17U American Legion Baseball: Fairfield Routs Ridgefield Behind Strong Pitching and Timely Hitting

Fairfield 17U Legion defeated Ridgefield 13-2 in five innings on Wednesday evening at Kiwanis Field. 

Fairfield got on the board in the bottom of the first. Gabe Vahey walked with one out. Will Ford hit into a fielder's choice to third but Vahey beat it out to put two on. 

Peter Doonan was then hit by a pitch to load the bases. The next batter, Jon Barzottini walked to force in a run. Two batters later, Doonan came home on a passed ball to put Fairfield on top 2-0. 

Ridgefield got a run back in the top of the second on a hit batter, walk, steal and wild pitch to cut the deficit in half, 2-1. 

Fairfield would extend the lead in the second. Emmitt Tolisano walked to lead off the inning and stole second. Two batters later, Thomas Hogan singled to shallow right field to bring in Tolisano from second. 

Three batters later, Hogan came in from third on a wild pitch. Later in the inning, Barzottini singled to center field to bring in two more runs and put Fairfield up 6-1. 

Fairfield broke the game open in the third, scoring seven times. Hogan had an RBI single to center field. Then with Hogan at first and Jack Veas at third, Hogan stole second and Ridgefield threw down, allowing Veas to scamper home. 

Later in the inning, Vahey singled to left to Plate Hogan and make it 9-1. Fairfield added another when Barzottini singled home Vahey. 

Fairfield's scoring was capped later in the inning on Will Burnham's two-run single to left to make it 13-1.

Hogan was terrific on the mound for Fairfield. Over five innings he allowed two runs on three hits while walking one and striking out 10. He also hit a batter.