Fairfield American Little League pitcher Sam Davenport posted a scoreless frame in the top of the first inning in the opening game of the Connecticut state championship series against South Windsor National Little League, and then RBI doubles from Jamie Flink and Brian Howell helped the District 2 champions to open a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the inning.

It was only one inning, but it set the tone for the series: lockdown pitching and a potent offense make for a lethal combination.

Fairfield American topped South Windsor National, 10-0 and 12-2, in a pair of mercy rule-shortened games at the Harwinton Sports Complex to sweep the best two-of-three series. With the wins, Fairfield American earned its fourth state championship in the major baseball division in a five-year span, and advanced to the New England Region tournament in Bristol, Connecticut.

Davenport struck out six and surrendered just two hits in the opening game victory. He induced nine groundouts in a complete game effort, an emphatic bounce back after suffering an 8-4 loss to Norwalk Little League in the Division 1 tournament in his previous outing.

"He did a fantastic job," said Fairfield American manager Michael Steed of his pitcher. "He's got great stuff. Every pitcher is going to have a bad outing at any level of baseball. Over the last week, he worked hard on his mechanics. He worked on getting the right arm slot."

"Their pitcher pitched pretty well," said South Windsor National manager Steve Curtis. "His curveball made us look out of it."

While Davenport kept South Windsor off the scoreboard, Fairfield built upon its early lead. The Americans added to their four-run advantage with a run in the third inning, then scored five times over the next two innings to invoke the mercy rule.

Brian Kiremidjian chipped in a run-scoring double in the fourth inning of the opener, then Vince Camera's double ended the game in the fifth.

"Everybody top to bottom was hitting really good," said Steed.

South Windsor National suffered a scare in the game when their third baseman was struck in the face by a line drive and was taken to a local hospital.

"I think the kids were just a little bit out of it because of (the injured player)," said Curtis. "And hopefully he is okay."

The next day, Fairfield American converted six hits, six walks, and an error into eight runs in the bottom of the third inning to reverse a 2-0 deficit and take control of the game. Camera's run-scoring double scored Flink with Fairfield's first run, then Ian Bentley tied the game with an RBI single. Davenport drew a bases loaded walk that pulled Fairfield in front, and later in the inning, Flink drove an opposite field, three-run homer to open up an 8-2 lead. Fairfield added four runs the next inning, with the last run scoring after Brian Howell was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

P.J. Egan, Fairfield's top pitcher, struck out five and scattered six hits in a four inning complete game.

"P.J. didn't have his perfect stuff," explained Steed after the game. "But he had really good stuff. P.J. has the ability to dig deep. He made some clutch pitches. He has pitched out of jams multiple times this season."

Both teams reached the championship series only after prevailing in winner-take-all extra inning games that were extended over two days due to inclement weather.

Fairfield American edged Farmington Little League, 2-1 in eight innings, in a game that was suspended after 7-1/2 innings the prior evening. Camera's opposite field home run leading off the second inning put his team in front, and Fairfield was one strike away from a 1-0 victory in six innings when Farmington's Jacob Conrad reached on an error that plated the tying run.

When play resumed the next day, Camera delivered a two-out, walk off single to left center field that scored John Reynolds with the winning run.

"It was a pitchers duel that you see at every level of baseball," said Steed of the tight contest.

Egan, the Fairfield starter, threw 4-1/3 hitless innings, and Howell followed with 2-2/3 innings of one-hit relief. The two pitchers combined for ten strikeouts.

"P.J. Egan was probably the smartest pitcher we saw this year, and Howell was probably the hardest thrower we saw," said Farmington manager Dave Conrad. "P.J. mixed up his pitches. He got his curveball over, and he made our top batters reach."

Steed had similar praise for Farmington starter Benny Hughes, who struck out twelve and surrendered just two hits over six innings before maxing out his pitch count.

"He's the best pitcher we've faced," said the Fairfield skipper. "Great velocity, great location. He's very talented."

South Windsor National, meanwhile, outlasted Madison Little League, 8-7, in the Section 2 finale. The two teams had been tied 7-7 when play was suspended the prior evening after six innings of play.

Fairfield had suffered its only loss against Connecticut competition in the Division 1 tournament, where they dropped an 8-4 decision to Norwalk before prevailing over the same team, 10-7, the next evening. Flink hit three home runs in the deciding game, including a first pitch two-run home run in the sixth that snapped a 7-7 tie.

Norwalk had trailed 5-0 earlier in the contest but tied it in the third after Jake Dumers and Jack Matthews each homered in a five run rally.

"If we played Norwalk in a seven game series, I think it would go seven," said Steed. The two teams met three times in the Division 1 tournament, with Fairfield American winning the first meeting, 4-2, Norwalk forcing a deciding game by winning the second, and Fairfield prevailing again in the final meeting.

The second win over Norwalk kept Fairfield American on course to repeat a state championship that the league had won in the 10-11 year old division the prior summer, and extended a tournament run that eventually ended in the New England Region championship game.

Only one other Connecticut league has won four state championships in the major baseball division. Stratford Original Little League claimed top honors in Connecticut four times between 1956 and 1962.