Baseball Game Preview: Shelton Gaels vs. Fairfield Prep Jesuits

The Shelton Gaels will square off against the Fairfield Prep Jesuits at 4:15 p.m. on Friday.

On Wednesday, Shelton didn't have quite enough to beat Cheshire and fell 6-5. The Gaels have struggled against the Rams recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive lost meeting.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Fairfield Prep). They were the clear victors by a 16-2 margin over East Haven on Wednesday. With that victory, the Jesuits brought their scoring average up to 6.9 runs per game.

Reid Stanton looked comfortable as he didn't allow a single earned run over four innings pitched. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Fairfield Prep is undefeated when he allows at most one earned run, but 3-5 otherwise.

At the plate, Fairfield Prep let Ryan Ventrelle and Cooper Rotondo run wild. Ventrelle got on base in four of his five plate appearances with three runs, one triple, and one RBI, while Rotondo went a perfect 2-for-2 with three runs, one stolen base, and one double. Those three runs gave Ventrelle a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Fin Dockwell, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with three RBI and one double.

Fairfield Prep always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .550. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.

Shelton's loss dropped their record down to 4-7. As for Fairfield Prep, they moved to 7-5 with that win, which also ended their three-game losing streak.

Shelton came out on top in a nail-biter against Fairfield Prep in their previous matchup back in May of 2024, sneaking past 2-0. Will the Gaels repeat their success, or do the Jesuits have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.