St. Joseph Ousts Top-Seeded Suffield To Win Class M Baseball Championship

MIDDLETOWN, CT — Connor Fahey tossed a complete game, allowing just three hits, and St. Joseph broke open a tight game with a four-run fifth inning to secure a 7-1 victory over top-seeded Suffield in the CIAC Class M championship baseball game Friday night at Palmer Field.

The Cadets got on the board immediately when a single to left field by Adam Chaves plated Jake Failla. For the next four innings, it was a pitcher's duel between Fahey and Suffield's Connor Mandirola, until the St. Joseph fifth.

With one out, Drew Traverso walked and moved to second on a single by Nathan Walsh. Pinch runner John Mercier advanced to third on a fly ball, and after a walk to Jake Rios, Failla chopped an infield single to shortstop, scoring Mercier. Failla wound up at second after a bad throw to first, and a line drive double off the third-base bag by Alvin Rosario brought Rios and Failla in to score.

The Cadets, seeded 15th, took advantage of some sloppy Suffield defense to add another run in the sixth. Fahey reached on an infield error, and eventually scored when relief pitcher William Winiarski threw Traverso's comebacker to the mound into center field. Failla scored the final St. Joseph run in the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Chaves.

Suffield avoided being shut out by staging a rally in its final at-bat. Noah Schermerhorn doubled to right field and Dashel O'Dell was hit by a pitch. Schermerhorn stole third and scored on a bloop single by Mandirola. Fahey regained his composure, however, retiring the next two hitters on fly balls before clinching the championship on a called third strike.

St. Joseph, which won its initial state championship in Class S in 1976, captured the Class M crown for the fifth time, but first since 2019. Suffield was making its first-ever appearance in a state title contest.