Notre Dame of FFLD vs Coventry - CIAC Class LL
June 12, 2018
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Notre Dame of FFLD vs Coventry - CIAC Class LL (6/9/18)
MIDDLETOWN, Conn. (Palmer Field) -- Notre Dame of Fairfield battled Coventry for the Connecticut Class S championship and Notre Dame was able to take care of business, 10-6.
“We went after hard pitches right from the beginning,” head coach Bill Mazzucco said. “This is just great. I went to Notre Dame, I sat in the classroom and saw the field. I can’t be happier to bring these boys, who worked so hard this year, to the championship.”
This was the team’s fourth title in their history, and this one was particularly well earned. Everyone in the lineup appeared in the box score and their starter, Dillion Higgins, went the full seven innings of work.
“Dillion’s an excellent pitcher and a very hard worker,” he said. “He’s a kid who knew what he had to do.”
Higgins said he was going off “pure adrenaline” during the seventh and was just trying to cap off the victory.
“I didn’t have my best stuff. I had trouble with my breaking ball but I just tried to throw strikes and trust my defense,” he said.
Notre Dame had a six-run lead in the third off the bats of Higgins and Tyler Romano. But Jordan Jeroszko put Coventry on the board, trailing 6-2, with a two-run blast in the bottom frame.
The Lancers went back to work, scoring two before Coventry tried to come back late, cutting the game to 8-6 but it was not to be.
“I’m an aggressive guy; I wanna hit the ball,” Mazzucco said. “We had to take our time at the plate. These kids came together halfway through the season because things weren’t working and we just had to take more time.”
Mazzucco said he hugged his coaches immediately after the final out.
“Between the rain, the snow, all the gym practices, it takes everyone to prepare for this and it’s hard when you’re in the gym for weeks,” he said.
Higgins said his goal coming in as a freshman was to win the state tournament. Now, right before he leaves high school, that dream has become a reality.
“[Winning the title] feels great,” he said. “It was the main thing I wanted here and it feels great to finally achieve it. I was getting [that last batter.”