STING 18U FINISHES 2026 WITH RUNNER UP FINISH IN TEWKSBURY, MA
ABOVE, COACH DAN MARSH IS PICTURED WITH 2026 STING 18U
STING 18U CONTINUED THEIR WINNING WAYS AT “THE END OF THE YEAR INVITATIONAL” TO THE BENEFIT OF ALS IN TEWKSBURY, MA. THEY FOUND THEMSELVES PLAYING IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME FOR THE FOURTH TIME THIS SEASON. AFTER A SERIES OF CONTROVERSIAL DECISONS WENT AGAINST THEM, THEY FINISHED THE TOURNAMENT WITH THE RUNNERS UP AWARD.
THEY WENT 2-1 IN SATURDAY POOL PLAY, DEFEATING NC SPARKS 5-4, WITH KATIE MULL SEALING THE VICTORY WITH A WALK-OFF DOUBLE THAT DROVE IN TWO RUNS. NEXT UP WERE THE HOST TEAM REDMEN, WHO PROVED NO MATCH FOR EMILY ALLEN, WHO STUCK OUT 18 BATTERS. RILEY YORK, ABI JULIAN AND CLOE FONTAINE HAD TWO HITS EACH. THEY CONCLUDED SATURDAY WITH AN 8-3 LOSS TO NE ELITE MICHAELA MINER CAME TO PLAY BY HITTING A TRIPLE, SCORING A RUN AND STEALING A BASE.
ON SUNDAY, STING WON 8-0 AGAINST THE WARRIORS. THE TONE WAS SET IN THE FIRST INNING WHEN BELLA DELEDDA MADE A SPECTACULAR DIVING CATCH IN THE OUTFIELD AND JAYDEN JOHNSTON CONTINUED HER STELLAR DEFENSE AT SHORTSTOP. ALLEN, IN THE CIRCLE, CONTRIBUTED 11 STRIKEOUTS. NEXT, STING FOUND THEMSELVES PLAYING THE #1 SEED, NE ELITE. ALLEN STAYED IN THE CIRCLE AND STUCK OUT 14, LEADING STING TO A 2-1 VICTORY. MINOR, YORK AND SADIE GIRGASKY LED THE WAY WITH THE BATS.
STING FELL SHORT IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME, TAKING A 3-3 INTO THE INTERNATIONAL TIE BREAKER, WHERE THEY EVENTUALLY FELL SHORT, LOSING 5-4. DESPIT THE RUNNER UP FINISH, THE TEAM WAS HONORED WITH ALLEN RECEIVING THE TOURNAMENT MVP RING, AFTER HER 69 STRIKE OUTS IN 31 INNINGS PITCHED.. ADDITIONALLY, ALL-TOURNAMENT AWARDS WENT TO MINOR, YORK AND JULIAN.
SPECIAL THANKS TO STING VETERANS, JULIAN, DELEDDA, ALLEN, GIRGASKY, FONTAINE AND JOHNSTON, WHO WILL BE “AGING OUT” AND NOT RETURNING IN 2027. EACH WERE HONORED WITH THE MASON JAR OF DIRT AND LIME FROM THEIR LAST TOURNAMENT FIELD, A STING 18U TRADITION.
STING 18U CROWNED CHAMPIONS IN RHODE ISLAND
AFTER MANY YEARS OF SHORELINE STING 18U KNOCKING ON THE DOOR AT THE RI BOMBERS AWAY SLAM, THEY FINALLY KICKED IT IN! THE 18’S LEFT NO DOUBT, DOMINATING THE FIELD ON SATURDAY AND CONTINUING THEIR WINNING WAYS IN THE SEMI-FINALS AND FINALS ON SUNDAY.
IN POOL PLAY, STING WENT 3-0, BEATING THE RI ROCKETS, HOST RI BOMBERS AND RI CRUSH BY A COMBINED MARGIN OF 22-6, EARNING THE #1 SEED. NATALIE LUTYEN EARNED THE FIRST SATURDAY VICTORY PITCHING A COMPLETE GAME AND SURRENDERING NO EARNED RUNS. GIGI STRACUZZI GOT THE VICTORY IN GAME #2 AND EMILY ALLEN GOT THE SAVE, STRIKING OUT THE SIDE IN THE FINAL FRAME. ALLEN STAYED IN THE CIRCLE FOR THE FINAL SATURDAY GAME AND GAVE UP JUST ONE RUN, STRIKING OUT 12 IN FIVE INNINGS. MICHAELA MINOR LED THE WAY ON OFFENSE, HITTING .750, WITH SIX STOLEN BASES. ABI JULIAN STAYED HOT, HITTING 1.000 WITH A DOUBLE, TRIPLE A WALK, TWO SACRIFICE FLIES AND TWO STOLEN BASES, BEFORE LEAVING IN GAME #3 WITH AN INJURY. RILEY YORK CONTINUED HER HOT STREAK, HITTING .666, WITH AN ON BASE % OF .750 AND THREE STOLEN BASES.
SUNDAY’S SEMI-FINALS FEATURED A PITCHER’S DUEL VS. THE RI CRUSH. ALLEN CONTINUED HER DOMINANCE STRIKING OUT 17, WITH NO WALKS IN A COMPLETE GAME VICTORY. KATIE MULL, BELLA DELEDDA AND NATALIE LUTYEN OPENED UP THE OFFENSE IN THE FIFTH, FINALLY GETTING TO THE CRUSH PITCHER WITH KEY HITS AND RBIS. IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP, SHORELINE STING LEFT NO DOUBT, BEATING LADY STING 8-0. IN THE CIRCLE, ALLEN STRUCK OUT 13. ALANA NINTEAU WAS 2-2, WITH A RUN SCORED AND AN RBI. STRACUZZI WAS 2-2 WITH TWO RUNS SCORED AND A DOUBLE. CHLOE FONTAINE HAD A DOUBLE AND TWO RBIS.
STING 18U WILL FINISH THEIR SEASON NEXT WEEKEND AT THE ALS CHALLENGE IN TEWKSBURY, MA.
2026 SEASON CONCLUDES WITH SHORELINE STINGER XIX 12U, 14U, 16U & 18U CHAMPIONS CROWNED
PERFECT WEATHER USHERED IN THE 19TH ANNUAL SHORELINE STINGER TOURNAMENT. THE 34 TEAMS OVER FOUR DIVISIONS, ACROSS FIVE COMPLEXES IN TWO TOWNS SAW SOME OF THE FINEST SOFTBALL IN NEW ENGLAND! THE 18U DIVISION (PICTURED BELOW ) SAW THE CT BOMBERS (16U TEAL) TEAM TAKE HOME THE GOLD IN AN EPIC INTERNATIONAL TIE-BREAKER, EXTRA INNING FINISH, WINNING WITH A SACRIFICE FLY IN THE BOTTOM OF THE EIGHTH AGAINST THE LADY FURY NORTH FROM NEW YORK.
IN THE 16U DIVISION, THE WOLCOTT EAGLES (PICTURED BELOW MIDDLE) WON A HARD FOUGHT BATTLE VS THE CT SIRENS.
THE NEW ENGLAND FAST PITCH 12U REGIONAL DEFEATED THE RHODE ISLAND STORM BLACK IN THE 12U BRACKET (BOTH TEAMS PICTURED THIRD BELOW)
THE 14U DIVISION WAS PLAYED IN OLD LYME, CT. RAPIDS SOFTBALL WHITE DEFEATED THE MONARCHS FOR THE TITLE.
THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE VOLUNTEERS AND STAFF WHO PULLED ALL OF THIS TOGETHER. SEE EVERYONE NEXT YEAR FOR SHORELINE STING XX. TWENTY YEARS OF EXCELLENCE.
JULY 18 & 19, 2026
STING 18U TAKES SILVER AT NUTMEG STATE GAMES
SHORELINE STING 18U EARNED THE SILVER MEDAL AT THE NUTMEG STATE GAMES IN MIDDLETOWN, CT. SATURDAY’S POOL PLAY SAW STING GO 3-0, BEATING CT BREAKERS, CT HURRICANES AND THE VALLEY STORM (MA). THEY OUTSCORED THEIR POOL PLAY OPPONENTS 39-5. THE OFFENSE WAS LED BY ABI JULIAN WITH AN .888 BATTING AVERAGE AND TWO EXTRA BASE HITS, JAYDEN JOHNSTON WITH A .666 AVERAGE, CHLOE FONTAINE (.625) AND FOUR WALKS, RILEY “RABBIT” YORK HIT .555 WITH THREE EXTRA BASE HITS AND FOUR WALKS AND THREE STOLEN BASES. PITCHER EMILY ALLEN WON TWO SATURDAY GAMES, AND AT THE PLATE CARDED A .555 BATTING AVERAGE, WITH TWO EXTRA BASE HITS. NATALIE LUTYEN GOT THE THIRD SATURDAY WIN, PITCHING A ONE-RUN GEM AND CHIPPED IN WITH A .428 BATTING AVERAGE AND FOUR RBIS.
IN SUNDAY BRACKET PLAY, STING STAYED HOT BEHIND ALLEN IN THE CIRCLE, BEATING THE TC FUTURES 3-1 AND RECORDING TEN STRIKE OUTS. THE BATS FELL SILENT, HOWEVER, IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME AGAINST THE ALWAYS FORMIDABLE, RI THUNDER, WITH MICHAELA MINOR COLLECTING THE ONLY HIT.
NEXT UP, STING 18U WILL HOST AREA COMPETITION IN SHORELINE STINGER XIX IN GUILFORD, CT.
SATURDAY & SUNDAY, JULY 25 & 26, 2026
SHORELINE STING HOSTS SHORELINE STINGER XIX IN GUILFORD & OLD LYME, CT
FOR TOURNAMENT INFORMATION, TEAMS, SATURDAY POOL SCHEDULES, SUNDAY BRACKETS, VENUES, ETC., VISIT www.playfpn.com AND ACCESS SHORELINE STINGER XIX
JUNE 13 & 14, 2026
STING 18U OPENS WITH RUNNER-UP FINISH IN MERIDEN
STING 18U STARTEDD THEIR SEASON WIITH A RUNNER-UP FINISH IN THE “STATE OF SHOCK” TOURNAMENT IN MERIDEN, CT.
AFTER A 2-1 SATURDAY, HIGHLIGHTED BY TWO NO-HIT PERFORMANCES BY PITCHER EMILY ALLEN, THEY NETTED A #4 SEED GOING INTO SUNDAY’S CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND.
STING WON SUNDAY’S OPENER, WITH KATIE MULL’S WALK-OFF RBI, KNOCKING IN RILEY YORK. IN THE NEXT SUNDAY GAME, THE STING KNOCKED OFF THE HOST AND #1 SEED CT SHOCK. THE SCORE WAS TIED 2-2 AT THE END OF REGULATION AND THE TEAM’S ENTERED INTO THE INTERNATIONAL TIE-BREAKER. STING PLATED FIVE IN THE EXTRA FRAME TO WIN 7-2. THE BIG BLOW CAME, ONCE AGAIN, FROM MULL, AIDED BY HITS FROM ALANA NINTEAU AND ABI JULIAN.
STING DROPPED THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME TO THE NORTHEAST FURY 6-1. COACH HAMILTON AND COACH MARSH WERE VERY PLEASED WITH A RUNNER-UP FINISH AFTER JUST THREE PRE-SEASON PRACTICES.
DIAMOND SPORTS ACADEMY
STING SECURES NEW INDOOR HOME IN WESTBROOK, CT
SHORELINE STING HAS LEASED PROPRIETARY INDOOR PRACTICE SPACE, DIAMOND SPORTS ACADEMY, AT 314 FLAT ROCK PLACE, SUITE C-120 IN WESTBROOK, CT. WORKOUTS IN THE NEW SPACE WILL BEGIN SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 15. MOST STING TEAMS WILL BE UTILIZING THE NEW SPACE, IMMEDIATELY. STING PLAYERS SHOULD PLEASE CONFIRM CHANGES IN TEAM WINTER PRACTICE LOCATIONS WITH YOUR COACH.
THE FACILITY WILL BE EQUIPPED WITH TURF, NETTING AND BATTING MACHINES, AS WELL AS LANES FOR PITCHING. SPACE FOR DEFENSIVE WORK, RUNNING AND STRENGTH TRAINING WILL ALSO BE FACILITATED IN THE BUILDING. THIS FACILITY WILL BE DEDICATED TO SOFTBALL AND BASEBALL. (LYME/OLD LYME LITTLE LEAGUE WILL ALSO BE UTILIZING THE BUILDING.)
AS WELL AS, TEAM WORKOUTS, PROVISIONS WILL BE MADE FOR INDIVIDUAL USE FOR STING PLAYERS AT A REASONABLE ADDITIONAL COST.
STING PLAYERS SHOULD CONTACT THEIR INDIVIDUAL TEAM COACH FOR INFORMATION REGARDING TEAM WORKOUTS AND INDIVIDUAL FACILITY USAGE. YOU MAY ALSO CONTACT MATT AT (860) 949-0065, OR VISIT diamondsportsofct@gmail.com.