Once upon a time ...

A fourth league is added in Middletown, the Westfield League. The new league had four teams: Heitco, the Knights of Columbus, the Westfield Fire Department and Raymond Engineering. The city championship was now played between the four league champions. It became a single elimination tournament, with the winners of the first games meeting in the city championship game. This format was in effect from 1968 to 1970.

At Moody School, VFW defeated the Knights of Columbus 6-1. Glen Nelson was the winning pitcher. He gave up five hits and struckout 13. Matt Vernali pitched for the Knights. Dean Burgess had a two run homer.

At Snow School, the Ancient Order of Hibernians edged Rotary 1-0. The lone run scored in the third. Calvin Hart singled, stole second and moved to third on passed ball. John Houston walked. Ricky Vereen grounded to first scoring Hart. Ricky Vereen pitched a two hitter and fanned 13.

The Ancient Order of Hibernians defeated VFW 11-3 at Hubbard Park to become city champions. This win gave AOH a perfect 20-0 season. John Houston was winning pitcher. He fanned six, walked two and gave up six hits. AOH had eleven hits, three hits each for Calvin Hart and Ricky Vereen.

District Nine Tournament
Jerry Stano hurled a one hitter and hit a two run first inning home run as the Bernie O'Rourke All Stars toppled Middlefield 5-0 at Snow School Field. Stano struck out 13 and walked two. Jeff Guida pitched for Middlefield. Richie LaBella had two hits.

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Middlefield All Stars	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1
O'Rourke All Stars	4	0	0	1	0	x	5	7

The Pat Kidney All Stars were defeated by Guilford 5-1 in Guilford. Pat Kidney's lone run was in the fourth when Ricky Vereen doubled and Charley Kolenda singled. Guilford was led by a two run homer by Chris Alteri. Jim Valenti was the winning pitcher with nine strikeouts. Vereen struck out 11.

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Guilford All Stars	0	0	0	3	1	1	5	5
Pat Kidney All Stars	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	2

Portland scored two runs in each the first and second innings and went on to defeat Moose 5-1 at Hubbard Park. Louis Pitruzzello homer was the lone tally for Moose Paul Filanda, Dean Burgess, and Glenn Nelson all pitched for Moose.

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Portland All Stars	2	2	0	0	1	0	5	4
Moose All Stars	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	4

Madison used three home runs to defeat Westfield 8-3 at Snow School. Don Meredith homered in the first. Jeff Farmer had a two run clout in the third. George Daniels hit a three run shot in the sixth. Westfield scored two in the fourth on hits by Dave Cameron, Jim Klick, and Kenny King. Matt Vernali homered in the fifth to tie the game. Dave Cameron pitched for Moose. Jeff Farmer pitched for Madison and fanned 11 and walked five.

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Madison All Stars	1	0	2	0	0	5	8	11
Westfield All Stars	0	0	0	2	1	0	3	6

Bernie O'Rourke used the one hit pitching of Richie LaBella to stop Guilford 18-2 at Guilford. Steve Cosgrove was four for five drove in six runs and had a two run homer. Jerry Stano had three hits, seven runs batted in and a grand slam homer.

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
O'Rourke All Stars	2	0	2	7	1	6	18	12
Guilford All Stars	0	1	0	0	1	0	2	1

The Bernie O'Rourke All Stard defeated Portland 3-0 at Hubbard Park to reach the finals of the District Nine Tournament. Jerry Stano pitched a two hitter and struck out 14 and walked two. Steve Cosgrove drove in two runs, one with a solo homer. Cosgrove had two hits and Steve Hatje had three hits. The win set up the title game against Madison in Madison. Madison reached the finals with a 1-0 win over East Hampton.

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Portland All Stars	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2
O'Rourke All Stars	1	1	1	0	0	x	3	5

Rich LaBella pitched a three hitter to lead the Bernie O'Rourke All Stars to a 12-1 win over Madison at Jaycees Field in Madison. Steve Cosgrove drove in six runs with a two run single in the third and a grandslam in the sixth. Jerry Stano had a two run homer in the third.

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
O'Rourke All Stars	0	0	4	0	0	8	12	9
Madison All Stars	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	3

The Pop Smith All Stars of New Haven eliminated the Bernie O'Rourke All Stars 5-3 at Hubbard Park. Derek Stewart of New Haven had a three run homer in the first. O'Rourke tied the game in the third. Steve Cosgrove singled, Rich LaBella singled and Jerry Stano tripled. The throw to third was wild and Stano scored. Stano fanned two and did not issue a walk. Glenn Ellis was the winning pitcher. Rich LaBella had two hits for O'Rourke.

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
O'Rourke All Stars	0	0	3	0	0	0	3	4
New Haven Pop Smith	3	0	1	1	0	x	5	6

1968 O'Rourke League All Stars - District Nine Champions
Managers Art Hatje and Herb Laflin.
Steve Cosgrove, Jerry Stano, Jeff Solek, Steve Mathewson, Herb Laflin, Jeff Russo, Kevin O'Rourke, Chris Green, Gary Behm, Steve Hatje, Patrick Falvey, Richie LaBella, John Hagel, Robert Annino.

1968 Moose League All Stars
Paul Filanda, Pat Auqeri, Keith Jones, Mark Sbona, Dean Burqess, Glen Nelson. Mark Cecchini, Mark Salonia, Bill Damato, Louis Pitruzzello, Steve Costomiris, Robert Erickson, James King, Maurice Gariepy.

1968 Pat Kidney League All Stars
Joe Marchese, Robert Milardo, Ed Albrecht, Robert Cronin, Dave Jarzabek, Bob Daniels, Richard Byrd, Marty Rybczyk, Charles Kolenda, Ricky Vereen, John Houston, Dan Hill, Peter Halibozek.

1968 Westfield League All Stars- Their first All Star Team.
Mike Derosier, Dave Cameron, John Riley, Keith Hill, Scott Strickland, Wayne Pegolo, Jim Klick, Kenny King, Bob Piasecki, Matt Vernali, Chester Petruck, John Carey, Bernard Gillis, Phil Cyrulik.