Six All-Star Teams, Two Championship Runs and a Lot of Fun for Lyme-Old Lyme Little League

Editor’s Note: This report was submitted by Lyme-Old Lyme Little League.

LYME/OLD LYME, CT – Lyme-Old Lyme Little League (LOLLL) reached new heights during the 2026 season.

After the regular season ends, a town’s Little League has the option to enter its best players at different age groups into a tournament that culminates with an International Championship. Most people who are familiar with watching the Little League World Series on television don’t realize that they are seeing only the 12-and-under (12U) baseball and softball teams. Little League has six baseball tournament divisions and five softball divisions, ranging from 10-and-under to 16-and-under. This year, Lyme-Old Lyme entered baseball teams at the 11U, 12U, 13U (50/70) and 14U (Juniors) levels. On the softball side, the league was represented by 10U and 16U (Seniors) teams.

The 11U baseball team, coached by Dave Gage, came closest to winning a baseball district championship since 2011. Seven teams from the district entered teams in the 11U tournament and the Lyme-Old Lyme team finished third in pool play with a record of 2-2, putting them in a double-elimination tournament consisting of the top four teams. They made it to the championship game, before falling to Waterford 8-4.

Lyme-Old Lyme combined with players from Old Saybrook and Salem to field a 12U baseball team. Eight teams from the district were entered into this tournament, with each team guaranteed four games in pool play. Those games decided the top four teams that would go on to the double-elimination tournament. Coached by Chris Garvin, the boys had one of the toughest draws in the group stage. Three of the four teams they played made it into the four-team tournament. The team fought hard, losing two close games to East Lyme and Stonington but ultimately were unable to capture a win.

For 50/70 and Juniors baseball, there were not enough towns entering teams to have district tournaments and both teams started at the state tournament level. The 2026 All-Star season was also the first year Lyme-Old Lyme has ever entered teams at these levels of play. The 50/70 team, coached by TJ Spaeda from East Lyme, drew players from Lyme, Old Lyme, East Lyme and Salem. Four Connecticut teams played each other once. Although the boys did not win a game, they represented Lyme-Old Lyme Little League well and look forward to competing again next year.

Mike Pignataro from East Lyme coached the Juniors baseball team, which included players from Lyme, Old Lyme and East Lyme. Ten Connecticut teams were split into two groups of five teams for the state tournament and, within those groups, played each other once. Lyme-Old Lyme ended with a 1-3 record in the tournament. They beat Groton-Mystic and lost a close game to Stonington, which was one win away from winning the state tournament.

In softball, the 10U girls made it out of a seven-team pool-play format and into the four-team tournament. Coached by Eric Booth, they went into their fourth pool play game against Montville knowing the winner would go on to tournament play and the losing team would go home. The girls came ready to play and beat Montville 18-8, securing their position in the District 10 tournament. Although they lost both tournament games, this was a young team that is ready to come back next year.

Readers of this publication have been following the Seniors softball team, coached by Matt Reed. After cruising through the Connecticut State Tournament, they made it to the East Region championship game before losing to the team from Pennsylvania, their only loss in the tournament. The Seniors team is another young team who will be ready to return next year and make another run at qualifying for the Little League World Series.

It was a very successful All-Star season for Lyme-Old Lyme, with both 11U baseball and 10U softball making it out of pool play and Seniors softball going all the way to the East Region championship game. With almost all of these players eligible to play in a Little League tournament game again next year, there are big things in the future for Lyme-Old Lyme Little League.