44°
On a sweltering evening with kicked up dust sticking to sweat-drenched players, the Darien Legion baseball senior team managed to fight through the grime and handed Greenwich its first loss of the season, winning 5-3 at Mead Park in New Canaan. Greenwich had the tying run on first in the seventh, but Ryan McDonald picked up the save, reaching back for something extra and blowing away Greenwich's Rick Riscica for the final out.
Darien starter Mike Miller went six strong innings with only one walk. Miller, who will attend High Point University in North Carolina this fall, said he pitches to contact and relies on defense for solid outings. Greenwich played right into Miller's strategy as Darien turned three crucial double plays to end several rallies.
"I was really pleased with my defense," Miller said. "They helped me out a lot. They made some really nice catches and diving playsreally great all around. We played really well in the field."
Darien got all the offense it needed in the first inning, roughing up Greenwich starter Dave Atteling for five runs including a two-run double by Will Preziosi. From there, Miller kept the ball low in the strike zone and managed to make Greenwich batters hit the ball right where the Darien defense was.
Darien improved to 9-9 in Legion Zone 4. It was a crucial win and a potential momentum builder for a team on the bubble to make the state tournament.
"This was a huge win for us," Miller said. "I saw our defense and our bats come through today. I think we really wanted to beat Greenwich because they were undefeated and it really sparked something in us. Hopefully that will keep it running until the end of the season."
Click here to follow Daily Voice Darien and receive free news updates.
