True, the Liverpool baseball team was given the top spot in the state rankings going into its first state final four in 25 years. But the only way it would truly be number one is by earning the program’s first-ever state title.
And the Warriors took the penultimate step to that summit Friday afternoon in the state AA semifinal at Maine-Endwell High School, getting yet another clutch pitching performance from left-hander Jeff Destefano in a 4-2 victory over Section IX champion Kingston.
Unlike both the Section III and regional championship games, Destefano would toss a complete game against the Tigers, overcoming seven hits and serious chances by Kingston to snatch the lead.
By far, the game’s biggest pressure point came in the bottom of the fourth inning. Liverpool led, 3-1, having netted single runs in the first, third and fourth innings. RBI singles by Jake Evans and Joe Zywicki helped the Warriors go in front after Jonah Harder scored on a wild pitch in the first.
This led to the fourth, where Kingston used a double, two walks and a sacrifice bunt to load the bases with one out, and an infield hit cut Liverpool’s margin in half to 3-2.
What followed was a ground ball that Evans, at shortstop, snagged and quickly threw to Zach Pieklik, who turned and fired to Zach Scannell at first base – a double play, and the Warriors were out of the jam and still in front.
Pieklik wasn’t done making an impact. In the top of the sixth, Pieklik, the no. 9 hitter in Liverpool’s order, drilled a two-out single that brought home Tommy Bianchi to stretch the lead back to two.
Destefano struck out the side in the bottom of the sixth. Then, just like against Rome Free Academy and Niskayuna, he took the mound to start the seventh, but here he would finish the job.
Two fly-ball outs were sandwiched around a walk. An infield hit put the tying run on base, yet Antonello promptly coaxed a high foul pop-up that got caught by NickAntonello for the final out.
Now it’s Antonello’s turn to pitch in what could turn out to be the biggest game in Liverpool baseball history, Saturday morning’s state final at NYSEG Stadium in Binghamton against Massaequa. The Long Island champions defeated Rochester McQuaid 7-1 in the other state semifinal.
