By TIM BIRNEYValley Sports Report
ROCHESTER — Grand Island scored a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to take the lead, and held on for a 5-4 win over Waverly here Friday afternoon in the quarterfinals of the New York State Class A baseball playoffs at ESL Ballpark.
"There was a high-level of play by both teams," said Waverly coach Kyle McDuffee. "Their pitcher was very good ... we played a very good team.
"We made some mistakes, but games like this are tough," he noted. "We're feeling pressure as coaches, so imagine what the kids are feeling.
"The Section IV title was awesome, no doubt, but to be able to compete at the highest level in the state playoffs is still an awesome accomplishment for our program," McDuffee added.
The Wolverines took the early lead, but Grand Island rallied to take a 3-1 lead only to have Waverly tie it at 3-3.
The Vikings scored twice to go up 5-3, but the Wolverines closed the gap to 5-4, and saw the game end on a sliding catch in center field with the tying run on second base.
The game was played at ESL Ballpark, a minor-league baseball field, and McDuffee said that made a difference.
"Grand Island could really hit the ball, and we hit the ball well today," he said. "It was a big field ... at our field you probably would have seen seven home runs today."
The Wolverines wrap up the season with a school-record 22 wins, including the first-ever state playoff win, against just five losses.
"It's never easy to end the season on a loss, but I was impressed with our kids today," said McDuffee. "Down two runs, they came back and tied it up; down two runs, they cut it to one run ... they weren't giving up.
"If that ball drops we're still playing," he added.
Daddona pitched around a two-out triple in the first inning, ending the inning with a strikeout.
In the home half of the third inning, Grand Island loaded the bases with one out on a walk, an error and a hit batsman, but Daddona registered a strikeout, then tagged out a runner at home on a throw from Ben Shaw, who retrieved a wild pitch.
In the top of the fourth, senior Ronin Ault reached on an error to lead off the inning, and ended up scoring on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Ben Shaw to make it 1-0.
Grand Island took the lead on a one-out, two-run triple Andrew Kozlowski, but moments later he was tagged out at the plate by Ben Shaw attempting a straight steal off home.
The Vikings re-ignited thanks to a Waverly error, a base on balls, and an RBI single by Lucas Collure to extend the lead to 3-1.
Waverly tied the game quickly on a lead-off single by senior Daltton Davis, who took second on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Sammy Cheresnowsky.
Sophomore Jack Pipher, who flew out to the warning track in right field in the first inning, ripped a two-out RBI triple that one-hopped the right-field fence to close the gap to 3-2.
On the next pitch, Ault rifled an RBI double into the gap in left-center field to tie the game at 3-3.
Grand Island took advantage of a Waverly error in the fifth inning to take a 5-3 lead.
Nic Aiello led off the inning with a double that short-hopped the wall in left-center field, and scored on an error moments later to make it 4-3.
After Waverly reliever freshman Axel Murray registered back-to-back strikeouts, Kozlowski served an RBI single into right field to push the lead to 5-3.
Davis stroked a two-out RBI single in the top of the sixth inning to plate Ben Shaw, who reached on a one-out single, to close the gap to 5-4.
After Pipher retired Grand Island in order in the bottom of the sixth inning.
With two outs in the top of the seventh inning, Ault hammered a double into left-center field that glanced off the glove of left fielder Jonathan Neville, but Kozlowski preserved Caden Sharkey's complete-game win with a sliding catch in center field on pitch later.
Davis was 3-for-3 with one run scored, one stolen base, and one RBI, and Ault belted a pair of doubles, scored one run, and drove in one run to pace Waverly's seven-hit attack.
Pipher tripled, scored one run, and drove in one run, and Ben Shaw singled, scored one run, and knocked in one run.
Daddona allowed two runs on three hits, while striking out five and walking three in 3 1/3 innings in a no-decision.
Murray was tagged with the loss, allowing three runs — all unearned — on three hits, with two strikeouts and one walk.
Pipher struck out two in a perfect inning of relief.
"Porter (Daddona) was dominant for three innings, then got tired. He puts everything into it when he pitches, and he does a nice job," said McDuffee.
"Axel (Murray) did a nice job, and Jack (Pipher) closed the game pretty strong," he added.
The Wolverines will graduate five seniors in Hogan Shaw, Ronin Ault, Derek Johnson, Porter Daddona, and Daltton Davis.
"This was a two-year build ... in year two we bumped up to Class A, and that just added another challenge for this group of kids, but they love the challenge," said McDuffee. "They loved the three-game series in the STAC, and in the postseason. They love to compete, and those five seniors were the pillars of our program for the last two years.
"They're ballers, they just went out and played baseball. They're tough kids, and you didn't want to make them mad because they picked it up another notch.
"They're leaving finger prints on this program that are going to be there for a long time," noted McDuffee.
"Ronin Ault was lights out, he was lights out all year, and Hogan Shaw made hard fly balls look easy.
"Porter (Daddona), a big lefty, was scary on the mound when he threw. Sometimes he didn't get a lot of run support, but he managed to fight through it," said McDuffee.
"Derek (Johnson) came off the bench, and we were always comfortable with him in there, and he got some big hits for us.
"And Daltton (Davis), look at the story of Daltton. He had a life-threatening challenge, and he met it head on," he said. "He didn't need to come out for baseball in his last year, but thank God he did. He was our spark plug, he kept the dugout light, and he was the grinder.
"Those five are going to be tough to replace," added McDuffee.
The longtime Waverly coach said the cupboard is not bare.
"We'll have Axel Murray, Griff Walter, and Jack Pipher back on the mound, and Matthias (Welles) will eat up some innings next year.
"And Ben Shaw is only a junior," said McDuffee. "He caught every game, and never once did he ask for a break. He's a gamer and just plays the game.
"We also have a few kids coming up from the JVs who will make an impact on the program," added McDuffee. "We just have to keep it rolling."
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IN TOP PHOTO : Waverly's Ronin Ault. IN BOTTOM PHOTO: Waverly's Jack Pipher. ... PHOTOS BY TIM BIRNEY.
