When the Westhill baseball team took the trip down Interstate 81 to Binghamton’s Broome County Community College on Saturday, it intended to return with a third state Class B championship in six years.
But the Warriors never made it out of the semifinal, unable to hold two different slim leads in a 3-2 defeat to Section V champion Livonia where the Bulldogs capitalized on the few mistakes Westhill made to take the lead in the late going and hang on.
In every possible way, Livonia was an imposing foe.
Going 24-1 to reach the state final four, the Bulldogs, who lost in the state semifinals to Rye Neck a year ago, had averaged nearly 11 runs per game this spring, had successfully converted 41 of 43 stolen base attempts, had seven players with 20-plus RBIs and four players batting above .400.
Not only that, but Livonia’s pitching ace, Reid Vanscoter, had an 0.32 earned run average and had won 12 games this season, and Vanscoter took the hill against Westhill’s Sam Walsh.
Immediately, Westhill got the jump, and Walsh was in the middle of it. Following a walk, Walsh reached on a fielder’s choice in the bottom of the first, raced to third on Chris Coates’ single and, with Jeff Lobello up, beat the throw home as Coates stole second.
Two innings later, the Warriors, still up 1-0, put two on with nobody out, but Walsh hit into a double play and Coates lined out.
Perhaps fired up by that stop, Vanscoter singled to lead off the top of the fourth, and Jack Horan followed with a double, putting two Bulldogs runners in scoring position with nobody out.
Moments later, Walsh threw a wild pitch, and Vanscoter scored the tying run. But Walsh recovered to strike out the side in between a walk to strand two runners and keep it 1-1.
And it didn’t take long for the Warriors to regain the lead. With Ryan Roland on first and two out in the bottom of the fourth, Vanscoter plunked pinch-hitter Galen Hayes, a mistake magnified when Joe Sweeny promptly singled home Roland.
Given that 2-1 lead, Walsh got out of trouble in the fifth, as an error and walk put two on and nobody out, but Walsh coaxed three consecutive ground balls to keep the Warriors in front.
An inning later, Westhill wasn’t as fortunate. With two on and two out in the top of the sixth, Brody Metcalf singled and Matt Hyde scored when Brad Canavan was unable to hang on to the throw from the outfield.
Despite having thrown 103 pitches, Walsh returned for the top of the seventh and watched Maddux Minton lead off with a walk. Vanscoter singled to move Minton to third, and after Jack Horan struck out, Minton dashed home with the go-ahaead run on another Canavan error.
To make up for it, Canavan tagged out Vanscoter trying to steal home, keeping it a one-run margin going to the bottom of the seventh, and Vanscoter, like Walsh, was still out there despite having surpassed the 100-pitch mark.
But it only seemed like Vanscoter got stronger as the game went on. Canavan’s leadoff walk in the bottom of the fifth was the last baserunner he allowed as the Livonia ace ended that inning with a double play and then retired Westhill in order in the sixth and seventh innings, getting Bryan O’Mara to fly out to end the game. All told, the Warriors had just three hits off Vanscoter.
Livonia went on to lose the state final to Mattituck (Section XI) 4-1. In each of the five classes, the eventual state champions – Mamaroneck in Class AA, Byram Hills in Class A, Hoosick Valley in Class C and Smithtown Christian in Class D, to go with Mattituck – played the first of the two semifinals on Saturday, and didn’t have to deal with a quick turnaround to the title game.
Westhill will not see much roster turnover. Other than Walsh, Lobello and Bobby Antonacci, everyone else should return for 2016, and another push for championship glory.
