Top-ranked Fairfield Prep pounded by Trumbull

TRUMBULL — It was not ideal weather to hit baseballs with temperatures in the low 40s and a biting wind blowing throughout most of the game.

Someone forgot to tell the Trumbull baseball team.

The Eagles pounded out 13 hits, beating No. 1 ranked Fairfield Prep 9-3 Monday afternoon.

Eight of the nine Trumbull starters collected hits and six different players scored runs as nobody was left out of the fun.

“We struggled last year with getting big hits, but I think, now that we are all seniors, we are all on the same page and we all know our roles,” Trumbull shortstop Chris Brown said. “We just move guys along and get runs on the board. Last year, we were kind of top heavy in our lineup and we didn’t get a lot of good pitches, but now, if you walk us, there are guys behind them picking them up and scoring runs.”

Brown smoked a tworun home run to dead center field in the fourth inning and said, even on a cold day, it felt terrific.

“It’s definitely not a great day to hit, it’s a little cold,” Brown said. “That felt good. I got a pitch I liked and I hit it well. It was a curveball that hung up a little and I took advantage of it. We came out with the win, that’s the most important thing for us.”

Leading 2-1, Trumbull (2-0) was sparked by Brown’s homer in the fourth after an error on a fly ball to right with two outs allowed Kevin Bruggeman to get to third and Tim Lojko to score.

Trumbull would add two more in the fifth and two in the sixth, opening up the lead.

Lojko, the No. 9 hitter, was on base four times with three hits, two runs scored and an RBI while leadoff hitter Hance had two hits and three RBI.

Prep (0-2) was hurt by the error in the fourth, but also but a few mental errors over the course of the game, extending innings for Trumbull.

“We have a long way to go. We are inexperienced and guys need to step up and learn how to lead,” Fairfield Prep coach Rudy Mauritz said. “You misplay a couple balls in the outfield, you are indecisive on groundball in the infield. You can’t give extra outs to any team. We have given extra outs the first two games and you can’t do that. Some of that is inexperience and guys being in new positions, but we need to work at it.”

Prep took a 1-0 lead in the second on a RBI single by Matt Sawyer, but Trumbull answered back with two in the bottom of the

inning on a two-out double by Brian Hance.

Prep would get two runs in the fifth on wild pitches.

Trailing by four, the Jesuits loaded the bases in the sixth but Trumbull reliever Bryan Kraus picked up a strikeout, ending the chance of a rally.

Trumbull starter Justin Nyarady picked up the win, pitching into the sixth inning.

QUOTABLE

“A lot of our guys were stepping to the plate last season for their first varsity at bats, now we have a they have a year of experience under their belts and that’s paying off, right now,” Trumbull coach Phil Pacelli said. “I’m happy with how we are swinging the bat. Especially in situational hitting. Couple of sac flies today, not trying to do too much.”

PLAYER OF THE GAME

Chris Brown, Trumbull. Along with his homer, Brown had a single, was hit by a pitch and scored twice.