Griswold — It was the team that didn't win a share of the Eastern Connecticut Conference Medium Division title, the team that didn't receive an automatic bid to the league tournament but had to earn its way in as one of two-at large teams.

And that's the team, Stonington, which was one of the last two teams standing in the ECC softball tournament after the semifinals Thursday night at Griswold High School.

The No. 7 Bears won their seventh straight game, highlighted by a solo home run from Christine McNeil in the sixth inning, beating No. 3 Waterford 5-3. Stonington (17-5) will meet top-seeded and unbeaten Fitch (21-0) in today's championship game, scheduled for 3 p.m. at Griswold. Due to the time change, ECC all-star awards will not be handed out prior to the game.

Fitch shut out No. 4 Norwich Free Academy in the first semifinal 6-0, getting a two-hitter from pitcher Caroline Taber — who retired the last eight batters in order — and two hits and three RBI from Jayden Delaporta.

"I just think we can do anything we put our minds to," said McNeil, Stonington's senior catcher. "We didn't start off as strong as we wanted this season, but we came back. It's just awesome. We're in the finals."

"They're understanding they're a team," Stonington coach Ann-Marie Houle said. "We're not superstars. I thought that we showed good character today. The season is a marathon, not a sprint. I think we were ready. We really prepared for this situation."

Waterford (14-8) took the lead with two runs in the third inning, getting a total of three stolen bases, a safety squeeze bunt by Mackenzie Merriman and an RBI triple down the right field line by Jodi Weiss.

But Stonington came right back with three in the fourth to take the lead for good. Cameron Dreher, Rhianna Maynard and Abby Flakus strung together consecutive singles to load the bases. One out later, Brooke Arruda bounced a ball up the middle for a single to drive in two runs and Emma Miller blooped a single just to the right of second base to drive home Flakus with the third run.

McNeil's home run, over the fence in straightaway center field — with Waterford center fielder Claire Hurley tracking it, but finally running out of room — made it 4-2. The Bears added another insurance run in the seventh on an infield single by Maynard.

Waterford loaded the bases with nobody out on three straight singles to start the bottom of the seventh, but Stonington pitcher Trinity Lennon retired the side in order after that, allowing only a sacrifice fly to Emily Borysewicz.

Mallory Kane, Maynard, McNeil, Arruda and Miller each had two of Stonington's 13 hits. Weiss and Avery Losma each had two hits for Waterford.

In the first game, Fitch scored a run in the first inning on an RBI single by Delaporta and the scored remained 1-0 through four and a half well-pitched and spectacularly defended innings which included a catch made by NFA first baseman Abigail Laboy crashing into the fence behind first base.

With the bases loaded and nobody out in the fifth, Taber drove in a run on a ground ball to second base to make it 2-0, Taylor Wolfgang followed with an RBI single to right and Delaporta unloaded a double into the gap to score two more runs. Olivia Knotts made it 6-0 two batters later with an RBI single.

Fitch now has a chance to avenge last season's loss to NFA in the ECC final, which was the Falcons' only defeat on the way to a Class L state championship. Fitch had a close call again in Wednesday's quarterfinals, needing nine innings to beat No. 8 Lyman Memorial 5-4.

Coach Kate Prpich said the run in the first inning helped Fitch relax against NFA (16-5).

"Sometimes as a coach you're telling them they need to focus. Other times you just want them to relax," Prpich said. "Nobody ever won a game who was scared to lose."

Taber struck out 11 for Fitch and did not allow a hit after the third inning.

v.fulkerson@theday.com

Twitter: @vickieattheday