The varsity baseball team defeated Kingswood Oxford 10-6 on Saturday, May 20, in the Founders League Tournament semifinal and will host Avon Old Farms on Wednesday, May 24, in the Pelicans’ second straight appearance in the Founders League title game.
In the top of first inning, the Wyverns jumped out to a 2-0 lead after a couple of walks and an error moved batters around the bases. The Pelicans responded right away, stringing together three hits and earning two walks to take a 5-2 lead by the end of the first inning.
The second inning was scoreless, and the Pelicans were able to blank Kingswood Oxford in the top half of the third before Loomis Chaffee extended the lead with a single from sophomore Jack Biskupiak that drove junior Jimmy Chadwell home, giving Loomis a 6-2 lead.
In the top of the fourth inning, the Wyverns answered with two runs of their own, but Loomis answered once again with a run in the bottom of the inning to make the score 7-4.
The score remained unchanged through the seventh inning. In the top of the eighth inning, Kingswood Oxford found its rhythm at the plate and narrowed the score to 7-6 with three big hits. Senior pitcher Aidan Healy ended the rally and maintained the Pelicans’ lead with a big strikeout, and the Pelicans responded with a four-hit, three-run rally of their own.
With the game on the line, Healy stepped up big, striking out all three batters he faced, sealing the victory for the Pelicans, and giving them a shot at their second straight Founders League title.
The championship game will take place at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, May 24, on Sellers Field against Avon Old Farms. Last year the two teams faced off in the final on the same field, and Loomis came away with a 5-3 win.