2025 FCIAC Baseball Champions!

**Note: This blog post is from my perspective as a Ludlowe baseball assistant coach and has no affiliation with my job in the Fairfield Public Schools athletic departments. Additionally, while we may echo similar thoughts, this does not necessarily represent the thoughts and opinions of Ludlowe Baseball Head Coach Ken Geriak or anyone else on the baseball staff.  **

On Friday afternoon in Stamford, the Fairfield Ludlowe Falcons baseball team captured the 2025 FCIAC Championship. 

The Falcons defeated Norwalk 4-2 to win the title. It's the second FCIAC Championship for Ludlowe baseball, the previous one coming in 2010, when the Falcons defeated Greenwich. The Falcons lost to Staples in their only other appearance in 2019. 

Ludlowe came into the FCIAC tournament as the number seven seed. Norwalk was the top seed. 

In the quarterfinals, Ludlowe defeated cross-town rival Warde, 4-3. Ian Moore's two run single in the top of the seventh was the difference in that game. 

In the semifinals, the Falcons took down St. Joseph 3-0 behind a complete-game three hitter from Tyler Geriak. 

In the championship, Luke Stasko threw four scoreless innings, and Mason Holcomb got the win in relief with three innings allowing two runs. 

Kenny Luczaj had two hits, and a run scored. Dylan Davis and Ian Moore, who was named FCIAC Championship game MVP, each had a hit and run scored. 

All three teams that Ludlowe defeated in the FCIAC tournament were teams they lost to during the regular season, including losing to Warde twice. 

This was a total team effort. The players, first and foremost, and the coaching staff, as well as the support staff. It's also so much about the parents who help out and support their children. 

The players are the ones who perform on the field. So much of the credit goes to them and deservedly so. 

Those players include Jack Adwin, Ian Moore, Cristian Negron, Joe Calabro, Luke Stasko, Kenny Luczaj, Kieran Scruggs, Jackson Frame, Leo Hood, Aiden Goodson, Mason Holcomb, Jake Palladino, Eliot Kwan, Brennan Davis, Chris Wolf, Jackson Foldeak, Tyler Geriak, Cole Stotler, Dylan Davis, Ryan Frame, Mason Dennett, Ryan Love, Cooper Hein, Cam Colin and Hudson Kofoed (with a shout out to Mikey Clear and Trip Keyes who were a part of the bench crew for the semis and final.) 

It's also about the alum who have built the foundation. And so many others. 

Shout out to head coach Ken Geriak as the leader of the pack. 

So proud of everyone. 

There's so much coverage out there to read, watch and listen to, and you know I've been paying attention to it all. Head to the Ludlowe Baseball Instagram and Twitter accounts for links to most, if not all of it. 

One job done, now it's on to the state tournament beginning on Monday. 

Falcon Pride! 

2024 Ludlowe Baseball Season

The 2024 varsity team (Photo: Jennifer Gibson)

The 2024 Ludlowe baseball has come to a close. 

First off, these are my thoughts as an assistant coach and as a writer/blogger, I write about things like this. I am not speaking for our Head Coach, Ken Geriak (although I'm sure he echos a lot of what I am about to say.)

It was a special season. While we didn't win anything, it was a special group, especially the senior class. Obviously, we would like to win, but high school sports are about so much more than that. It's about growing a person (different than one does in the classroom) and building and strengthening connections, friendships and bonds. Both players with other players and players with coaches. 

So proud of this group. This team dealt adversity as a team through the years, including this year. They dealt with a number of injuries and other issues and yet bonded together. There was also personal adversity, outside the team, that these guys dealt with through the years. All of this is not uncommon, unfortunately. But it is part of the story. 

This group cared about one another. It was a varsity team comprised of seniors through freshman, some playing more than others. Everyone embraced their roles. 

To recap the season a bit. 

We finished the regular season at 12-8, 7-8 in the FCIAC. 

We missed out on the FCIAC tournament by one game but earned the number 16 seed in the Class LL state tournament. 

We started 9-0, before losing three in a row. Then the second half of the regular season was up and down. Some great wins were beating St. Joe's, Greenwich (twice) and Newtown, to name a few. 

In the state tournament, we defeated Simsbury 2-1 in the first round, before falling to the top seed, Southington 7-3 in the second round, ending our season. The Southington game was closer than the score. We held a 3-2 lead in the fifth inning, in large part thanks to a two-run HR from senior captain Ben Crawford*. 

*Please go read the article Scott Ericson wrote on Ben earlier in the season. Just a tremendous young man and a tremendous family. I could write more but I'm not going to embarrass Ben (any more than I have already done.) Plus, Scott did a terrific job at telling the story. 

Congratulations to all our guys who were recognized by the FCIAC. Ben Crawford and Spencer Bradley were named All-FCIAC First Team. Kieran Scruggs and Cole Gibson were named All-FCIAC East Division and Luke Scaglione, Liam Grady and Dylan Davis were named All-FCIAC Honorable Mention. 

So many people to thank for making this season possible. 

Thank you to Art Cockerham for your photos and your graphics for the Instagram and Twitter. 

Thank you to Ludlowe students Stuart Kagel, Alex Parent, Sam Graziano and everyone else who was involved in the booth operations this season, including the scoreboard, PA announcing and the music. 

Thank you, Jennifer Gibson and Stacey Scruggs, for photos and videos. They were great for the boys to have, as well as for social media. 

Thank you to Amy Crawford, Jodi Moore, Dan and Andrea Seek, Kristen Frame, Kerry Veas, Katie Grady, Renee McGuire and anyone else I am forgetting for all your involvement in helping make this season (and the last few) as special as it was for the boys and the entire program. No offense intended if I didn't mention someone, just going off those I know who were involved off the top of my head. That is the issue with trying to list people by name and give credit where credit is due. 

There's so much behind the scenes that the parents do that people don't know that make our lives as coaches easier and more important, make it an enjoyable experience for the boys. 

From fundraisers, to team dinners, to roster lanyards, to senior day, to the banquet, and other things I am likely forgetting. 

Thank you to Phil Veas for his involvement in Fairfield American Day. A terrific community day and an important day for our program. 

Thank you to all the parents, those mentioned and everyone else, for your support of your kids, and all the boys, as well as the entire program. 

A great job by the entire coaching staff, and I am honored to be a part of. From our leader, head coach Ken Geriak, to Jeff Love, Tommy Howell and Chris Howell (with a nod to Vin Riccio). 

To this senior class. You are an extraordinary group of young men. Great players, better people. I know it's cliche, but it's so true about this class. 

Personally, with no disrespect indented to past classes, from top to bottom, this is a favorite class of mine. Some groups I have been very close with some guys, but this seems to be a class I am closest with as a whole. A lot of them I have only know in high school, but I have gotten to know them well since their freshman year. I was around their freshman team a lot for a number of reasons. 

Then there are guys I have known before high school, as I had some as campers with Fairfield Parks and Rec camp**, some I knew because of their siblings, some I knew from broadcasting and watching the Fairfield American Little League games, and some I just knew from around town. And there is plenty over overlap on my dealings with them in the groups listed above. 

**Having Gavin McGuire and Jack Veas twice as campers was a blast. When they were going into third grade and then going into sixth. From talking baseball, both professional and their games, to them convincing me to let them play basketball while the rest of the campers watched a movie. Good memories. 

To the seniors: Ben Crawford, Cole Gibson, Luke Scaglione, Liam Grady, Luke Anderson, Spencer Bradley, Gavin McGuire, Jack Veas, Sawyer Crays and Will Burnham. Thank you and best of luck you will all do great things in life! 

I'm going to miss this group, but I hope we stay connected. As I've said to them, they are "my guys for life." 

A special season. 

The 2024 Seniors (Photo: Stacey Scruggs)

The 2024 Seniors as freshman in the spring of 2021 (Photo: Contributed)

Little League Day

The Ludlowe team with the FALL players postgame (Stacey Scruggs Photo)

It was the second annual Fairfield American Little League (FALL) Day at Kiwanis Field in Fairfield on Wednesday as the Ludlowe baseball team hosted Stamford. 

Prior to the game, the little leaguers joined the Ludlowe team on the field for the National Anthem. Additionally, Seamus O'Neill of the Fairfield American's Red Storm Challenger Division threw out the ceremonial first pitch, caught by Ludlowe's Ben Crawford. 

Seamus O'Neill throwing out the first pitch (Art Cockerham Photo)

Following the game, the little leaguers came onto the field and were able to run the bases and get autographs from the Ludlowe players. 

In addition, the little leaguers, along with the Ludlowe players, were given t-shirts. Multiple designs of "Future Falcon" and a co-branded FALL/Ludlowe Baseball shirt. 

Thank you to everyone who was involved making the day happen. From Phil Veas, who is both a Ludlowe parent and FALL parent and board member, to Ludlowe parents Amy Crawford, Stacey Scruggs, and Jennifer Gibson. Thank you to Brian Markham from FALL Red Storm as well. 

Shoutout as well to Ludlowe head coach Ken Geriak for all his involvement and thank you to Stuart Kagel on the PA announcing. Sorry if I am leaving anyone out. 

There was also the Fire Engine Food Truck which was enjoyed by many. 

On the field, Ludlowe picked up a 5-1 win behind solid pitching from Spencer Bradley and Cooper Seek. At the plate, Gavin McGuire had the game-tying hit in a five-run fifth. The aforementioned Ben Crawford was 2-2 including the go-ahead two-run single. Liam Grady also had a two-run double to give the Falcons some breathing room. 

A great day all around and a special community day! 

Buses, Battle and Baseball

I don't write about specific work items much, even though it is so much of my life, because there is a lot I can't write about. I write about the games that are work-related. 

However, it's pretty well known that there are bus problems. That being said, I think I am okay writing about this. It's definitely an issue in Fairfield County and Connecticut. I've heard of many towns having difficulties. 

It's also supposedly a national issue. The problem is that there are not enough drivers. 

This has been an issue since COVID, at least. 

The week, however, was really rough. 

That being said, great job by the transportation office working with the bus company. This is not a knock on either of those groups. I'm just talking about what we deal with. Great people working at both those places doing their best. 

This ends up being a large part of my workday. Figuring out what buses we can combine, what time buses can pick up, what games we have to postpone and more. 

We normally get most of it figured out, it's just not as simple as it may seem. It depends on what other routes for the schools the bus drivers have to do, the locations of the events, the number of people going, and so much more. 

The spring is also always the worst of the seasons because we have the most sports, there are a lot less programs who share buses (JV and varsity) and the weather moves games which impacts the number of buses on certain days. 

Hopefully next week will be better. Every week gets closer to the end of the season and the end of the school year. 

While dealing with buses today, it was Battle of the Houses at Warde. 

Each of the three houses at Warde, Pequot, Towsend and Fitts, compete against each other in a number of activities. 

I was asked to be a judge. This just means as they go through the events, make sure there is no cheating and for some events, keeping track of scores. 

The games/events range from sports like knockout and handball, to non-sporting events like relay races that include eating Jello and so much more. 

So, as I was helping judge Battle, I was also dealing with the bus issues. Multitasking at its finest. 

Congrats to Pequot House, which I guess I am technically a part of since that's where my office is located, even though we are considered part of the main office sometimes, on winning this years Battle of the Houses. 

Great job by Jeff Seganos, Matt Narwold, Joe Saad, Duncan Dellavolpe and everyone else who was involved in making it happen. 

After all that was done, for the most part, it was on to baseball. 

I had to fill in and coach the JV game. I did this once last year as well. 

Ironically, both games I coached were against Norwalk High School. 

I got over to Owen Fish and knew there were things I had to figure out and get myself settled to coach. That all went well.... for the most part. 

Although in the first inning, someone from Norwalk comes up to me and says there is a car that is going to be boxed in by the ground crew's truck. You guessed it...Mine. So, as the bottom of the first is happening, I run to the parking lot to move my car and ended up having to park in a tough spot on the edge of the lot/driveway.

It all worked out fine. Just another thing to have to deal with. Oh well. It's all part of the story. 

The game was a good one, as we got out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning and ended up winning 5-2. 

It's definitely about the kids and they were great. Made my job easy. I will say, I think I improved as last year I got someone thrown out on the plate. That did not happen today. 

Once our game ended, I headed over to the varsity game at Kiwanis against Norwalk which was in extra innings, tied at one. I got their by the top of the tenth and we were trailing 3-1. Norwalk ended up coming away with a 5-1 victory in 10 innings. 

Long, crazy day to end a long, crazy week. 

Baseball Time!

Kiwanis prior to the first day of tryouts

It's baseball season! 

High school baseball season, that is. 

We are underway with practices and scrimmages with opening day this weekend. 

I'm looking forward to this season for Ludlowe baseball. I always look forward to the season, but this season especially. It's a special group. 

A fantastic group on the field and even better young men. I know that's cliche, but it really is true. 

A senior class we have talked about for at least a few years. 

Guys I have known since they are in elementary school, and I had them as campers in Parks and Rec camp. Others who I haven't known as long but have developed a bond with. 

I always talk about this, but the bond with these athletes goes beyond the sport. Yes, we are coaches, and they are student-athletes, but it's more than that. It's always being there for them and then becoming friends for life. That's what sports is about. 

I got to know the senior class well when they were freshman, and I was going to watch and help out at a bunch of their games. 

It goes beyond the seniors though. It takes everyone to be a special team. It's about the full program. Those juniors and sophomores on varsity as well as everyone on the JV and freshman team. 

A lot of the current varsity guys got experience last year and some even got varsity experience two years ago. Hopefully all that pays off. 

It's a terrific coaching staff to be a part of, led by Head Coach Ken Geriak. Then it's Jeff Love, Tommy Howell, Chris Howell, and Vin Riccio. 

It's a long season. 20 regular season games. Hopefully eight playoff games. Looking forward to it being a lot of fun. 

Take it a game at a time. 

Game one is Saturday at 11am at Lyman Hall. We will see what happens! 

Ludlowe Baseball 2023 In The Books

Team huddle after a scrimmage last week (Photo: Jennifer Gibson) 

Every year I seem to write something on the Ludlowe baseball season when the season ends. Well, here I am again. 

Our (and as I coach on staff, I think I can say "our") season came to on Tuesday in the first round of the state tournament with a 4-3 loss to Hamden*. 

*As I noted on Twitter and Instagram, it was cool to coach against kids who were on the Hamden Little League team that Rob Adams and I had fun covering in 2020. 

The season started strong as we started 4-0 and 6-1, before a tough stretch, losing four straight. After that, there was a lot of back and forth. Some great wins and tough losses. 

Included in those tough losses, was a 10 inning loss to Warde. It was a tremendous baseball game. One of best games I've seen. As long as I'm working at both schools, that game will always be weird for me. I've written about this many times, so I'll leave it at that. 

There were also some great wins, including Greenwich twice, New Canaan and Danbury, to name a few off the top of my head. 

We finished with an 11-9 regular season record which earned us a state tournament berth, just missing out on making the FCIAC tournament. 

There's always things that go on that make every season interesting, and this year was no different. Great moments, tough moments and special moments, among other things. 

Even in the game on Tuesday, there was a moment that was one of my favorite moments of the season. A special moment. It was about more than sports. I could write more. However, I'm being vague on purpose as it's not my story to tell. I've probably said too much already. 

It's about the bonds with the players, my fellow coaches, the families, and so many others. It goes beyond baseball. 

We hosted Fairfield American Day and that was a great event for our team, FALL and the community. Wins are great, but building an image is also something very special. 

I had fun filling in for our JV coach for a game and coaching that game. My goal was just to not mess things up, which from that aspect, made it successful. However, I know they didn't get the same experience they get when the JV coach is there. We make things work though, however we can. 

Lots of fun with a great coaching staff this year, that I am grateful to be a part of. Head Coach Ken Geriak, Bob Maffei, Vin Riccio, Tommy Howell and Chris Howell. 

I hate it when the season is over. There's still other sports to watch this spring. There will be sports to watch and work this summer (starting tomorrow) and then we will be back at it with high school sports in the Fall and do it all over again. That being said, there is something special about Ludlowe baseball. 

I'm already excited for next season. Our juniors and sophomores got a lot of experience this year and last year, which can only bode well for the future. They are also a tremendous group of kids. 

Another season in the books. 

Falcon Pride! 

FALL Day at Kiwanis

You're all probably sick of me writing about Ludlowe baseball. 

Well, I'm going to again. 

We hosted Fairfield American Little League (FALL) Day for our game vs McMahon on Friday. 

Many people were involved in making the day so great. Special shoutout to Keith Connors from FALL for all his help and organization. Great job as well by Ludlowe baseball parents Amy Crawford, Jennifer Gibson, and Ludlowe head coach Ken Geriak for all their involvement in the day's activities. Sorry if I am not mentioning others who were involved. 

Prior to the game, the Fairfield American players joined the Ludlowe players on the field for the National Anthem. 

The one downside of the day, the sound system did not work well. I tried to do public address for the pre-game announcements and starting lineups. Between my lack of projecting my voice, and the issues with the sound system, I couldn't be heard. I read the first couple paragraphs then we realized in the booth that nobody on the field could hear me. Remind me never to offer again. Thanks to Ben Crawford for taking over and making it work for the pre-game.  

Shoutout to Cristian Connors for his work on the scoreboard. Very much appreciated. 

As far the game, Ludlowe came away with a 4-0 victory behind a complete game from Will Meyers. 

The FALL kids had fun chasing down foul balls and bringing them back to the dugout and competing for who could return the most. 

Following the game, the FALL players came on the field for a meet and greet with the players and players (and coaches) signed baseball's, t-shirts, hats and even bags of seeds for the FALL players. 

The kids were given "Future Falcon" t-shirts and there was the Fire Engine Pizza Truck for all to enjoy. 

There were also some other giveaways, including signed baseballs by the entire team. 

It was a fun community day and I love that a partnership is being built between the Ludlowe Baseball Program and Fairfield American. 

The atmosphere was terrific. There was a vibe all around that was pretty cool. Hope everyone continues to come out and supports Ludlowe baseball! 

Falcon Pride! Never Give Up! 

Don't Mess Anything Up

Talking to our guys at third base during a Norwalk mound visit (Photo: Stacey Scruggs)

I obviously talk a lot about Ludlowe baseball and being on the coaching staff. 

Normally, I am with the varsity, doing a lot of the administrative side of things. 

On Wednesday, I got a new experience.  I had to fill in and coach the JV team. 

It was fun and nerve-racking. 

Fortunately, the kids played well and made it very easy for me. They are also a good, fun group which is very helpful also. 

It was cool to coach kids who I know and have seen play, especially those who we saw when Rob Adams and I broadcasted Fairfield American Little League in 2018, 2019 and 2020. There are some guys who were on those FALL teams who are on varsity and that's great too, but this was different. 

As for the game, we won 7-4 behind good pitching from Kieran Scruggs and Leo Hood and timely hitting from a number of people throughout the lineup. 

From a logistical standpoint, I had a couple subs to get in, and it made it easy that it was a Hood and a catcher, so I just swapped out the battery at once. 

It's also making sure I manage the kids. Make sure our pitchers are good and I don't throw them too much. Make sure people know their role in the game. I think this is where I do well because I care. Sometimes I care too much. 

I also told myself initially I was just going to let them do whatever they wanted at the plate or on the bases, then as the game was starting, I'm like, why, I know what I'm doing. So we stole bases, bunted runners over among other things. They hit the ball and got on base, which allowed me to have some fun.  

Honestly, I'm just happy I didn't mess anything up,* too much, as the title of the blog post says. I'm sure some players weren't happy with things I did or didn't do. I told them before the game play hard, and that they did.  

* I did get a runner thrown out at the plate trying to score from second on a base hit. Too aggressive on my end. Totally on me, 

I'm competitive and want to win, but I also realize it's JV and it's about getting them better so they can eventually get to be on varsity hopefully in the future. 

It was a good experience for me. 

Thanks to all the JV guys for dealing with me and for helping me out where needed. 

Back to my normal, more comfortable, role tomorrow. 

Baseball Season

I love the high school sports I get to work with. I love watching all of them and supporting the student-athletes, coaches and everyone else on the teams. (Belated Happy National Student-Athlete Day, which was yesterday). 

However, everyone knows what Ludlowe basketball and Ludlowe baseball mean to me. A lot. 

Well, it's baseball season! 

We're two games into the regular season, sitting at 2-0, with our next game tomorrow at noon. 

It's been an interesting start to the year, with field issues to start the spring season. Good start on the field though so hopefully the winning ways continue and we have a fun, successful season. 

It's a pleasure to work with a great group of coaches and great kids. 

I enjoy being on the coaching staff and helping out our head coach, Ken Geriak, and the rest of the coaching staff, with both logistical items and giving input on on the field thoughts and ideas. 

When I can make myself useful doing actual baseball things, that's an added bonus. Getting a pitching machine helps so I can just feed baseballs into that. Also, I was able to help do some drills with our catchers at a practice. 

During the games, I do the scorebook, which I've done for years, going back to my days as a team manager. It used to be said that I was the hardest scorer out there. I'm still tough sometimes, but I've definitely gotten a lot easier and nicer when it comes to scoring decisions.  

Otherwise, it's a lot of "managing people." That can be in many different ways. Lots of talking on many different topics. It goes beyond the actual baseball. 

Despite what I said above, our job is to help these "kids" or young men as people and help them grow. 

Time to get ready for tomorrow's game and keep going on a good start to the season. 

Ludlowe Baseball 2022 In The Books

The 2022 Ludlowe baseball season came to an end on Tuesday afternoon. The Falcons fell to the Staples Wreckers 7-3 in the first round of the state tournament. 

This was a really great year and personally, a really fun year for me. Then again, every year around Ludlowe baseball is fun for me. 

Coach Ken Geriak did a terrific job in year one, leading us to a 12-8 record and a trip to the state playoffs. It was a pleasure being on his staff and I appreciate him keeping me on staff when he took over. 

I love this senior class. All 12 seniors are great young men with bright futures ahead. Kyle, Will, Andrew, Andrew, Mason, Sean, Tim, Leo, Tyler, Christian, Harry and Matt. Thank you for your hard work, dedication, and leadership to our program. You guys cared about the program and wanted to both be successful personally, but more importantly, wanted to be successful as a team. You will be missed. 

10 of the 12 seniors

We started the season 5-0 and then 9-2 in April. We picked up our eighth win on April 27th with a 16-6 victory over St. Joe's to clinch a state tournament berth. 

The biggest win of the year, and I don't think it's debatable, was the May 9th 3-1 win against Warde with Matt Vivona picking up a bases-clearing double in the sixth inning. 

There were plenty of ups and downs throughout the second half of the season, and throughout the entire season. That's how any season will be. These kids dealt with any adversity thrown at them, missing players, life issues, in game things that didn't do their/our way. That's one of many things that made this a special group. 

I talk about the seniors above, but this team was special from the seniors through the freshmen, and everyone in between. These kids cared about one another, and it didn't matter that grade. 

While the seniors will be missed, I am excited for the future of the program. We have a lot of underclassman who played big roles or got a good amount of time this year which should bode well for the future. 

Best of luck to the seniors, and thank you. It's been fun. 

Ludlowe Baseball Picks Up Big Win Over Norwalk

Coming off four straight losses, the Ludlowe Falcons baseball team needed a win in a big way. 

They got that win in a 12-7 fashion over Norwalk on Monday afternoon at Kiwanis Field in Fairfield. 

In their previous games, they got up early, and couldn't hold a lead. Today, it was the reverse. 

Norwalk took a 4-0 lead with three runs in the first and a run in the second before Ludlowe would get on the board in the bottom half of the second. With runners on the corners and out, Patrick Connor singled to left field to plate Christian Smith. The next batter, Sean McAdams, doubled to deep center field to bring in two runs and cut the Norwalk lead to 4-3. 

Norwalk extended their lead to 6-3 with two runs in the third, including an RBI single by Javier Gonzalez. 

Ludlowe would come back in the bottom of the fifth to not only tie the game, but take the lead. Drew Buckley walked. He then stole second and the ball went into center field, When Buckley tried to advance to third, the throw from the Norwalk shortstop, who retrieved the ball in short center field, sailed over the third baseman's head and out of play, allowing Buckley to score. Andrew Fortunato would then double, followed up by a double by Matt Longo that would plate Fortunato. The doubles continued with the next batter, Smith, as his double brought in Rhys Davies, who pinch-ran for Longo, to tie the game at six.

Two batters later, Justin Dennett singled to center field to bring Smith home and give the Falcons a 7-6 lead. 

Norwalk would not go away as they tied the game in the top of the sixth. Eddy Garabito-Soto tripled to deep right field and the throw to third went past the Ludlowe third baseman and Garabito-Soto was able to come in and score to tie the game. 

The Falcons would come right back in the bottom of the sixth. With runners on the corners and one out, Fortunato drove a ball to deep right field for a two-run triple to give Ludlowe the lead back at 9-7. They would not be done. An error would allow Fortunato to come in and score before a two-run double by Dennett would cap the scoring. 

Ludlowe improves to 2-4 overall and 2-4 in the FCIAC. The Falcons travel to Trumbull for a matchup with St. Joe's on Wednesday. 

High School Baseball Is Back

The Falcons warm up prior to the game against New Canaan

After the 2020 season was cancelled, high school baseball, and all spring sports, were back this week in Connecticut. 

It's interesting times for everyone, dealing with COVID protocols and quarantines, and the unknown due to the fact that there wasn't a season last year. 

For the Ludlowe baseball team, they got our season going on Tuesday against New Canaan after getting postponed against Greenwich on Saturday and New Canaan on Monday. 

It was 682 days between the 2019 season ending loss against Southington until Ludlowe played another game that counted. 

In terms of the game, the Falcons picked up a 9-8 win on a walk-off by catcher Christian Smith in the bottom of the seventh. 

Ludlowe took an early 3-0 lead in the first inning on an RBI single by Smith and a two-run triple by Andrew Fortunato. 

New Canaan cut into the lead with a two-run triple to center field in the fourth by Cameron Wheeler. 

Ludlowe extended their lead in the bottom half of the inning as they scored five times. Matt Vivona led off with a hustle double to right field and Noah Schaper walked. 

Three batters later with the bases now loaded, Fortunato singled to right to bring home two runs. Charlie Mulhall followed that up with an RBI single to put the Falcons up 7-2. The scoring for the inning when Mike Innaimo delivered a sacrifice fly to plate Mulhall. 

New Canaan scored four more times in the fifth as they batted around despite only getting three hits in the inning. 

The Rams would tie the game in the top half of the seventh. A single and an error put two one with one out before Jack O'Donnell came up with an RBI double to cut the deficit to 8-7 and put two runners in scoring position. Andrew Rashad's sacrifice fly would tie the game at eight. 

In the bottom half of the seventh, Rhys Davies led off with a single to center field. Matt Vivona laid down a bunt and the ball was thrown into center field to put two on and none out. Two batters later, Longo would walk to load the bases and put the winning run 90 feet away. Smith then came out and drove a 1-1 pitch deep enough to right field to allow Davies to come in and score. 

Ludlowe improves to 1-0 on the early season and will travel to Greenwich to take on the Cardinals on Wednesday at 4pm. 

We'll see if I continue to write these recaps. The lack of media coverage, especially newspaper coverage, around the league for all sports is disappointing and I want to give the student-athletes some coverage.