17 hours ago
Fairfield, Conn. advances in Little League World Series, 1 away from U.S. title game
Fairfield, Connecticut's Little League World Series dream is alive and well, and the team is handling the spotlight like seasoned pros.
Fairfield National defeated Sioux Falls, South Dakota, 13-1 on Monday to get within one game of playing for the U.S. championship in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
Fairfield's next game is against Las Vegas, Nevada, on Wednesday at 3 p.m. The Metro Region champions beat Hawaii on Friday before the primetime matchup with South Dakota.
Coach Brian Palazzolo said before Monday's game that the message to his players is always the same.
"Every pitch, every play, every inning. We take nothing for granted. We're gonna pump strikes and have the defense be ready to make a play behind out pitcher tonight," the coach told CBS News New York.
The Metro Region also includes New York, New Jersey and Rhode Island, and fans from all over have been in Williamsport to cheer on Fairfield.
"We are a baseball family. Nothing can get in the way. Nothing can break us," Palazzolo said. "Errors will happen, it's Little League. If we can limit those to just a little bit, we're better than most teams."
First baseman and pitcher Tommy D'Amura said he enjoys being a two-way player.
"I prefer hitting, but defense is always fun when you're making the plays and just having a good time in the field," he said.
The team will return to Connecticut as heroes no matter what, but they'd love to add a championship banner to the collection at Tunxis Hill Park.
Only a handful of teams from the northeast have won the Little League World Series, including Binghamton, New York, in 2016 and Toms River, New Jersey, in 1998. Mark Prussin
contributed to this report.
