The Westport Little League U12 softball team today edged Fairfield 14-13 to win the District 2 softball championship at Unity Field in Trumbull.The teams were tied 13-13 after nine innings Friday night before darkness suspended play, and the game resumed today. Pictured (l-r, top row) Coach Chris Fanning, Coach Louis Alfero, Catherine Connell, Erin McWhirter, Madeline Howard, Natalie Schenck, Kate Feinberg, Maddie McGarry, Sophia Alfero, Head Coach Mark McWhirter; (bottom row)  Emily Stone, Samantha Levin, Ellie Klein, Tilly Yacenda, Ali Green, and Erica Fanning. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

The Westport Little League Girls softball team is back in pursuit of a title with largely the team that last year won the Little League state championship at the 10-11-year-old level. The pursuit of 12-year-old dreams began Tuesday night as Westport beat Fairfield 8-6 in its first game of the double elimination tournament.  Sofia Alfero got the win, striking out six in five innings. Emily Stone, a new addition to the team, closed out the game with a 1-2-3 sixth inning. Ali Green set the tone by opening with a double, scoring and then made a huge catch in center field in the final inning. Alfero was also the star hitter going 3-4 with a two-run triple. In the bottom of the fifth, with the game tied, Natalie Schenk brought in Sami Levin for what proved to be the winning run. Westport pounded out 13 hits in the contest. Westport needs a win Friday night at Unity Park in Trumbull at 5:30 p.m. or on Saturday for the District 2 title. Pictured are Sophia Alfero, pitcher, and Emily Stone, third base. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

Westport’s U12 Blue soccer team today finished its season undefeated with a 4-0 win over Newtown at the upper Long Lots field. Pictured are (l-r, bottom row) Nick Heim, Evan Seigal, Joseph Crise, Vignesh Kareddy, Benny Feuer, Drew Halperin; (top row) Coach Amar Bellara, Lars Djuve, Chet Ellis, David Basich, Teddy O’Kane, Avi Shein, Tadeo Messenger, and Assistant Coach Neil O’Kane. Not pictured: Emerson Anvari, Assistant Coach Alex Anvari, Joshua Dedomenico, Mathis De Vos, Andrew Lau, and Michael Lau. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

McLain Ward aboard HH Fleur of Double H Farm of Ridgefield and Wellington, Fla. today won the $25,000 Fairfield Grand Prix at the June Benefit Horse Show at the Fairfield County Hunt Club in Westport. Ward, 38, of Brewster, N.Y., is one of the top riders on on the show jumping circuit, winning a host of first place ribbons to add to his two Olympic gold medals—one won in Athens in 2004 and the other in Beijing in 2008. He has been a standout since the age of 14 when he won the United States Equestrian Federation Show Jumping Derby. Sponsor of the event was Wells Fargo and George N. Venizelos. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Helen Klisser During for WestportNow.com

The Staples High School Girls basketball program has announced that all girls entering fifth grade and up are invited join current freshmen, junior varsity and varsity Wreckers for a youth basketball clinic to be held June 26 and July 17 at Staples from 5:30 to 7 p.m.

Team members and freshman Coach Jeremy Thompson will offer instruction in ball handling, shooting, defensive footwork, rebounding, passing and conditioning, officials said.

According to Thompson, the clinic is designed to give youth the opportunity to interact and play with current Staples basketball players, as well as the freshmen coach. The cost is $20 per student per clinic, and students may attend both, said Thompson, adding that every girl receives a t-shirt for participating.

Those interested can email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  with contact information and the dates on which they plan to attend.

Westport seventh graders Donny Macaluso (l) and Michael Mauricio, who both attend Bedford Middle School, played in the invitation-only U-15 (under-15 age) CONNY Lacrosse East-West All Stars Classic at Yale’s Reese Stadium in New Haven on Sunday representing their Westport PAL Boys Lacrosse teams. The Westport Boys’ East All-Stars won 12-6, with Michael scoring a goal and an assist. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

Westport’s Saugatuck Junior Rowing had four boats medal at the U.S. Rowing Youth National Championships in Rancho Cordova, Calif. this weekend. Pictured (l-r) are Gage Holzhauer and John Andrews (Staples) who took third in the men’s lightweight double, Jeff Monahan (Staples) and Cameron Yates who won first in the men’s double, and Ellie Harned (Green’s Farms Academy) and Natalie Clark who won third in the woman’s pair. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

Westport’s Saugatuck Junior Rowing had four boats medal at the U.S. Rowing Youth National Championships in Rancho Cordova, Calif. this weekend. The woman’s lightweight 8+ won second. Members pictured are (l-r) Charlotte Powers (Ludlowe), Georgia Fox (Staples), Reni Forer (Staples), Nica Wardell (Staples), Joanna Moley (Greens Farms Academy) , Elizabeth O’Brien (Darien), Caroline O’Brien (Darien), Tati Chermayeff (McMahon), and Camila Meyer-Bosse (Staples). On the far right is Coach Jay Thompson. Saugatuck had 11 boats qualify for the nationals, the most in the nation. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo