Hey folks. Stepinac and Fordham Prep meet today for the city championship at St. John’s at 1. If Fordham wins, they will play a winner-take-all game at 4.

I’ll have updates throughout the game. Check back later for more.

Top of the 1st — It’s Michael Bradshaw pitching for Stepinac. He will be opposed by George Perrotta for Fordham.

Mike Maschi led off with a walk, moved to second on an errant pickoff throw, to third on a wild pitch and home on a ground out by Jack Giannini. Fordham leads 1-0 in the top of the first.

Fordham takes a 2-0 lead now off Bradshaw. He walked Dom Dimele, the second batter of the game, earlier and Dimele moved to second on the wild pitch and to third on Giannini’s ground out. He scored on a smash to short that Steve Martinez couldn’t handle cleanly.

Stepinac committed a third error on a ground ball to second but escaped a first and third jam on a double play. Heading to the bottom of the first now.

Bottom of the 1st — Perrotta retired the side in order to end the inning. Still 2-0 Fordham.

Top of the 2nd — Bradshaw settles in as Fordham goes down 1-2-3. It’s 2-0 Fordham.

Bottom of the 2nd — Stepinac gets a runner on with one out but he is stranded. Still 2-0.

Top of the 3rd — Jesus Jaile RBI single drives in Dimele, who had singled himself. Fordham 3, Stepinac 0.

All sorts of trouble now for Stepinac. Bradshaw struck out T.J. Mangan but the ball was dropped. Catcher Eddie Martinez threw to first but didn’t get Mangan and a runner scores. Mangan then scored on an RBI single by Sal Annunziata, so it’s now 5-0 Fordham. Looks like they may play two today.

Top of the 4th — Maschi hit an RBI double and later scored on a sac fly by Dimele. Fordham is rolling, up 7-0.

Bottom of the 4th — Three straight singles finally have Stepinac on the board. Ed Martinez singled in Steve Martinez to make it 7-1.

Rich Reilly scores on an error. Greg Digiacinto adds an RBI groundout, making it 7-3 Fordham. Jackson Markey is on third with two out.

Top of the 5th — Bradshaw escapes a two-on jam, still 7-3 Fordham.

Bottom of the 5th — A Steve Martinez sac fly makes it 7-4 and a single by Reilly drives Perrotta from the mound. Ryan Fedak is on for Fordham, which is now in its first bit of trouble today. With Fedak going, that means Ken O’Brien will almost certainly start the next game — if there is one.

Top of the 6th — Fedak escapes the fifth, and Bradshaw was lifted after a single. Randy Rodriguez is on for Stepinac.

A pair of sac flies make it 9-4 Fordham. The Rams added some insurance and should be OK here. Anthony Gallo is pitching for Stepinac.

Bottom of the 7th — Last licks for Stepinac, trailing 9-4. Fordham is three outs away from making things a whole lot more interesting.

Well, Fedak strikes out Steve Martinez to end the game. Fordham wins 9-4.

I imagine game 2 will begin in about a half hour or so.

GAME 2: Ken O’Brien (Fordham) vs. Eddie Byrne (Stepinac)

Bottom of the 1st — Rich Reilly and Eddie Martinez each have an RBI single to make it 2-0 Stepinac. Donato Signore and Anthony Muccio.

Top of the 3rd — Jesus Jaile RBI single scored Dan Turner, but Muccio throws Dimele out at home to end the inning. Stepinac 2, Fordham 1.

Bottom of the 4th — Jaile catches Greg Digiacinto stealing after Digiacinto reaches on an error, then O’Brien gets Michael Annunziata on a pop up to end the inning. Still 2-1 Stepinac.

Top of the 5th — Two errors, a single by Jaile and a wild pitch lead to two Fordham runs. Wow. The Prep takes a 3-2 lead into the bottom of the inning. What a run this week for the Rams.

Bottom of the 5th — Donato Signore, who committed one of the errors in the top half of the inning, hit a double and moved to third on Muccio’s single. After O’Brien struck out Steve Martinez, Rich Reilly hit into a fielders choice, but it scores Signore to tie it 3-3.

Top of the 6th — After a double play records two outs, Byrne hits Turner to end his outing after 5.2 innings. On came Signore, who gets the third out when Eddie Martinez cuts down Turner trying to steal. Still 3-3.

Bottom of the 6th — Singles by Digiacinto and Pete Tacinelli put a pair of runners on for Stepinac. A fielders choice makes it first and third, but Signore strikes out to strand the go-ahead run at third. Still 3-3. Sounds like a great game.

Top of the 7th — After an intentional walk to Jaile sets up a bases-loaded situation, Perrotta hits a grounder to third. Muccio throws home for the force, and Eddie Martinez spins and throws to Reilly at first. Reilly dropped the ball, allowing Dimele to score the go-ahead run. The ball rolled away on the play and Jaile came all the way in to score from second. What a turn of events. Fordham now leads 5-3.

Stepinac has really had a tough day defensively.

Bottom of the 7th — The seniors, Muccio and Eddie Martinez, both singled in the inning, but the side was retired with the tying run at first when Markey flies out. Fordham, with a 5-3 win, is your CHSAA city champs!