Griswold High School softball coach Rick Arremony said after his team's win over Holy Cross in the Class M quarterfinals that the Eastern Connecticut Conference may not work for all sports but it certainly does for softball.
Lyman coach Gary Hoyt, Bacon Academy's Anna Dipierro, St. Bernard coach Andrea Gaines and others would certainly agree.
The ECC may have its woes but softball and baseball are not amongst them. The conference is one of the strongest in the state in those two sports, all you have to do is see the number of teams left in the state tournament for the evidence.
The league is represented by four teams in the Class M baseball state tournament's final eight, all play today. Add Fitch from Class LL and St. Bernard drom Class S and that's a really good showing by the league.
Five softball teams are already in state semifinal games next week. Griswold, Bacon Academy, Waterford, Lyman and St. Bernard all have trips to make to West Haven. NFA could become the sixth member of that group today should they beat Trumbull. NFA would have its semifinal game in Stratford on Tuesday, however.
The ECC may be much maligned but it is working for some, just ask the baseball and softball coaches.