Fairfield Ludlowe softball coach Tony Samuelian could tell from the start of the bus ride to Stamford's Westhill High School that everything was in sync with his team.
"Today, everyone believed they could contribute, and they did."
Teamwork lifted the No. 7 seed Falcons over Westhill's No. 2 Vikings in a 6-4 victory Monday in the first round of the FCIAC playoffs.
This is the second time in three years that a lower-seed Ludlowe pulled an upset over Westhill at Allyson Rioux Field in Stamford.
The Falcons' Brenna Martini lobbed an RBI single during her first at-bat to establish Ludlowe's lead in the first inning.
Westhill tied Ludlowe 1-1 in the second inning, but the Falcons responded with a two-run third inning, thanks in part to another triple by Martini.
The Vikings threatened again during the bottom of the third inning, when Falcons pitcher Aliza Guerrero walked four batters in a row, walking in a run.
Brigette Anderson relieved Guerrero during the fourth inning. Guerrero transitioned to centerfield, where she became a vacuum for multiple fly balls (see the video for an example).
The Falcons scored again in the fifth inning to top Westhill, 4-2, and again in the sixth and seventh innings to bring the score to 6-2.
Westhill had a seventh-inning two-run rally, but Guerrero made caught on long fly ball to get the last out of
the game.
Samuelian was pleased that the Falcons -- often a "come-from-behind, catch-up team" -- were able to "make lead and keep a lead," especially against a team like Westhill.
"They're competitive kids," Samuelian said of the Vikings. "They didn't give up."
Ludlowe will play the New Canaan Rams in the FCIAC semifinals at Sacred Heart University, 3 p.m. Tuesday.
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