The Greenwich Senior American Legion Cannons followed a tough extra-inning loss to Meriden with a 5-1 victory over Wallingford in a quarterfinal-round game of the Connecticut 19-Under Regional Qualifying Tournament at Pat Wall Field.

Greenwich, which has a 2-1 record in the Regional Qualifying Tournament, advanced to the semifinals with the win and plays NCL at Muzzy Field in Bristol on Friday at 7 p.m. The winner of the Regional Qualifying Tournament will represent Connecticut at the Legion Regionals.

Justin Zych, a rising Greenwich High School senior, rose to the important occasion on the mound for the Cannons. A right-hander Zych pitched six innings and exhibited excellent control of his pitches throughout on his way to earning the win.

“Justin attacked the zone and threw well,” Greenwich manager Mike Abate said. “He was getting strike one and strike two and was getting ahead of a lot of hitters. He attacked the strike zone and came up big for us.”

Tyler Cusimano, who is also entering his senior year at Greenwich, closed out the game, pitching a scoreless seventh inning.

“When Tyler came in, he was also throwing strikes,” said Abate, whose Cannons rebounded from a 7-6 eight-inning defeat against Meriden on Wednesday.

Cusimano got on base and scored the Cannons’ first run in the opening inning, coming home on a passed ball. Jake Mondschein, a 2020 GHS graduate, drove in two runs with a key hit and 2021 Greenwich graduate Christian Mingione had two hits for the Cannons, who set the tone of the game by taking an early lead.

“The kids came ready to play and showed a lot of heart,” Abate said. “They have been traveling every day to play in these games, which isn’t easy. They are all coming up big.”