Dominant Masuk Wins Again In Class L Softball: UPDATE

STORRS, CT — Dominance.

It's perhaps the simple and only way to describe Masuk High School in Monroe's history of winning CIAC state softball titles.

But it also best describes how junior hurler Julia Bacoulis handled the Ellington High School Knights on Saturday night in the CIAC Class L state softball championship game in Storrs.

A nearly invincible Bacoulis earned a complete game shutout for Masuk and was the winning pitcher in a 4 -0, victory over EHS, who were limited to just a first-inning single.

Ellington had no chance as Masuk completed an undefeated, 24-0 season. Bacoulis said when Masuk takes the field, it is all about performance.

"Obviously, it feels incredibly special to win," Bacoulis said shortly after accepting the CIAC Most Valuable Player plaque for her performance. "It's down to business when we step between the lines."

Her coach, Leigh Barone, said despite a history of winning (this was Masuk's third title in a row), the joy of victory is always immense.

"It never gets old," Barone said. "It feels good every year and I'm so proud of them."

Saturday's battle — played at the Burrill Family Field softball complex at the University of Connecticut — pitted top-seed Masuk against second-seed Ellington High School, helmed by Tom Gordon.

Masuk entered the contest, the fourth state title game of the day Saturday at UConn, with an undefeated, 23-0 record, while Ellington came in at 21-2.

It was the only contest of the day pitting the top two seeds, a fitting conclusion to a full day of championship softball in Storrs that ended Saturday night under the lights.

In a battle of flamethrowers who also knew how to take a little off the ball, the Panthers had Bacoulis matched up against Ellington High School's Camryn Fisher, also a junior.

The scoring started after Masuk junior Alyssa Castillo led off the bottom of the second with a walk and then scored after an infield throwing error by Ellington on a thrown ball to first base.

With two outs and the bases loaded later in the bottom of the second, Fisher struck Bacoulis out, ending the threat and keeping the Masuk lead at 1-0.

Bacoulis continued to deal and held that 1-0 lead with little trouble through five innings, dominating with the strikeout and Ellington offering soft contact at best.

In the bottom of the fifth, Masuk freshman Ciena Perpetuo slapped a ball through the Ellington shortstop's legs for an error and ended up on first with no outs.

Masuk junior Aubrey Zvovushe-Ramos then hit a long, opposite-field triple to left, scoring Perpetuo and making the score 2-0 Masuk.

Fisher settled down with two strikeouts and a flyout, stranding Zvovushe-Ramos on third and maintaining EHS' two-run deficit.

In the bottom of the fifth, Masuk created some excitement when junior Madison Aguire blasted a two-run homer over the left-field fence with two outs.

It gave the Panthers a 4-0 lead and, essentially, put the game away, a feeling of inevitability furthered after Masuk's Bacoulis struck out the side in the top of the sixth.

Fisher pitched in and out of trouble in the bottom of the sixth, eventually retiring the side, but it was too little too late.

It set the stage for Bacoulis' dominant end to a dominant performance, one completed when she struck out EHS' final batter.

The fact the Panthers were undefeated further impressed Barone, the coach.

"It's a big thing to do because you just put that big target on your back when you go undefeated," she said.