SYRACUSE – When the fifth inning concluded in Saturday’s Class AA baseball regional championship game at Onondadga Community College, Liverpool had the upper hand on Shenendehowa.
The Warriors had just put together a four-run rally to break a 1-1 tie. Ace pitcher Jack Hoppe was in control and getting tremendous defense behind him, including a pair of 6-4-3 double plays that broke up possible Plainsmen rallies.
But just when a return to the state final four, where Liverpool won it all the last time it appeared in 2017, appeared imminent, it all turned.
Shen’s clutch plays, combined with the Warriors’ generosity in the field, erased that margin, and the Plainsmen went on to prevail 6-5, putting an end to Liverpool’s unlikely championship campaign.
Liverpool grabbed a 1-0 edge in the bottom of the first when Alex Evans singled, Tyler Vivacqua reached on an error and Hoppe laced a single to right, scoring Evans. Shen pulled even, 1-1, in the top of the fourth on Austin Caldwell’s RBI single.
All of this was a prelude to the late-game drama on both sides.
Shen replaced starting pitcher Nino Salati with Brad Curtis to start the bottom of the fifth, but he hit Nate Benjamin before Evans beat out an infield hit.
With one out, Hoppe again came through at the plate, his single to right nearly identical to his first-inning RBI and bringing home Benjamin. Chris Baker then grounded to short, but Evans just beat the tag on the throw home, making it 3-1.
it continued with Austin Burch hitting a sacrifice fly that brought home Hoppe and, when Jameson Stevens singled to plate another run, Liverpool found itself in front 5-1, a lead it gave to Hoppe as the top of the sixth got underway.
Shen promptly put together a rally of its own, started when Hoppe hit Ethan Farina. Caldwell singled, then an error on Brendan Gonzalez’s grounder scored a run and Curtis, atoning for his pitching woes, doubled to cut the Warriors’ lead to 5-3.
Vivacqua relieved Hoppe and got a ground ball – but another error brought home two Plainsmen runs and tied it 5-5. With two out, Evan Kochansky singled home Shen’s go-ahead run.
Making another pitching change, the Plainsmen put in R.J. Ensel, and Liverpool couldn’t solve him, Ensel retiring all six batters he faced and giving Shen the regional title.
