Two Days, Two Titles, One Town

 

Two days, Two Titles. One Town. 

That is the case for the Fairfield Public High Schools*. Ludlowe softball won the FCIAC championship on Thursday, while Warde baseball won an FCIAC title of their own on Friday. 

*Yes, I realize Prep baseball won the SCC Championship, but I work at Ludlowe and Warde, so that is where my focus is. 

For Ludlowe softball, it was the first title in school history. The Falcons, the No. 2 seed, defeated the St. Joseph Cadets 6-3 at Sacred Heart University. In the regular season, the Cadets won 5-2, handing Ludlowe their only loss of the season.

Here is the game story from GameTime CT's Maggie Vanoni as Reyes, Ludlowe rally to top St. Joseph for first FCIAC softball crown

History is made. Fairfield Ludlowe wins the school’s first-ever FCIAC championship title after beating St. Joseph, 6-3. Ludlowe awaits its placement in the state tournament bracket. #ctsb pic.twitter.com/41xB8S3o2Z

— Maggie Vanoni (@maggie_vanoni) May 27, 2021

In Warde baseball's case, the defeated the Greenwich Cardinals 9-0 at Cubeta Stadium. Zack Brodrick threw a complete-game for the Mustangs. It's their first title since 2014 and the second since the schools split. Fairfield High School (when Warde and Ludlowe were combined) won in 2004. 

Here's the game story from GameTime CT's Scott Ericson as Broderick pitches Warde to FCIAC Championship over Greenwich. 

.@WardeBaseball celebrates their 2021 FCIAC Championship win. (Using my very limited iMovie skills to edit the broadcast and my iPhone footage together) #ctbase #InTheBooth pic.twitter.com/WYezhqbKXH

— Rob Adams (@double5) May 29, 2021

If you want to watch the entire Warde/Greenwich game with Rob Adams on the call, go here

Congrats to both teams and good luck to everyone in the state tournament!  

Warde Baseball Wins Tight Battle Over Ludlowe

Warde baseball edged Ludlowe by a 6-5 score on Wednesday afternoon at Kiwanis Field in Fairfield in the annual rivalry game between the two schools. 

The Mustangs jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. They loaded the bases on no hits, as Roman DiGiacomo walked, Declan O'Hara was hit by a pitch and John Heitzman also walked. Zack Broderick, the Mustangs starting pitcher, then helped himself with a two-run single to center field to plate DiGiacomo and O'Hara. 

Warde tacked on in the second inning. With Garrett Larsen at second and two outs, O'Hara singled to left to bring in another run. The next batter, Heitzman, doubled down the right field line to bring home O'Hara and extend the Mustangs lead to 4-0. 

Ludlowe would cut into the deficit in the third. The Falcons would pick up two runs, including an RBI single from Reese Palumbo. 

Warde added another run in the 5th. Jack Andrews singed to left with two outs to bring home Broderick from third who had reached on an error to lead off the inning. 

The Falcons would come back to tie the game in the bottom half of the frame. Justin Dennett reached on an error to lead off the inning. Two batters later, Noah Schaper singled to right to bring home Dennett and cut the deficit to 5-3. Three batters later with runners at second and third, pinch-hitter Ben Gaffney doubled down the left field line to bring in two runs and tie the game at five. 

Warde would take the lead for good in the top of the seventh. Jake Balogh led off the inning with a single to center. Three batters later, with Balogh at third, Larsen singled to short center field to bring home the go-ahead run. 

Ludlowe would get the tying run on first with two outs, but couldn't push the tying run across the plate. 

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In the softball game between Ludlowe and Warde, the Falcons came away with a 13-3 victory to take home the Walker Cup.