By PAUL GOTHAM
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Thursday’s Section V Class AA first round matchup offered Dean Dingee’s Gates Chili club a chance to put together a complete effort.
The Spartans took advantage of the opportunity.
Jaylen Givens sparked the offense and Gavin Sweeney hurled three-plus innings of scoreless relief as No. 16 Gates (6-15) defeated No. 17 Greece Arcadia, 5-2.
“We finally came through, played small ball and executed,” Dingee said after his squad advanced to play top-seeded Victor. “We haven’t been doing that. We played seven innings. That makes a difference. We haven’t played a full game. You play seven innings, and you find out what you got.”
Givens knotted the game with a two-out double in the third inning. His bunt in the fourth contributed to a three-run frame.
“That’s a sophomore stepping up into a big spot,” Dingee said. “You don’t usually count on a sophomore doing that in a sectional game. Boy, did he shine.”
Trailing 2-0, Cole Gorman connected on a one-out single to right field. Dylan Sweeney reached on an error, and Gavin Sweeney loaded the bases with a single of his own.
Givens delivered from there. The right-handed batter took a 2-1 pitch to the opposite field.
Two innings later, Gates took the lead.
With the score tied, Nick DiFrancesca worked a walk to start the fourth and advanced on a wild pitch. Givens pushed a bunt down the third-base line that was mishandled, and DiFrancesca scampered home.
Bruce Hanna followed with a sacrifice bunt. Givens scored from second when Pete Dellefave reached on an error. One out later, Jordan Hoock made it a 5-2 game with a double to center field.
“The game is contagious,” Dingee said. “When good things happen, it starts snowballing.”
Jaylen Givens plates two with a two-out double, @gcbaseball19 knots the game. Heading to the 3rd Class AA, first round: @TitanBaseball 2 Gates 2 pic.twitter.com/r9xkuCqyMT
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) May 16, 2024
Class AA First Round: Pete Dellefave scores on Jordan Hock’s two-out double. @gcbaseball19 5-2 heading to the fifth. pic.twitter.com/TY6d9Gl8nE
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) May 16, 2024
Hits to the middle third of the field and opposite came as a direct result of a recent emphasis during batting practice.
“Guys executed,” Dingee said. “We’ve been working a lot the last two weeks hitting the ball opposite. We’ve been letting the ball get deep. We’ve really been pumping out line drives during bp.”
Gavin Sweeney hurled three and two-third scoreless innings of relief to pick up the win. The sophomore left-hander took over on the mound with bases loaded and one out in the fourth. He induced a ground ball from the first batter he faced and got a force out at home. A routine fly ball ended the threat.
Givens and Sweeney were two of five sophomores along with DiFrancesca, Hanna and starting catcher Andrew McManus who contributed in the win.
The significance of the young players stepping up in the moment wasn’t lost on Dingee.
“It’s huge. It’s great for them to get confidence and the experience of having a win under their belt (in the postseason). Now we know we can compete, and we belong. That’s been a big challenge.”
The defense rounded out the overall performance.
The Gates infield turned an inning-ending double play in the fifth. Right-fielder Hoock threw out a runner at third to end the sixth. Dellefave knocked down a line drive at third, spun and threw to first where Dylan Sweeney scooped the ball out of the dirt for the first out of the seventh inning.
Class AA First Round: Sunday hop, and the @gcbaseball19 infield turns a 6-4-3 GDP: Cole Gorman to Bruce Hanna to Dylan Sweeney. Heading to the bottom of the fifth: Spartans 5 @TitanBaseball 2 pic.twitter.com/4rPtwrIyUq
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) May 16, 2024
Class AA First Round: Dom Zona singles to right, but Jordan Hoock comes up throwing to get the runners at third. @gcbaseball19 5-2 heading to the bottom of the sixth. pic.twitter.com/G5RLLAqpV4
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) May 16, 2024
Jeff Fisher started and struck out four over 3.1 innings.
Dellefave finished 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Hoock was 2-for-3. McManus added a single.
Nick Maggi singled and scored for Arcadia (2-19). Dom Zona was 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI. Ryan Bailey walked and scored.
Gates will travel to play Victor on Saturday. An 11:00 AM first pitch is scheduled.
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