Greenwich’s baseball team has lost several pitcher’s duels this season, but today, it got a tight, well-pitched game to go its way, earning its sixth win of the season in the process.

Tyler Cusimano’s safety squeeze in the bottom of the 10th inning scored Ryan Perez, giving Greenwich a hard-fought 1-0 win over visiting Darien in a key mid-season FCIAC game.

“It was a much-needed win to keep our hopes up for FCIACs,” Greenwich coach Adrian Arango said. “This is the second one we’ve been on the right side of. We’ve been on the wrong side of pitcher’s duels about four or five times.”

With the victory Greenwich evened its record to 6-6, heading into tomorrow’s road game against FCIAC foe Ridgefield. With the game scoreless in the bottom of the 10th inning, senior right fielder Ryan Perez singled to start the inning and stole second base. Senior third baseman Justin Zych hit a hard ground ball to second, advancing Perez to third base. Aidan Rosario, a senior designated hitter, was intentionally walked and stole second, making it a second and third one-out situation for Cusimano.

Cusimano then executed a perfectly placed suicide squeeze bunt, scoring Perez and giving the Cardinals the 1-0 win – a victory than snapped a three-game losing skid.

“We’ve gone to that a few times before,” Arango said. “Sometimes you have to do that to break a skid.”

Senior right-hander Nathan Jones got the start on the mound and threw seven outstanding, no-hit innings for the Cardinals. Jones struck out eight batters and did not yield a walk. The only Darien baserunner reached on an error during his seven innings of work.

“He was fantastic as usual,” Arango said. “He pounded the zone, he kept them off balance and he does what he always does – he was fantastic.”

Sophomore Tommy Passamano struck out two batters in two innings of scoreless relief, then Cusimano had a strikeout in one inning of relief to earn the win.

“Tommy is going to be a big part of our future and Tyler threw a great inning,” Arango said. “Unfortunately, we are facing some really good arms from the other side. Once again, the Darien pitcher was great today, he kept us off balance. He stranded bases loaded a couple of and we had second and third, but they held us off. Their defense stepped up for them.”

Senior right-hander Jack Conway had four strikeouts in seven scoreless innings on the mound for the Blue Wave. Greenwich senior center fielder James Babb kept the game scoreless in the top of the eighth inning, throwing out a Darien runner trying to score.

Zych went 2 for 4, sophomore John McHugh had two hits and senior Tommy Healey was 2 for 3 for the Cardinals, who finished the game with nine hits. Rosario and Perez added one hit apiece for the victors.

“The defense made a bunch of good plays,” Arango said. “Tyler had about seven or eight putouts, then got the win in relief and had the safety squeeze. Tommy Healey had a couple of big hits. For the seniors, they feel that they have to string some wins together and they really came through.”

GREENWICH SOFTBALL

Darien registered a 7-1 victory against visiting Greenwich in an FCIAC matchup held today.

The Blue Wave scored two runs in the second and third innings, then added one run apiece in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. The Cardinals scored their run in the final inning.

Freshman Sophia Blois pitched all seven innings for Greenwich, striking out three batters. Up next for the Cardinals is a home game tomorrow against Ridgefield at 4:30 p.m.