While a first-ever Section III Class B championship for the Solvay baseball team was satisfying enough, earning it at the expense of its next-door neighbors from Westhill made it feel even better.
With Jake Dippold spinning another pitching gem – at least until the last out – and his teammates turning the opposition’s mistakes into runs, the Bearcats lay claim to title Monday afternoon in front of a large crowd at Onondagda Community College, defeating the Warriors 4-2.
” It is very special, and it’s awesome to do it against them (Westhill),” said Solvay head coach Darren Lee. “They’ve responded to every single challenge.”
Except for Westhill having to overcome four first-inning runs to beat Adirondack 7-5 in Saturday’s sectional semifinal at OCC, both teams had taken a relatively smooth path to this showdown.
Jake Dippold had thrown a no-hitter in Solvay’s 8-0 quarterfinal win over Clinton, who had lost in the first round to Bishop Grimes but then advanced because the Cobras reported using an ineligible player.
A 6-0 shutout over General Brown followed in the semifinals, and once Westhill had survived Adirondack following an 11-0 quarterfinal rout over Skaneateles, the final was set.
Having taken its only two losses of the season to Solvay, Westhill gave the ball to Ryan Roland, who had pitched in relief in the first of those two games, a 9-1 defeat in April where Dippold had thrown his first no-hitter this spring.
Immediately, the Bearcats jumped on Roland, Mike Yaizzo leading off the bottom of the first inning with a triple, and raced home on Dippold’s infield hit. Loading the bases despite a double play off Mike Cimino’s liner that Roland caught, Solvay added a run on Josh Chrysler’s infield hit.
Two more Bearcats reached base with one out in the bottom of the second, and Roland went out, replaced by Brad Canavan, who walked Sammy Kippen to again load the bases, but then got Cimino to pop out and Brett Peterson to fly out.
Solvay did get a run in the third, Kippen reaching base on a triple to right and then scoring on Josh Chrysler’s sacrifice fly. And Dippold added to his own lead an inning later with an RBI single that brought home Yaizzo after he walked and stole second.
Lee said his team executed the game plan of capitalizing on Westhill’s mistakes. Still, the Warriors didn’t make it easy as Dippold lost his no-hitter when Joe Carello singled in the top of the fifth.
Two walks followed, loading the bases with two out. Roland popped out in foul territory, and it stayed 4-0. But an even more dramatic – and stressful – seventh inning would follow.
After recording the first two outs, Dippold hit a batter and walked two others to load the bases. Lee said he had told Jake Kyanka to get ready in the bullpen two innings earlier, but now he would enter.
Again, Roland was at the plate in a bases-loaded situation. This time, he drew a walk, making it 4-1, and Kyanka hit Chris Coates for a second Westhill run.
Now the tying runs were in scoring position and the go-ahead run was a first, with Joe Sweeny at the plate. When it was needed, Kyanka struck out Sweeney, and the Bearcats finally had a sectional baseball championship.
The game did more than end Solvay’s long wait for a title. It also ended the 16-year tenure of Westhill head coach Bob Weismore, who announced after the game that he’s stepping down. During Weismore’s run, the Warriors won eight sectional championships and back-to-back state titles in 2009 and 2010.
Solvay will return to OCC Saturday to face Section IV champion Binghamton Seton Catholic in the Class B regional final, the winner going to Maine-Endwell High School on June 11 for the state final four.
