Ridgefield Eye Center Wins Opener in LL Tournament of Champions

Ridgefield Eye Center defeated the Wilton Mariners, 4-2, Wednesday in the quarterfinals of the District One Little League Tournament of Champions at Fitzgerald Field.

The Eye Center team was the runner-up in the Ridgefield town championship after finishing first in the regular season in  the American League division.

In Thursday's semifinals, Eye Center will take on Rowayton, an 8-7 winner over Weston. That contest takes place at 5:45 p.m. at Rowayton's Bailey Beach Field. 

On a warm summer afternoon, Wilton broke on top in the first inning after Kieran McGovern hit a triple and scored on a passed ball.

Ridgefield tied it in the bottom of the first, as Jack Weston walked, moved up on two passed balls and scored on a fielder's choice.

In the third, Wilton's Ian Mac Donald walked and eventually scored the go-ahead run on three passed balls.

From there, Ridgefield pitcher Michael O'Brien settled down, striking out six straight batters.

In the bottom of the fourth, Ridgefield's Dylan Chelednik walked, stole second and came home on Greg Gitolano's hard single. Gitolano then stole three bases, including a swipe of home, to put Eye Center ahead, 3-2.

Ridgefield added an insurance run in the fifth, when an RBI single by Matt Cross plated Tim Lenz.