Ridgefield vs Amity - CIAC Class LL

WATERBURY, Conn. - It could’ve been yet another state championship berth for the Amity Spartans, seeded seventh in this year’s Class LL tournament. But it wasn’t to be.

The Spartans and Ridgefield Tigers went toe-to-toe throughout much of the game, with the Tigers chasing the winning run around third in the 10th inning when Ben Lodewick, who Amity coach Sal Coppola brought in for relief, threw a pitch in the dirt that star catcher Pat Winkel couldn’t handle. Brandon Grizzaffi broke from third and crossed the plate for the 2-1 walk-off victory.

“It was pretty nerve-racking” Tigers’ head coach Paul Fabbri said of the game. “[But] we have a veteran team that’s used to playing a lot of close ballgames and we’ve been battle-tested. Our kids are used to being in a tense baseball game.”

In the bottom of the first, Amity starter John Lumpinski gave up a sacrifice fly to Quinn McDonald and that ended up being the Tigers’ only run until Grizzaffi came through in extras. From the mound, Lumpinski and Alex Price matched each other almost to the tee: Lumpinski’s line being seven innings with seven hits, one earned run, three walks and six strikeouts and Price’s being eight and two thirds with four hits, one earned run, two walks and six punchouts.

“Brandon got a good read on the baseball and made a heads-up play,” Fabbri said of the walk-off. “We needed to make something happen with his legs and fortunately he did just that.”

Winkel, who was drafted in the 31st round by the Yankees Thurs. afternoon, had just one hit on the night, as did his teammates Quinn Burke, Sebastian Formica, Jack Balocca and Jared Smith.

“Amity is so well-coached,” Fabbri said. Being around the program there’s an expectation to win. They had a pretty good record this year and rarely do things to hurt themselves. You gotta play a nearly perfect game to beat a team like that.”

In the other Class LL semifinal, also played in Waterbury, Cheshire took out Fairfield Prep, 5-4, also in 10 innings. So Saturday’s championship game will place the Tigers against the Rams. In the second game of Ridgefield’s season they lost to Cheshire, 8-5.

That game starts off the Saturday stretch at Palmer Field, with first pitch scheduled for 12 p.m. Tonight, in Class L, Wethersfield takes on Windsor at 7. The rest of Saturday’s slate includes the Class S title at 3:30 between Notre Dame of Fairfield and Coventry and the Class M title of Wolcott and Seymour at 7 p.m.