Bristol — According to manager Joe Nott, there wasn't a minute's silence in the van ride on the way to Sunday's game. The Waterford Little League softball team was too busy cheering, talking, planning.

Afterward, it was more of the same, celebrating a 7-1 victory over Westport that claimed the state Little League championship for ages 11-12. Squeals emanated when it was mentioned there would be a postgame trip for ice cream at Cowlick's Creamery back in Waterford, as well as a ride on a fire truck.

But on the field, Waterford was all business.

“I've had these kids since they were 9 years old,” Nott said. “(What's special about them) is that they don't give up on themselves. They're here to win. If they're down seven runs or up seven runs, you wouldn't know. They bring each other up.”

Waterford, which came out of the losers' bracket and thus had to beat Westport twice in two days for the title, scored twice in the fifth Sunday to take a 2-1 lead and added five runs in the sixth and final inning.

Waterford pitcher Rachel Miller, meanwhile, allowed just two hits and one unearned run.

She also accounted for the go-ahead run in the fifth when she drove the first pitch for a single up the middle to score teammate Rachel Nasser. Miller was 3-for-3 with three RBI, adding a two-run single as Waterford broke the game open in the sixth.

Waterford will next play in the Little League Softball East Regional tournament from July 25-31, back in Bristol. Waterford's first game is against Lyndonville, Vt., beginning at 8 p.m. Saturday.

“Just do everything my hitting coach tells me,” Miller said of what went through her mind before her fifth-inning at-bat, with Nasser standing on third base with two outs. “That was a 'green' pitch, one of my best ones.

“… We had a lot of errors the first game (against Westport during the tournament, a 4-3 loss). We just had to hit the ball and don't make errors.”

Waterford defeated Westport 3-1 Saturday to force the final game.

Westport took a 1-0 lead in the third inning Sunday when Ali Green singled and scored on a pair of Waterford errors, all coming with two outs.

Waterford threatened in the fourth, leaving runners on second and third, but took the lead in the fifth on a rally which began with Anna Guido reaching on an error and immediately stealing second. Nasser drove in the tying run with a single, took second on the throw home and went to third on a groundout by Gina McKittrick, setting the table for Miller.

In the sixth, Waterford batted around, getting an infield single by Molly Quiles to lead off the inning. Quiles took second on an overthrow and scored when Jessica San Juan reached on another Westport error. Jenna Gannon walked and Anna Kovacs reached on a fielder's choice, loading the bases.

Nasser walked to force in a run, making it 4-1, McKittrick drove in another with a ground ball out and Miller ripped an 0-2 pitch to left field to push the lead to six.

Miller then retired the side in order in the bottom of the sixth.

“They didn't get down on themselves,” Nott said. “They wanted to be in those dorms (that house participants in the regional). … I'm confident in these kids. Not one kid missed a practice. We had one girl get hurt and she was here watching on her crutches. They want the World Series, but they have to take it one game at a time.”

v.fulkerson@theday.com

Twitter: @vickieattheday