Staples will move on to the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) Class LL baseball championship game after defeating Fairfield Warde 4-2 in a tight 10-inning semifinal matchup. Staples will be competing for their third Class LL state championship in the last seven years against Amity on Saturday, June 8.
The semifinal matchup for the Wreckers against their rivals, Warde, was anything but an easy win. Extra innings were required to separate the two FCIAC powerhouses as the Wreckers and the Mustangs were deadlocked at 2-2 after seven innings.
“Warde is a great team that we have a lot of respect for,” Andrew Oppenheimer ’25 said. “After they beat us twice in the regular season, we knew how good they were and we prepared well for the game which put us in a position to win.”
In the top of the 10th, runs from Luke Oakley ’24 and Nate Barrett ’24 gave Staples a two-run cushion as Warde needed a big 10th inning to get themselves back into it. There was a glimpse of hope for the Mustangs after they loaded the bases with just one out, but a double play from the Wreckers’ defense meant they were able to successfully close the game out and book their ticket to the CIAC Class LL championship.
“It was a great team win against Warde,” Cooper Brundige ’25 said. “While it was an awesome feeling to come out on top in such a close game, our focus has already shifted to taking home the championship on Saturday.”
Staples will face Amity on June 8 at 12 p.m. in the CIAC Class LL state championship game on Palmer Field in Middletown, Connecticut.
