Ratner & Lashar Lead Andrew Warde Over Staples, 7-1, in Westport on This Date in 1958

Led by the heavy hitting of Howie Ratner and co-captain John Lashar, the Andrew Warde High School baseball team gave Staples a 14-4 trouncing Monday afternoon, May 26, 1958, at the Wreckers' diamond. Warde, which defeated Staples, 7-1, earlier in the season, completed the two-game sweep against its non-conference rivals.

Ed Moffitt, the winning pitcher, turned in a brilliant performance, yielding only five hits and one earned run. Coach Bob Jackson's Eagles backed Moffitt with a 13-hit attack against three Staples moundsmen. The offensive explosion included a three-run home run by Lashar, and three triples off the bats of Lashar, Ratner, and Glenn Englander.

Ratner had four hits and two walks for a perfect day at the plate, while Lashar drove in four runs with his round-tripper and three-bagger. Ratner and Lashar each crossed the plate four times as Warde romped to its eighth victory against only two losses.

The Eagles picked up single runs in each of the first two innings against Staples pitcher Bill Needham, who picked up the loss. The winners upped their lead to 4-0 in the third inning when Lashar crushed his triple to left-centerfield, following singles by Jack Flanagan and Ratner.

Southpaw Frank Bedell replaced Needham on the hill for Staples with none out in the fifth inning as Warde added four more runs on singles by co-captains Johnny Pekar, Flanagan, and Rudy Takacs, combined with four walks issued by Bedell.

Lashar hit his home run with Ratner on base after his single in the sixth inning as a Staples outfielder unsuccessfully tried to make a shoestring catch of a drive to left-centerfield. The Eagles finished their spree with four more runs in the seventh inning off Bill Whit, with three-base clouts by Ratner and Englander driving home three markers.

Paul

Dramatic Comeback Lifts Warde Nine Over Staples to Clinch FCIAC East Title 50 Years Ago Today

The Andrew Warde High School baseball team scored three runs with two outs in the last of the seventh inning to post a dramatic 5-4 victory over Staples on the Crimson Eagles' diamond 50 years ago today, Friday, May 25, 1962.

The Eagles extended their winning streak to 12 games and won the FCIAC Eastern Division championship with their victory over the Wreckers.

A walk and a single by Hank Bahe set the table for Bob Ryan, who tied the game by rocketing a triple up the right-centerfield alley to score two runs, and Bill Binkiwitz smacked a solid single to leftfield to plate Ryan with the winning run.

Stalwart southpaw Larry Mischik earned his seventh victory of the season. He struck out ten, walked three, and gave up only four hits. Bill Deegan, who relieved Joe DeMaria in the fourth inning, took the loss for the Wreckers, even though he did not allow a hit until the fateful seventh inning.

Staples jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a hit batsman, an error on a pickoff attempt, a grounder, and Mike Neary's single to rightfield. Warde took a 2-1 lead one inning later, despite getting only one hit, a single to leftfield by Ryan. A walk and two errors helped plate the two runs.

The Wreckers countered with a two-run rally of their own in the fourth inning. Larry Duberstein and Dave Smith hit consecutive singles, and Pete Lomme followed with a long triple to rightfield. Staples scored its final run in the fifth inning when a soft infield pop up was mishandled into a "triple" by the Warde infielders, and a sacrifice fly followed to make it 4-2.

It remained that way until Ryan and Binkiwitz blasted the winning shots with two outs in the seventh inning. Warde's victory was its 12th in 14 games, while Staples fell to 6-8.

Paul

Crimson Eagles Used Four Pitchers to Defeat Brien McMahon, 11-9, 49 Years Ago Today

Andrew Warde High School's baseball team virtually locked up first place and the FCIAC Eastern Division championship for the second straight year by defeating Brien McMahon High School, 11-9, in eight innings on this date, Thursday, May 23, 1963.

First baseman Gary DuBoys assured the Warde triumph when he smashed a two-run home run with none out in the first extra inning, following a leadoff single by hard-hitting Al Englander, to break open a high-scoring battle which was played under protest by the Senators after a second-inning rhubarb at the Eagles' diamond. The Senators charged that the umpire changed his ruling from a foul to fair ball on a pop up which was turned into an inning-ending double play by Warde catcher Doug Goodfellow.

Coach Bob Jackson used four pitchers for the Eagles. The hosts blew an early 6-0 lead, but they staged a three-run comeback rally in the sixth inning to deadlock the game at 9-9 after McMahon surged ahead by scoring nine runs in the fifth and sixth frames at the expense of Bill Binkiwitz and Pat McDonough. Barry Turlish ended a four-run splurge by the Senators in the sixth, and southpaw Larry Mischik pitched two scoreless innings to gain credit for the hard-fought win.

It was the ninth conference victory in 13 contests for the Eagles, moving them two-and-a-half games ahead of Stamford Catholic (6-6) in the Eastern division standings, with only three games remaining on the regular-season schedule. The defeat dropped Brien McMahon to third place in the division with a 6-7 record.

A walk to Mischik, John Nemeth's single, a two-run triple by Englander, and Pete Jankovsky's sacrifice fly produced the three sixth-inning runs which pulled Warde into a 9-9 tie and sent the twilight game into extra innings.

Paul

Andrew Warde High School's Class of 1982 to Hold 30-Year Reunion This Summer

Andrew Warde High School's Class of 1982 has scheduled its 30-year reunion, Saturday, August 4, 2012, from 7 to 11 p.m. at the Trumbull Marriott. Contact Keith Anderson at totallook@aol.com for more information.

The reunion committee is looking for updated contact information from members of the Class of 1982. A contact form is listed on the class Web site at http://awhs1982.homestead.com/. The committee prefers to receive classmates' information through the form on the Web site, which makes it easier to organize. However, if there is a problem downloading the form, classmates may can contact the committee at mail@awhs1982.com.

According to the class Web site, "We realize that Facebook can keep us all informed and give us access to all the info and photos we want to see and share about the reunion and classmates, so we are depending on the Facebook Group to do just that. (The Class Web site) will still contain contact info and blurbs about classmates and info about the reunions, but for the latest and greatest, please join the Class of 1982 Facebook Group now!" Click the image below to access the page.

Paul

Southpaw Larry Mischik Pitched First-Place Warde Over Green Wave on This Date in 1963

The Andrew Warde High School baseball team backed the four-hit pitching of southpaw Larry Mischik with a 10-hit attack which included a booming home run by first baseman Gary DuBoys to defeat Norwalk, 4-2, in an FCIAC game on the Green Wave diamond on this date, Friday, May 17, 1963.

Mischik was thwarted in his bid for a third straight shutout when Norwalk bunched three hits with an error in the fourth inning for its only runs. Singles by Ty Yoshitani and Bill Granata were wrapped around a double by Milt Peckham during the lone Green Wave uprising.

The two Norwalk runs ended a string of 18 consecutive scoreless innings pitched by Mischik, who fanned eight and walked only one in earning his fifth victory against two losses.

The visiting Eagles clipped losing pitcher Bob Sommer for three runs in the top of the fourth and added their final marker on the solo round-tripper by DuBoys over the centerfield fence in the sixth inning. Warde's fourth inning splurge included an infield hit by Al Englander, a sacrifice bunt, singles by Pete Jankovsky and Bob Ryan, and two Norwalk errors.

It was the sixth win in ten outings for the Eagles and enabled them to remain in first place in the FCIAC Eastern Division.

Paul

Crimson Eagles Tightened Grip on First Place by Defeating Brien McMahon, 7-3, in Norwalk for Eighth Straight Win 50 Years Ago Today

Andrew Warde High School's baseball team tightened its grip on first place in the FCIAC Eastern Division with a come-from-behind 7-3 decision over Brien McMahon High School on this date, Wednesday, May 16, 1962.

The win was Warde's eighth straight after two losses to open the season and gave the Eagles a two-game lead over McMahon.

Jim Lippman and Larry Mischik singled to highlight a five-run Crismon Eagle rally in the sixth inning which provided the margin of victory. Hank Bahe hurled a one-hitter for the winners, striking out nine batters and walking eight.

Paul

Billy Mulligan Pitched Host Warde Over Rival Ludlowe, 6-2, 41 Years Ago Today

Billy Mulligan tossed a two-hitter and Warde scored two runs in the second inning and two more in the sixth inning as the Crimson Eagles downed cross-town rival Ludlowe, 6-2, at the winners' field 41 years ago today, Monday, May 10, 1971.

The victory lifted the Eagles' mark to 5-7 in the FCIAC East I Division and ended a four-game losing streak. The setback dropped the Flying Tigers to 5-7 in the FCIAC East II Division and snapped a modest two-game winning streak.

The hosts scored one run in the first inning and plated a pair of runs in the second frame. Jack Rozgonyi started the second inning rally with a lead-off walk, Pete Paolini singled, and Rick Seres walked to load the bases for Bill Carr, who ripped a single to score two runs.

Warde scored two more runs in the sixth inning. Paolini doubled to start the rally, Mulligan walked, and both advanced on an infield out. A wild pitch by losing pitcher Jim Cali brought in Paolini, and John Favale's single scored Mulligan.

Ludlowe scored two runs in the third inning to narrow the gap to 3-2. Tony Coppola and Mike Donnelly, who had the only two hits for the Tigers, scored with the help of two errors and a passed ball.

Mulligan's win ended a personal three-game losing streak, while Cali, who yielded eight hits, dropped to 1-1.

Paul

Hamilton Pitches Crimson Eagles to 8-1 Victory Over St. Mary's on This Date in 1958

Andrew Warde's Crimson Eagles backed Dave Hamilton's effective pitching with a 10-hit attack in downing St. Mary's, 8-1, on this date, Friday, May 9, 1958.

The crafty lefthander allowed six hits and walked one in gaining his second win in three decisions. St. Mary's tallied its only run in the third inning when Bill Feighery and pitcher John Dillon connected for a pair of doubles.

Warde ripped Dillon for four doubles and six singles to score at least one run in the third through sixth innings. Howie Ratner slammed a pair of two-baggers in three at-bats for the Eagles. Rudy Takacs and co-captain John Lashar each contributed a double and a single to the Warde attack.

Paul

Late Rally Carries Crimson Eagles Over Wreckers for Fourth Straight Win on This Date 50 Years Ago

The Andrew Warde High School Crimson Eagles baseball team won its fourth straight game to improve to 4-2 by posting a 3-2 victory over Staples in a Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference baseball game in Westport 50 years ago today, Friday, May 4, 1962.

The Eagles broke a 1-1 tie in the seventh inning, scoring two decisive runs on Mike Gorlo's double, two errors, and a walk.

The Wreckers, who fell to 1-4, countered with a single run in the last of the seventh inning as Phil Koda slammed his third hit of the game, but Warde pitcher Hank Bahe bore down to retire the side and wrap up his second victory of the season.

Bahe, who tossed a complete game, gave up just six hits, one earned run, three walks, and struck out six. Warde managed just five hits in the game. Click the image below to see the newspaper story in The Bridgeport Telegram the following morning.

Paul

Warde Capitalizes on Walks & Errors to Defeat Ludlowe at Sturges Park 54 Years Ago Today

Although they were outhit, 11 to 7, Andrew Warde High School's Crimson Eagles took advantage of bases on balls and three Ludlowe errors to defeat the Tigers, 8-6, in a loosely played game at Sturges Park, Friday, May 2, 1958, opening the second annual baseball series between the two new Fairfield rivals.

Coach Bob Jackson's Eagles were held scoreless in only the first and last innings by three Ludlowe pitchers as they gained their third straight victory following a season-opening loss to St. Basil's Prep in Stamford. It was the third setback in four games for the Ludlowe lads, who had recently scored a 2-0 shutout triumph over Harding.

Ed Reilly was the starter and loser for the Tigers, while Joe Skubas and Johnny Chickos relieved him. Reilly yielded eight walks and four hits during his four-plus innings of work.

Al Neigher was the starting pitcher and winner for Warde. He picked up his second straight victory after allowing five hits and three runs. Ludlowe rallied for three runs in the sixth inning, but the Eagles hung on for the win.

Paul