By CHUCKIE MAGGIO
Garett Wilson had struck out in his three previous at bats, so his plan for the fourth was simple.
“I was like, ‘You know what? I’m just gonna take my first fastball and rip it,'” he recalled of the approach leading to his go-ahead single in the top of the sixth.
The Webster Thomas senior’s four pitching strikeouts were the only “Ks” most remembered. He entered as a relief pitcher in the bottom of the fifth, facing runners at the corners with just one out, and struck out two Webster Schroeder Warriors to strand the runners and keep the game tied.
Wilson not only recorded the game-winning hit, he finished as the game’s winning pitcher. The fifth-seeded Titans completed their underdog run to the Class A1 sectional championship with a 7-6 victory over their crosstown rivals, avenging a 12-0 defeat when the teams first met on April 29.
“I’m not a usual pitcher. I’m just a closer, really,” Wilson explained. “But I came on that mound and all I was thinking about was holding that brick (sectional championship trophy) at the end of the day.”
The Titans jumped ahead 4-0 over the first three innings, with Nathan Zicari driving in three of the runs on a pair of singles. Zicari, the starting Titan pitcher, yielded just two base hits through the first four innings before running into trouble in the fourth and exiting for Wilson. Jack Cannon tripled for Schroeder to cap a four-run frame.
Schroeder threatened to tie the contest again in the sixth, with Mike Salina’s leadoff single and Shane Talbot’s double cutting the Thomas advantage to 7-6. Wilson recovered to strike out Cannon and allowed just one baserunner in the seventh. He earned most valuable player honors for his multi-faceted heroics.
The Titans proved Kevin Neenan’s hypothesis that they were a much different outfit on April 29.
“I think early on this season we were still trying to find ourselves. Our pitchers were struggling throwing strikes at times,” Neenan assessed. “But the last three games, I thought our pitchers have done a great job of getting ahead, throwing strikes and giving us a chance.
“And that’s huge, when you get pitching like that.”
Colby Wilson singled twice and tallied a sacrifice fly that proved crucial during Schroeder’s comeback attempt. James Bolton hit safely twice, including an RBI double.
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The Titans, now back-to-back sectional champions, advanced to the New York State Far West Regional qualifier, where they will play the Class A2 champion.
“We told the kids, ‘You’ve got a great opportunity. You’ve got two great baseball teams in one great town,'” Neenan said. “‘It’s something that everybody’s gonna remember, so let’s make it something that, no regrets.
“‘We’re just gonna go out, play as hard as you can and see what you can do.'”
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