Wilton's Gambee Shuts Down Ridgefield Baseball

Wilton's Austin Gambee prevented Ridgefield from clinching an FCIAC  playoff spot Monday night, tossing a four-hitter in a 5-1 victory over the Tigers.

Gambee ended the game in style, striking out the side in the seventh and leaving Ridgefield still in need of one win to secure a spot in the FCIAC playoffs, which begin next week.

"We faced an above average arm and didn't adjust," Tigers coach Tony Wilmot said. "He was throwing high fastballs all game long, and we kept popping them up."

The Tigers (11-7, 10-6) started Monday in seventh place in the FCIAC, two games ahead of McMahon with three contests remaining.

Ridgefield scored its only run in the third when Gambee's throwing error allowed Pete Conroy to score. The Tigers then stranded two runners in the inning as Dylan Becker was called out at home trying to score from second on Gambee's throwing error.

Wilton scored its first two runs in the first inning, taking a 1-o lead when Scott Young slapped a curveball from Tigers starter Dan Zarnik for an opposite-field hit. An error by third baseman Spence Judge on the following play allowed Young to score. 

"I play hockey, and we lost twice to Ridgefield this past winter and Wilton lost the other day in lacrosse, so I was very motivated to pitch well in this game," Gambee said. 

"In fact, the only run I gave up was my fault while fielding," Gambee added while laughing.

Wilton (13-4, 13-3) began the day tied for third in the FCIAC with Norwalk.

The Warriors' Aaron Shapiro collected his 100th career hit with a long single in the fourth, which plated the Warriors' fifth run.

Only three other Wilton players have more than 100 hits, according to the Warriors' coaches. The school record is 112, held by Aaron Vrandenberger, who graduated in 1995. 

Ridgefield has a rugged closing schedule with games remaining against top seed Staples and Greenwich.