Sports
Norwalk Blanks Branford 3-0 To Win American Legion State Title
Leon Fleming tosses a complete game for Norwalk, which advances to the New England Regionals in Maine
Leon Fleming tossed a complete-game shutout Saturday as Norwalk defeated Branford 3-0 at Muzzy Field in Bristol to win the senior American Legion state title.
Fleming, a 2011 graduate of Norwalk High School who will attend Central Connecticut in the fall, scattered six hits and walked two.
It was the first Legion state title for Norwalk, which advances to the New England Regionals beginning Thursday in Old Orchard Beach, Maine.
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Branford (29-3), the top seed and defending Legion state champion, had won six straight games out of the loser's bracket, including that forced Saturday's winner-take-all battle.
Norwalk opened the scoring in the first inning as Mike Parlanti doubled off Branford starter Connor Moriarty and later scored when Spencer Jacoby grounded into a double play.
In the fifth, Norwalk loaded the bases on singles by Matt Ederle, Jacoby and Kevin Daniele. An error on Kevin Cawley’s grounder allowed two runs to score, giving Norwalk a three-run cushion.
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Jacoby was named the tournament’s most valuable player and Fleming was tabbed as the top pitcher.
