By Andy Hutchison

WESTPORT — The Staples baseball team’s quest to return to the state title game began with a 10-2 triumph over Ridgefield on April 9. 

But the Wreckers suffered a 6-0 loss to Greenwich in the home opener the next day.

Against Ridgefield, the Wrecker bats were hot from the start, with a six-run first inning.

Mark Kelly finished the game with a double and three runs batted in. Ben Cukier and Vincent Vega both had two hits, including a double each, and drove in two runs. Jake Goldshore and Kai Nee each had two runs batted in.

Nee was the recipient of the offense’s outburst as he tossed four innings of scoreless ball with nine strikeouts.

The Staples schedule has had early-season rainouts, including a rematch of last year’s Class LL State Tournament semifinal with FCIAC rival Fairfield Warde, twice postponed. The Wreckers now have a game scheduled at Warde at 4:30 p.m. Monday, May 5.

Staples next visits New Canaan at 4 p.m. Thursday, and is scheduled to return home against Glastonbury at 1 p.m. Saturday. (Game schedules are subject to change; click for the latest CIAC updates.) Andy Hutchison has been covering school sports — including Staples athletics — as well as news and feature stories in Fairfield County, since the 1990s. Learn more about us here.