West Hartford’s Hall High School baseball team won the CCC Championship with an 8-7 win over Southington on Wednesday night at Muzzy Field.

Sports reporting is sponsored by Keating Agency Insurance

By Savannah Cote. Photos by Scott Sulkazi

The CCC championship rematch turned into a storybook comeback for Hall, as the Titans erased a seven-run first-inning deficit to defeat Southington 8-7 and capture their first conference title since 2009.

Falling behind 7-0 in a championship game would have been enough to bury most teams, but Hall never lost confidence. Southington exploded in the opening inning with a combination of walks and timely base hits to build the early advantage and seize momentum right away.

But Hall refused to fold.

“Never leave a Hall game early” proved true once again, as the Titans – who had a dramatic comeback win against crosstown rival. Conard in the annual Mayor’s Cup game just last week – slowly chipped away at the deficit and completely flipped the energy of the game.

After the rough opening inning, Hall’s pitching staff settled in. Sophomore Sean Kavanagh delivered a crucial shutout inning to stop the bleeding before senior captain Matt LaBreck took over and provided multiple scoreless innings in relief. Their ability to keep Southington off the board gave Hall’s offense time to regroup and mount its comeback.

The Titans finally broke through in the fourth inning. A series of patient at-bats and drawn walks put pressure on Southington’s defense before senior captain Matt Panarella delivered an RBI single to help spark a three-run frame. Hall suddenly had life, cutting into the lead and shifting momentum toward its dugout.

The fifth inning completely changed the game.

Hall continued to apply pressure with singles and another walk before junior Kaiyo Sharkey lifted a sacrifice fly to bring home another run. Panarella came through again with a clutch double, and more disciplined at-bats helped Hall capitalize on additional walks. By the end of the inning, the Titans had erased the entire deficit and tied the game, stunning the crowd after trailing by seven just a few innings earlier.

With all the momentum now on Hall’s side, the Titans delivered the decisive blow in the sixth inning. Sharkey once again stepped up in a key moment, lining an RBI single that gave Hall its first lead of the game.

From there, the Titans turned the ball over to junior Louis Sauer, who dominantly shut the door. Sauer retired Southington in order in the seventh inning, finishing the game with a strikeout to secure the championship and complete the remarkable comeback.

As the final out was recorded, Hall players stormed the field to celebrate a title that had been 17 years in the making.

The victory marked Hall’s first conference championship since 2009 – a meaningful full-circle moment for head coach Nick Sanford and assistant coach Dave Masters, who were both members of that championship team with Sanford as a player and Masters as coach.

Southington, a perennial baseball powerhouse, had won the CCC title the past two years – last year defeating Hall 6-2.

After facing a seven-run hole in the very first inning, the Titans showed resilience, composure, and belief, proving why this championship run will be remembered as one of the most dramatic victories in program history.

Hall, a No. 6 seed in Class LL, will begin CIAC tournament play next week.

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