Norwalk Scores and Standings: July 1

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Greenwich used some power and good fortune to stun Norwalk 3-2 Thursday in the championship game of the Cal Ripken 12-year-old District One tournament at New Canaan's Saxe Middle School.

Trailing 2-1, Greenwich tied the game on Colin Kelley's home run leading off the bottom of the sixth, then scored the winning run on a throwing error to advance to the state tournament.

The team won three games out of the loser's bracket, including consecutive one-run victories over Norwalk, to claim the district crown. It forced the "if necessary" game with a 7-6 victory on Wednesday.

In both games, Connor Langan was the finishing pitcher for Greenwich. On Thursday, he allowed only one hit over two innings to earn the win after also tossing two perfect frames on Wednesday to pick up the save.

"The team showed a lot of fight," Greenwich coach Matt Vlahovich said. "This team never said die. They always worked their hardest and I'm really proud of them."

After Tim Mira flied out for the first out in the sixth, Norwalk pitched around Marco Pastore even though he he represented the winning run. Pastore drove in Greenwich's first run Thursday with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first and had five RBI, including a grand slam, in Wednesday's contest.

After Pastore moved up on Patrick Ryan's groundout, Paul Williams hit a grounder to the right side of the infield, but no one covered first and Pastore was able to score the winning run when the throw sailed past the bag.

"Marco's hit a lot of home runs, so I don't blame them (walking him),"  Vlahovich said. "That was a good move on their part, but it came back to bite them. A tough error there at the end."

"It was a crazy play," Norwalk coach Mike Giordano added. "The second baseman came up with the ball and the first baseman never realized he came up with it. It's 12-year-old baseball. They'll realize it next year."

Early on, the story was the bounce-back performance of Norwalk starter Ryan Searles, who returned to the mound after failing to retire any of the five batters he faced Wednesday.

Giordano went back to Searles and the pitcher responded by allowing one run and four hits over four innings with a walk and three strikeouts.

"Even his dad even didn't want him to pitch in this game," Giordano said. "I went to him today just to boost his confidence because he is going to be a hell of a pitcher coming up on the older level. I wish him all the luck in the world and good luck trying to hit his fastball."

Norwalk grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the first as Nico Petridis walked with one out, stole second and third and scored on a throwing error.

In the bottom half, Searles gave up a leadoff hit to Kelley and walked Mira to start the inning, but immediately settled down as the pitching dominated Thursday's game.

Greenwich starter Daniel Pastore gave up only two hits over four innings with two strikeouts. Matt Gaylas led off the top of the fourth with a homer to left, giving Norwalk a 2-1 lead.

In the bottom of the third, Greenwich loaded the bases with two outs, but third baseman Mike Gonzalez made a diving stop of Patrick Ryan's smash that appeared headed to the left-field corner to save at least two runs.Gonzalez stepped on third for the force to keep the contest tied.

Gonzalez pitched the final 1 2/3 innings for Norwalk.

"He had plenty of innings left," Giordano said. "He doesn't give up home runs like that. It happens."

The Shore & Country Club divers and swimmers won their meet on Thursday against Woodway Country Club (Darien) by a score of 228 – 149. S&CC lost the diving, 39-27.

Charlie Clark (boys 12 & under) won the 1-meter diving with a score of 126.30 Melinda Henesy (girls 12 & under) moved up two age groups to win the 17 & under 1-meter diving with a score of 166.60

We had a few team records broken:

Guido Balderrama (boys 12 & under) broke his own record in the 50 butterfly by over 1.5 seconds.  He lowered his best time from last year (31.79) to a 30.14.

Stephen Holmquist (boys 14 & under) broke his own record in the 100 I.M. (1:06.73).  He lowered his season-best time from last year by exactly one second (1:07.73)

Edward Stolarski (boys 14 & under) broke the 50 backstroke record with a time of 30.38.  The former record of 31.24 was from 1977!

The following two swimmers were triple-event winners:

Guido Balderrama (boys 12 & under) in the 50 butterfly (30.14 – NEW S&CC record), 100 I.M. (1:13.48) and 50 freestyle (28.32)

Julia Schreder (girls 12 & under) in the 50 butterfly (38.00), 100 I.M. (1:29.67), and 50 backstroke (43.78).

The following swimmers were double-event winners:

Hugh Ireland (boys 8 & under) in the 25 butterfly (20.33) and 25 freestyle (19.16)

Micaella Balderrama (girls 8 & under) in the 25 backstroke (25.23) and 25 freestyle (22.68)

Austin Twiss (boys 10 & under) won the 25 butterfly (17.82) and 25 backstroke

Audrey Adl (girls 10 & under) in the 25 butterfly (18.53) and 100 I.M. (1:38.19)

Isabel Anbar (girls 10 & under) in the 25 breaststroke (22.27) and 50 freestyle (36.49)

Joshue Balderrama (boys 12 & under) in the 50 breaststroke (44.95) and 50 backstroke (40.50)

Emma Holmquist (girls 14 & under) in the 50 breaststroke (41.37) and 100 I.M. (1:20.68)

Stephen Holmquist (boys 14 & under) in the 100 I.M. (1:06.73 – new S&CC record) and he moved up to win the 17 & under 50 butterfly (29.81)

Edward Stolarski (boys 14 & under) in the 50 butterfly (29.54) and he moved up to win the 17 & under 50 backstroke (30.38 – NEW 14 & under record.)

Mason Molina (boys 17 & under) in the 100 I.M. (1:07.96) and 100 freestyle (1:00.44)

Caroline O’Brien (girls 17 & under) in the 50 butterfly (31.76) and 50 breaststroke (38.79)

S&CC's next meet is scheduled for July 7, 9:00 diving, 11:00 swimming, vs. crosstown rival Roton Point. 

THURSDAY'S RESULTS

Fairfield Sr. 7,  Norwalk Sr. 5

FRIDAY'S SCHEDULE

Norwalk Jr. vs. Darien/NC Jr., 5:30 p.m., at Nathan Hale Middle School

AMERICAN LEGION BASEBALL STANDINGS