Quinn's Grand Slam Sparks Fairfield American To 10-2 Win Over Shelton American In Sectional Play

For the Shelton American Little League team, it was a matter of choosing its poison: pitch  to either Nick Nardone or Jack Quinn, two Fairfield American sluggers more than capable of knocking the ball out of the ballpark.

With a base open in the fourth inning of a tie game, Shelton American opted to pitch around Nardone to load the bases.

Quinn, the cleanup hitter, made the hosts pay by belting a grand slam that sparked Fairfield American to a 10-2 victory Friday in the section one tournament at Shelton's Nike Field.

The red-hot club remained undefeated this summer (10-0) while improving to 2-0 in the sectionals. It needs to win one of its next two games in pool play to clinch a spot in the sectional finals, when a berth in the state championship would be on the line.

Throughout its run, Fairfield American has combined power pitching with a potent offense, and that again was the case Friday, although the bats were quiet early.

Nardone, who struck out 12 while walking none over 5 2/3 innings, got Fairfield American on the board with a solo homer in the top of the third.

Nardone surrendered only four hits, giving up an RBI single to Jake Camp that gave Shelton American a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second and a solo homer to Chris Kanios in the fourth.

Liam Wurzel led off Fairfield American's fourth with a walk and took third two outs later on Chris Howell's single to right. Howell (three hits) moved up to second on the throw to third.

Up to the plate stepped Nardone. Shelton American didn't give Nardone a free pass, but it seemed like an unintentional intentional walk, as Jordan Urbani, the third of five pitchers for his club, threw four straight pitches out of the strike zone.

Quinn broke open the contest, as his shot staked Fairfield American to a 5-1 lead. The visitors turned the contest into a rout with five more runs in the fifth.

Fairfield American pounded out 13 hits, including three by Connor Daley, who contributed a two-run double during the uprising in the fifth. Patrick O'Leary and Nick Klein added run-scoring singles in the inning

Quinn came up with the bases loaded again, but he didn't get a chance for a second grand slam as he was hit with a pitch, forcing in a run. Of course, that did give him his fifth RBI of the contest.

Kanios, the second Shelton American hurler, took the loss, as he issued the walk to Wurzel to open the fourth. He was replaced by Urbani after getting O'Leary to fly out.

Fairfield American is back in action Saturday against district five winner Farmington (6:30 p.m.) at Nike Field. It then concludes pool action on Sunday against district one champion North Stamford.

In Friday's other game, Farmington routed Orange, 14-0, in a game called after five innings because of the mercy rule.

Through the first two days of round robin play, Fairfield American is 2-0, followed by Farmington (1-0), Shelton American (1-1), North Stamford (0-1) and Orange (0-2).

Orange has yet to score a run, as it was blanked by Fairfield American, 1-0, in its opener.