Gell, Adinolfi power Trumbull past Greenwich in quarterfinals

TRUMBULL — Emily Gell provided the pitching, Alexa Adinolfi supplied the power and everyone in the field chipped in defensively for Trumbull, which began the FCIAC tournament Saturday like a team on a mission.

Gell scattered seven hits, Adinolfi paced a 13-hit attack with a three-run homer and the Eagles made all the plays in the field on their way to registering a 7-0 win over visiting Greenwich in the quarterfinals.

Second-seeded Trumbull, which raised its record to an impressive 20-1, earned a return trip to Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, where it will play sixthseeded Fairfield Warde in Monday’s 5 p.m. semifinals.

In 2018, Trumbull advanced to championship game of the FCIAC and Class LL tournaments, where they lost to St. Joseph and Amity, respectively.

“Our goal every year as a team is to win the conference and state title,” said Gell, a junior. “We have a lot of chemistry on our team and we hope to keep our season going.”

The victors scored one run in the first inning and added three more in the second inning to seize a 4-0 advantage against the Cardinals (13-8).

“We’re in our second season now and we’re excited to be back at Sacred Heart and in the semifinals,” Trumbull coach Jacqui Sheftz said. “We have some unfinished business there.”

The loss snapped a sevengame winning streak for Greenwich, which made its first appearance in the FCIAC tournament since 2014. The Cardinal were edged by the Eagles, 1-0, on April 29.

“I don’t think we were as solid on defense as the last time we played them,” GHS coach Mary Beth Fratello said. “We needed to get some hits, we had people on base, but we needed to put them together to score some runs. Trumbull is a good team. They are 19-1 and going to the semifinals for a reason.”

After Cardinals senior right-hander Sophia Prieto pitched a scoreless first inning, the Golden Eagles scored the only run they needed in the bottom of the second. With the bases loaded, senior Ava Dunn’s fly ball to right field sent home Adinolfi, giving Trumbull a 1-0 lead. The home team was aided by two Cardinals errors in the inning.