Winning one state championship is hard enough, and repeating the feat is even more rare.

But Fairfield American Little League was up to the task.

Fairfield American became just the sixth Connecticut league to earn consecutive state championships in the major baseball division following a 13-3 victory over Glastonbury American Little League in the third and final game of the Connecticut state tournament.

The win gave Fairfield a two games to one edge in the best-of-three championship series, and advanced to District 2 winners to the New England Region tournament in Bristol, Connecticut. One year after Fairfield reached the Little League World Series in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, the same league came within two games of a repeat appearance before falling in the region semifinals.

Winning a second championship flag was no easy feat. Fairfield trailed in four of its six games leading up to the state tournament, and then dropped the first game of the best-of-three championship series to a formidable Glastonbury American team that was just two years removed from a state championship of its own.

But Fairfield edged Glastonbury, 3-2, to even the series at one game apiece, and then scored in every inning of its final game victory.

The win was also the second state championship for most of Fairfield's players, who won the Connecticut championship in the 10-11 year old division in 2010.

"Most people never get to win a state title," said Fairfield manager Kevin Flynn. "Now we've got two in two years, and I've got a bunch of young men who have two under their belts. It's fantastic."

The deciding game was pushed back twice, once because of violent thunderstorms near Leonard J. Fusco Field in Prospect, and the second time when Fairfield was late arriving to the game after being stuck in rush hour traffic.

But Fairfield American made the delays worthwhile for their fans, slamming five home runs and pounding sixteen hits in a decisive victory.

Brendan Layne spearheaded the Fairfield attack, slamming a towering three-run home run in the second inning that gave his team the lead for good, and later adding a solo shot in the fifth inning. Grant Carnemark added a two-run homer in the second that stretched Fairfield's advantage to 6-2, while Jon Annuzzi delivered a three-run shot in the fourth. Brendan Bucher capped the scoring with a three-run homer of his own in the sixth.

"We're very deep," said Flynn after the win. "It's comforting when you can put in guys off the bench who can hit. These guys can do it all."

Fairfield American's power show was more than enough for pitcher Jack Oricoli, who grew stronger as the game progressed in a complete game, five-hit effort. Oricoli surrendered consecutive home runs by Glastonbury's Ian Halpin and Aidan Scott in the bottom of the first inning to give the District 7 champions a brief 2-1 lead, but allowed just one run and three hits over the balance of the game.

Glastonbury American had kept Fairfield's offense in check in the tournament opener, when the Hartford-area team secured a 7-4 victory.

Glastonbury struck for five runs in the bottom of the first inning to take command early in the opener. Halpin slammed a two-run homer to center field, and three batters later, Michael Welcer drilled a three-run home run to put Glastonbury on top by a 5-1 margin.

"Getting going in the first inning is big," noted Glastonbury American manager Pete Halpin. "If you can get going right away, it makes the challenge seem downhill from there."

The teams traded runs in the second, with Luke Raicik adding a solo home run for Glastonbury, and the District 7 winners held on despite being outhit 10-8 in the game. Fairfield stranded seven baserunners in the game against Glastonbury pitcher Aidan Scott.

"He pitched a nice game," said Flynn, the Fairfield manager, of Scott's effort. "But we were flat today. It was three bad pitches (on the home runs)."

Fairfield pitcher Reed Szempenski moved to the pitcher's mound in the second inning after Glastonbury's big start, and allowed just two more runs over the next five innings.

The effort set the tone for the next day, when Fairfield's Eddie Schwartz and Glastonbury's Ian Halpin dueled in a game that Fairfield eventually won, 3-2.

Fairfield had twice grabbed one-run leads in the game, and Glastonbury responded by drawing level before Fairfield won it in the bottom of the sixth. Carnemark sparked the rally with a single to center field, and moved to third following a wild pitch and an error. Bucher's one-out single to deep right field drove him home and squared the series at one win apiece.

Carnemark had also keyed Fairfield's other rallies. In the second, he reached on a base hit before scoring on Philip Vlandis' double, and in the third, his hit was followed by Annuzzi's run-scoring double.

Glastonbury got solo home runs from Scott in the fourth and Kory Armando in the fifth, but managed only six hits while striking out eight times against Schwartz.

"He's our ace, our go-to guy," noted Flynn. We had him in the right spot against one of their better guys."

Schwartz switched positions with two outs in the top of the sixth, and Layne registered a strikeout on the only batter he faced to strand a pair of Glastonbury baserunners and set the stage for Fairfield's final rally.

Two days later, Fairfield's barrage of home runs gave the team its second consecutive trip to Bristol, Connecticut, for the New England Region tournament.

"Glastonbury has a really good team," said Flynn at the conclusion of the tournament. "That was some of the best pitching we've seen and some of the best defense. I don't want to take anything away from them."

But the Fairfield manager eagerly awaited the next step in his powerful team's journey.

"This was the best thing that can happen to a 12-year-old," said the Fairfield manager. "And, I'll tell you, it's not a bad thing to happen to a 49-year-old, either."