By Andy Hutchison

WATERBURY — Another rematch between neighboring towns looms, but this time it’s for a state baseball crown.

Staples and Fairfield Warde high schools’ baseball teams will face off for a fourth time this spring — and for the second time during the post-season — with all the marbles at stake in the Class LL State Tournament championship game. They will play at noon Saturday, June 10, at Palmer Field in Middletown. 

Staples is the No. 3 seed team and Warde is No. 4 in the bracket.

The teams split a pair of regular-season meetings with Staples winning 5-4 and Warde coming out on top 7-0. 

The Mustangs defeated the Wreckers 3-2 in the FCIAC Tournament semifinals en route to that league’s championship.

The Wreckers advanced to the state title game with a 10-2 win Tuesday over another conference foe, No, 23 Westhill of Stamford, in the semifinals at the Municipal Stadium Complex in Waterbury.

Chase Siegel was dominant on the mound and combined with reliever Kai Nee to keep Westhill’s batters in check.

Westhill struck first, in the opening inning, and held a 1-0 edge until the fourth. 

The Wreckers tied the game in the fourth, then went up 3-1 with two in the fifth. Westhill pulled to within a run in the top of the sixth before Staples put the game out of reach with a seven spot in the sixth.

Holden Caney, Jack Farnen and Colin Menninger all had multiple runs batted in. Caney and Farnen contributed multiple hits, and Ethan Cukier doubled.

Andy Hutchison has been covering school sports — including Staples athletics — as well as news and feature stories in Fairfield County, since the 1990s.