Ty Kane of Whitehouse Post 284 leads off first base manned by Montgomery Superior’s Zac Davis.
The Diamond Nation High School Fall League Final Four delivered big time and in one semifinal, a big time player showed up in a very big way to send his team into the championship game.
Nico West limited a very talented and gritty Montgomery Superior squad to five hits over 6⅔ innings and absolutely crushed a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning that proved the difference in a 4-2 Whitehouse Post 284 victory.
Second-seeded Zoned RedHawks 18U defeated third-seeded Out Of The Park Cyclones 17/18U, 7-6, in the other semifinal to set up a high profile championship game matchup shortly after.
Top-seeded Whitehouse (9-0), which came into the semifinals undefeated through its once-a-week fall schedule, had to battle back from a 2-0 deficit after West, an uncommitted senior at Gill St. Bernards, stumbled out of the gate. Matthew Ressa placed a pop fly two-run single down the right field line to put Montgomery ahead, 2-0, in the top of the second inning.
But West was a very different pitcher from that moment, retiring the next 15 straight Montgomery batters. “My coaches made a mechanical change,” said West. “I was sitting on my hip a little more and that helped me get on top of the ball. My arm started feeling better and better as the game went on.” That was evident when his fastball hit 84 miles per hour in the sixth and seventh innings.
Whitehouse drew four walks over the first three innings against Montgomery starter Jaden Krisanda but could not manage a hit or a run. The Whitehouse lineup, however, sprung to life in the fourth after leadoff batter Matty Dalfonzo drew the fifth walk off Krisanda. Montgomery coach Zoran Milich pulled Krisanda at that point and reached into his bullpen for Joe Duffy.
Mason Roman followed with a gritty at bat that ended with a single into left-center field. Dalfonso raced to third easily enough but still drew a throw from the outfield that allowed Roman to take second. Duffy then hit West with a pitch to load the bases with no outs.
Roman’s single seemed to light a fire under Whitehouse.
“I was trying to stay up the middle, using a two-strike approach,” said Roman. “I shortened up and tried to have a good at bat.”
As was the case much of the game, the Montgomery defense stepped up, turning a 6-4-3 double play as Dalfonso scored from the third to shave the Montgomery lead to 2-1. Duffy could not get out of further trouble, though, as Joey Tedesco singled to left field to bring Roman home with the tying run. Luke Schenkel kept the chain going with a deep fly near the wall in center field that went for a grounds rule double, critically forcing Tedesco to stop at third.
That proved big when second baseman Patrick Fogarty got fourth-seeded Montgomery out of the jam as he fielded J.P. Santos’ difficult slow bouncer in the middle of the diamond and fired to first base for the third out.
Duffy got through an uneventful fifth inning but Whitehouse got him again in the sixth. And it was Roman, again, who ignited things. The Whitehouse center fielder and No. 2 hitter lead off with a single to right field. Then up stepped the imposing, 6-3, 220-pound West.
“I knew a slider was coming at some point,” said West.
Montgomery’s James Ferrante swings at pitch from Nico West. Catcher Nate McGann frames.
West got that slider and yanked it well over the left field fence for a no-doubt-about-it two-run home run and a 4-2 Whitehouse lead.
“That was some home run,” said Milich. “It wasn’t a bad pitch, low and little away, but he hit it hard. He’s a strong kid.”
Said Roman, who had a good look at West’s laser, “I wish I could do that. The guys behind me are very good power hitters.”
West got a strikeout and a fly out to start the Montgomery seventh and extend his consecutive outs streak to 15. But then the order flipped to the top and the dangerous E.J. Onyschak and Stefano DiGeronimo were getting a third look at West.
Onyschak singled through the middle and DiGeronimo followed with a deep flyball to right field that bounded over the fence for a grounds rule double. Suddenly, Montgomery has the potential tying runs in scoring position.
Whitehouse coach Steve Farsiou pulled West in favor of sidewinder L.T. Parillo. But Parillo, after getting two straight strikes, plunked Chris Loniewski with a breaking ball to load the bases and put the go-ahead run aboard.
Parillo now had to deal with another dangerous customer in Montgomery cleanup hitter Henry Maddox. But Parillo reasserted himself and struck out Maddox to end it.
It was an impressive run for Montgomery, which finished 16-5 in the Fall League and displayed terrific defense and a steady, productive offense throughout.
“The worst part about losing this game is we don’t get to play another one together,” said Milich. “We had a blast this fall, so much fun. I just wish we had more games.”
The Montgomery defense was anchored by impressive catcher Loniewski, who threw out two would-be base stealers at second base and picked off a runner at first base. He nailed Tedesco at second in the second inning after backhanding a pitch on a hop and firing to second for the caught-stealing. In the third, he got Santos trying to steal second then picked Nate McGann off of first base. All three runners had reached on walks.
Milich had more praise for West, as well.
“I give him a lot of credit,” said Milich. “He was throwing 84 in the last inning.”