Fairfield Champions

Note: I started writing this post on Saturday afternoon with plans to finish it Saturday night. Got back too late, so I'm finishing Sunday morning. 

This weekend is spring sports state championship weekend around Connecticut. 

Warde baseball and Ludlowe softball were both playing in championship games on Saturday. 

Warde was playing Staples at Palmer Field in Middletown, while Ludlowe played Southington at UConn. 

I went to the softball game, but not baseball. I should have gone to both, but for numerous reasons, did not. 

I did however, follow intently on Twitter. Thanks to Scott Ericson of GameTimeCT and Dave Ruden of The Ruden Report for the updates. 

Warde defeated Staples 2-1 in 10 innings in a classic game. The game-winning hit came from senior starting pitcher Griffin Polley, who threw a terrific game to finish off a great season. Polley was named Championship game MVP. 

The Mustangs are now back-to-back Class LL State Champions to go along with three FCIAC Championships in a row. 

On the softball side, Ludlowe defeated Southington 5-2 to capture the school's first softball title. 

The last out and the celebration as Ludlowe softball won the Class LL State Championship #ctsb pic.twitter.com/UgbVw1pldS

— Shawn Sailer (@ShawnSailer) June 11, 2023

The loss for Southington snapped a 40-game win streak. 

Chelsea Villar was named Championship game MVP for the Falcons, who got the job done with small ball, defense and great pitching. 

Of Ludlowe's five runs, four came off squeeze bunts. 

On the mound for the Falcons Alex Lewey was dealing, allowing just one hit through the first four innings. 

In the fifth, she ran into some trouble. Southington homered to get on the board and then loaded the bases with nobody out. Anna Gedact came in in relief and got out of the inning, allowing just one more run to score and preserving a 4-2 Ludlowe lead. 

Gedacht would shut Southington down the rest of the way. 

Ludlowe got an insurance run in the top of the seventh. Villar doubled to lead off the inning, Later in the inning, with Villar now at third, Katie Tournas laid down a squeeze bunt to push Villar across the plate. 

This was the third time Ludlowe and Southington had met in the last three years late in the postseason and the second time in the championship. The third time was indeed the charm for the Falcons. 

It was a great day for Fairfield public school sports, with both Warde and Ludlowe picking up the championships. 

This concludes not only the spring sports season, but the 2022-2023 sports year for high school sports. 

As with every season, lots of great moments and many tough moments as well, But there's no better way to end a year than with championships, and Warde and Ludlowe did that. 

It's Deja Vu......All Over Again

National Anthem before the FCIAC baseball championship

To quote the late Yogi Berra, it's Deja Vu all over again. 

Last year, when Warde baseball and Ludlowe softball both FCIAC titles for the second year in a row, I wrote a blog titled "DeJa Vu" 

Well, on Thursday, both teams won the 2023 FCIAC Championship in their respective sports for a three-peat. 

Ludlowe softball defeated St. Joseph 2-0 while Warde baseball took down Westhill 6-1. 

Starting pitcher Alex Lewey was named FCIAC championship game MVP for Ludlowe. For Warde, it was also their starting pitcher, Griffin Polley, who took home the MVP honors. 

At this point, you could call both programs "dynasties." 

Warde becomes the first team to win three-straight FCIAC titles. 

Good for the Town of Fairfield and Fairfield Public Schools. 

With that, the attention turns to the state tournament which begins on Tuesday. Everyone is 0-0. 

Softball Weekend

Ludlowe/New Canaan from Sturges Park on Friday

I saw more high school softball over the last three days than I have in a three day stretch ever. 

I saw two games. Normally, softball conflicts with baseball, so I don't get to watch much. However, some time off gave me the flexibility. 

When I'm watching these games, I have trouble just standing or sitting there and watching. I'm not a good fan. I am always going through in my head what I would do in certain situations or get frustrated when things don't happen the way I think they should. I caught myself multiple times yelling or about to yell things. 

On Friday, I saw Ludlowe host New Canaan in an FCIAC quarterfinal matchup and Sunday I saw Warde at St. Joseph in an FCIAC quarterfinal matchup of their own. 

It was a split weekend for the Fairfield schools. Ludlowe, the top seed in the FCIAC tournament, defeated New Canaan 8-3. St. Joseph, the three seed, defeated the six seed Warde 8-1. 

Warde/SJ from St. Joseph High School on Sunday

Ludlowe will face Trumbull on Monday at 3pm at Fairfield University in the FCIAC semifinals. St. Joseph will face Norwalk at 5pm in the other semifinal, also at Fairfield Univ. The championship is Thursday at 5pm in Fairfield. The championship will be broadcast on Robcasting Radio. 

Also this weekend, among other games, was the baseball quarterfinals. Warde defeated Norwalk 17-1 to advance to face Staples on Monday in the semifinals at 4pm at Cubeta Stadium in Stamford. The other semifinal will feature Westhill and Trumbull at 6:30pm. The championship is Wednesday at 7pm in Stamford. Hear both semis and the championship on Robcasting Radio. 

Warde and Staples have played twice this season, each team winning their home game. Staples won in walk-off fashion in a non-league game back on April 10, 5-4. Warde won 7-0 on May 1, behind a three-hit shutout from Griffin Polley. 

It's could be a busy and crazy week for me. Going to try to get to as much as I can, but Ludlowe baseball, where we have practices, is my priority. I will be following and listening to as much as I can when I can't be at games. 

DeJa Vu

It was a good couple day for sports in Fairfield. On Wednesday, Ludlowe softball won the FCIAC softball championship. On Thursday, Warde baseball won the FCIAC baseball championship.

If those sentences sound familiar, it's because they are. Both Ludlowe softball and Warde baseball are now repeat league champs, having also won in 2021. 

Ludlowe softball defeated Danbury on Wednesday 2-0 behind an Ellie Gallagi two-run single in the sixth inning as well as strong pitching from Alex Lewey (5.1 innings) and Anna Gedacht (1.1 innings). Gallagi was named the game's MVP..

On Thursday, Warde baseball took an early lead against Westhill and never looked back, picking up a 4-1 victory. John Heitzman and Zach Broderick each delivered RBI singles. A bases loaded walk gave Warde another run and the Mustangs led 3-0 after one inning. 

That was all Broderick would need on the mound as he allowed one (unearned) run while throwing a complete game. Broderick would be named MVP for the second consecutive FCIAC Championship. 

Warde tacked on a fourth run on a Broderick sacrifice fly in the second inning. Westhill's run came in the sixth as a steal with runners at the corners led to the run. 

Congrats to both team on their championships. Great players who are also great kids. One Town. 

On a related note, Local Live is the official broadcaster of the FCIAC. They are supposed to be exclusive. Disappointing not to see them at softball at all and there only be a video stream and no broadcaster at baseball. 

Final: Ludlowe 2 Danbury 0. Falcons are FCIAC Champions. #ctsb pic.twitter.com/0VYEwyzPrw

— Shawn Sailer (@ShawnSailer) May 25, 2022

Final: Warde 4 Westhill 1. Mustangs are FCIAC Champions! #ctbase pic.twitter.com/5TsrDSpkva

— Shawn Sailer (@ShawnSailer) May 27, 2022

 

State Championship Saturday

This weekend was state championship weekend for Connecticut High School spring sports. There were a few championships on Friday night and a plethora more on Saturday. 

First off, congrats to all those teams around the state who won championships in all sports, especially those in the FCIAC. 

Ludlowe had two teams playing in state championship games, the girls lacrosse team and the softball team. Unfortunately, both teams came up on the short end. Girls lacrosse fell to Darien 14-6. Softball was walked-off by Southington 4-3. 

Both teams had amazing seasons. For softball, they won the first FCIAC softball championship in school history, before making a strong run to the state championship game and coming up a run short.  It was the first appearance in a state title game in school history. 

For the girls lacrosse team, they made their first state championship game appearance since 2010, when they defeated Staples for the title.  

Congrats to both teams on tremendous seasons, despite the losses today. 

In some ways for me, it was weird not being at the baseball finals, but I am also going to support Ludlowe teams, rather than non-Fairfield teams. 

There were broadcasts of these games and plenty of reporters out coving all of the sports, from baseball to softball to girls lacrosse and boys lacrosse. GameTime CT does a great job at covering the action and you can go there to read more about today and this weekend. 

The crowds at the games I was at, and from what I heard and saw from others, were large and loud. This is great to see because hopefully we are getting back to normal. There's something special about packed stands for a championship game. It's great when student sections come out and are loud as they cheer for their teams (respectfully, for the most part). 

Della Jackson with a go-ahead RBI triple to give Ludlowe a 3-2 lead on Southington top 7 #ctsb @LudloweSB pic.twitter.com/tfna6m6yIr

— Shawn Sailer (@ShawnSailer) June 12, 2021