Sports
Gambee Silences Ridgefield Bats
Tosses four-hitter as Warriors close in on home field advantage in FCIAC playoffs.
While Kurt Marut stands out as Wilton's ace, Austin Gambee is holding his own as a No. 2 starter.
Gambee tossed a four-hitter Monday night, as the Tigers defeated Ridgefield, 5-1, to stay in the mix for a home game in the first round of the FCIAC playoffs.
Wilton (14-3, 13-3) remained in a three-way tie for second in the FCIAC with Greenwich and Norwalk - two games ahead of Ludlowe and St. Joseph.
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The Warriors already have beaten Ludlowe, so the battrle for home field could come down to Friday's finale at St. Joseph.
Ridgefield scored its only run in the third when Gambee's throwing error allowed Pete Conroy to score.
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Still, the Tigers stranded two runners in the inning, as Dylan Becker was called out at home trying to score from second on Gambee's throwing error.
"We played great 'D,'" Wilton coach Tim Eagen said. "We were pumped up because Ridgefield beat us twice last season."
Wilton scored its first two runs in the first inning, taking a 1-0 lead when Scott Young slapped a curveball from Tigers' starter Dan Zarnik for an opposite-field hit. An error by Ridgefield third baseman Spence Judge on the following play allowed Young to score.
Gambee closed the game by striking out the side in the seventh.
"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.
Ridgefield, which still hasn't clinched a playoff spot, dropped to 11-7 and 10-6.
"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."
Wilton's Aaron Shapiro recorded his 100th career with a long single in the fourth that scored the Warriors' fifth run.
According to the coaches, he is only the fourth Wilton player to achieve that milestone. The school record is 112, held by Aaron Vrandenberger, who graduated in 1995.
Wilton has three more regular-season games - plus the playoffs- for Shapiro to break the school mark. Next on the list are Jason Petrie (109) and Ian Thoesen (106).
Last week, Staples' second baseball Jack Hennessy also reached the 100-hit plateau.
