Prospect all-stars win District 3 title

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The Prospect Little League 9- and 10-year-old baseball all-star team, front row from left, John Detullio, Cody Wilmot, Austin Bedard, Caleb Shirk, Jason Searles, and Justin Miller. Second row from left, Nick Delucia, Matthew Belcher, Jason Claiborn, Colby Linnell, Jason Blanc, Vinny Denze, and Joe Shea. Back row, from left, coach and manager Darren Bedard, coaches Greg Miller and Jason Claiborn. -CONTRIBUTED

PROSPECT — The Prospect Little League 9- and 10-year-old baseball all-star team won the District 3 championship last week.

Prospect knocked off Seymour, 1-0, on July 6 in Ansonia to take the title and finish 4-0 in the double-elimination tournament. The team now advances to the Connecticut Section 1 bracket and will face other district champs from the western half of the state.

John Detullio earned the win and started the game-winning rally in the top of the sixth of the title game. Detullio led off the inning with a single, stole second and eventually scored on Austin Bedard’s single to center field.

Detullio went 5 2/3 innings, struck out four and scattered five hits. Vinny Denze came on in relief to record the final out.

“It was a total team effort,” Prospect manager Darren Bedard said. “It came down to strong defense and basic baseball fundamentals on our part.”

The Detullio-Denze combination also helped secure a victory in the team’s second victory of the tournament, also against Seymour.

Jason Claiborn started and won Prospect’s other two games. Claiborn earned wins against Derby (13-3) and Shelton National (5-3).
Colby Linnell had seven hits in the four-game sweep, including four in the two games against Seymour.

“We have a bunch of kids that want to have fun, put their heart and soul into it, and it shows,” said Bedard, who coaches the team with Greg Miller and Jay Claiborn.

Prospect will face North Stamford, the District 1 winner, on Wednesday. This Saturday, Prospect will face Berlin at Milford International Little League before facing Fairfield National on Sunday at Milford National. Both games are set to start at 3 p.m.

The team will finish up scheduled play against North Haven on Monday at 5:30 p.m. at Milford International. Should Prospect secure one of the two best records in pool play, it will advance to Wednesday night’s championship at Milford National.