

District 5 Champions

Southington had grabbed the District crown. The 12U All-Stars now set their sights on yet another trophy: taking home the Section 2 title.

“They want to finish the job,” Preston said. “They started it a couple years ago and had success there. They were ready for it, played our style of baseball, and had a great game.”

Sectional Dreams Come True

Playing in Section 2, Southington competed against the winners of District 5, 3 and 6. Everyone in the section plays two games, with the top two teams advancing to the championship. Southington had made the finals a year prior, but under peculiar circumstances. If all teams are 1-1 after round-robin play, the tiebreaker is number of runs-allowed. In 2024 Southington advanced to the Section 2 championship despite losing their previous game.

In 2025, by contrast, the 12U All-Star squad took down Simsbury and Waterbury, 6-3 and 7-1 respectively. Preston said the team had a new level of confidence and knew they could compete with anyone.

“Sometimes you feel an unease as a baseball player and sometimes you just feel confident,” Preston said. “They had confidence going into this game, whereas last year we got in based on runs allowed. This year we had a confidence about us, and we played that way.”

Despite their growth, the 12U squad found themselves trailing 1-0 entering the bottom of the third in the championship against Waterbury at Memorial Field. But with RBIs from Davin O’Shea and Carson DiNello, Southington bounced back to take a 3-1 lead. While Waterbury would tack on another run, the 12U All-Stars held on to take a 5-2 victory and win the Section 2 Championship.

“We’ve taken a fighter’s mentality, where just because someone throws a blow doesn’t mean you go down. You fight back, you punch back,” Preston said. “They never lost their confidence, they knew that they were going to put up runs. We were able to capitalize on a couple of mistakes and put some runs on the board early.”

Alongside their work at the dish, Dinello and O’Shea played key roles on the mound. Dinello got the start and went five innings, striking out nine while allowing just four hits and two runs. O’Shea got the save, pitching a scoreless last frame.

Section 2 Champions

Southington Enters The State Tournament

By winning Sectionals, Southington became one of the last four teams in Connecticut to advance to the State Tournament. Preston reminded his team to strive for excellence, but understand that the game of baseball comes with its ebbs and flows. He wanted them to continue picking each other up and striving for greatness. If Southington continued playing for one another, no one in Connecticut could doubt their strength as a team.

“Just keep playing our game,” Preston said. “We’re a solid team and we’re playing great baseball right now. We’ve just got to keep the ball rolling. We have great pitching, we’ve been playing great defense, our hitting is there. I’d put these 12 kids up against anyone.”

Their first game at States came against Fairfield National. Preston and the team understood how talented they were and knew they were in for a true battle. Still, it was a fight they embraced.

The game was tied at one entering the fourth inning with DiNello having another strong performance on the mound. However, Fairfield National would score two in the fourth and another three in the sixth, taking Southington down 6-1. Preston said the 12U team fought hard and went toe-to-toe with them the entire game. But untimely hitting woes from Southington coupled with standout defensive plays from Fairfield National led to the loss.

Nevertheless, the 12U All-Stars had an opportunity to bounce back in their next match against Tolland. It was a full-circle moment for Southington: before they began All-Star play, they had scrimmaged against their future opponents.

The All-Stars got out to a 1-0 lead, but then their bats went cold. After another back-and-forth game, Southington managed to score a run in the bottom of the sixth and tie things at two before entering extra innings. Under California rules, an automatic runner starts at second base in extra innings. At the start of the seventh, Tolland managed to get that runner across the plate.

But Southington didn’t shut down. Instead, Preston said, they gathered their focus, which led to them scoring their own run to end the seventh. Once the 12U All-Stars held Tolland scoreless in the top of the eighth, Preston felt the energy start to shift. The kids were beaming in the dugout and ready to earn a victory.

With a hit from Rowan Peletier, Southington did just that. The 12U squad earned a 4-3 victory, clinching a win in the State Tournament they won’t soon forget.

“They’ve been battlers the whole time,” Preston said. “They know how to fight. We’ve worked on mental toughness and not letting one thing define your game. We’ve had big comebacks, big innings. They’ve made mistakes, it’s just about learning how to deal with them and not get overly emotional about them. Know you have the ability to come back and do the same thing in the next half-inning.”

Walkoff hit in 8th inning against Tolland

With the game going into extras, Southington was forced to dip deep into their pitching resources. Still, Austin Briseno, who was called upon for the team’s third State Tournament game against East Lyme/Salem, took to the mound and kept the game knotted at two through the fifth inning.

But then East Lyme/Salem’s bats came alive. Putting up eight runs in the last two innings, they took down Southington 13-4.

Despite the loss, Preston saw this year’s 12U All-Star team battle until the very end. Their summer season had now come to a close, but there were plenty of reasons for Southington to be proud.

“After the game I just told the kids to hold their heads high,” Preston said. “They have a lot to be proud of. Southington hasn’t made it this far in 10 years or so. This is the furthest this group has made it collectively. They made their town proud. We play for the front of the jersey, not the back.”

12U All-Stars Leave A Lasting Impact

According to Preston, “baseball runs in Southington’s blood.” This year’s 12U All-Stars run was just another example of the rich culture signified by the town name each player wears on his chest.  Southington had been successful and were able to advance a little bit further each year. But with greater confidence as they entered the 2025 campaign, the 12U All-Stars reached entirely new heights. 

“Having been there before, they don’t get as rattled or emotional,” Preston said. “Having played against some of the best in the state, they just felt confident about themselves. They ended up being top three in the state, which is an immense accomplishment for any kid.”

Southington’s run in the State Tournament won’t be forgotten anytime soon. The hurdles each player and coach had to surmount to hoist the Section 2 trophy are unmistakable. But even outside the diamond, this 12U All-Star team made some lasting memories.

The team went bowling together. They played mini golf and watched other teams play baseball. They spent ample time bonding, relishing the time they had together this season. Southington operated as more than just a team – the 12U All-Stars found a new baseball family.

“They’ll remember the big moments when they grow up. But most of all, they’re going to remember being with each other and hanging out,” Preston said. “We do more than just practice. We’re trying to do things that create great memories and experiences for these kids that they’ll remember the rest of their lives.”

Section 2 Championship Game Postgame Huddle