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FAIRFIELD, Conn. Fairfield's softball team won its first Section 1 championship in the 12-year-old division Wednesday with a 4-0 victory over North Branford at Trumbull's Unity Park. The victory sends Fairfield to the state championship series beginning Saturday against Mystic.
Fairfield went 5-0 in the Section 1 tournament, including two victories over North Branford. Brittany Romero pitched a complete-game three-hitter in Wednesday's championship game. She struck out eight and walked one. North Branford, which scored 35 runs in three other tournament games, managed just one in two games against Fairfield.
"I thought we had a chance to win the tournament,'' manager Jarry Rasmussen said. "We laid low and took care of business. These girls are pretty unflappable. They went right after it."
Fairfield took a 1-0 lead in the first on a walk by Gabriella Natoli and an RBI double by Sarah Cotto. It stayed that way until the fifth, when Fairfield scored three runs. Alice Nelson's two-run double sparked the uprising.
Two plays by Nelson helped thwart North Branford rallies. The catcher picked runners off first base with strong throws in the fifth and sixth innings. Romero did the rest, silencing the potent North Branford attack for the second time in the tournament.
"We had contributions from everyone in our lineup,'' Rasmussen said. "Our pitching did quite well. We had Brittany, but Alice had some great moments. And Sarah had to jump in, and Gabriella gave us some innings. Our pitching performed quite well. We had timely hitting and good defense."
Fairfield advances to play Mystic in the state championship series at Hatters Park in Danbury. The best-of-three series begins Saturday at 7 p.m. The second game is Sunday and the if-necessary game Monday, also at 7.
"We had four pretty decent teams in the sectional,'' Rasmussen said. "We were well-tested."
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