Walk-Off Win for the Titans !
Aaron Stander scores on a wild pitch and the Titans complete a last inning comeback to win 7-6 pic.twitter.com/QRuhIYJgyu
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) October 7, 2018
Despite trailing by two runs entering the bottom of the sixth inning, Matt Nowlan was confident that his LI Titans would be able to mount a comeback with the top of the order coming up.
He proved to be prophetic, thanks in large part to his game-tying two-run double to left center field, which was followed by a walk-off wild pitch that scored Aaron Stander to deliver a dramatic 7-6 victory for Titans to send them into the semfinals of the East Coast Columbus Day Tournament tomorrow against the Islip Owls.
Matt Nowlan delivered the clutch game-tying double in the sixth pic.twitter.com/bWuyK7AFkr
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) October 7, 2018
It was a back-and-forth affair that began with the Seminoles taking an early 3-0 lead thanks to a bases clearing double by Lucas Hernandez to score Mike Rossi, Ethan Vo and Alonzo Espinet. They capitalized on three walks to load the bases, but Trey Zaffiro struck out three in the inning to escape further damage.
The Titans cut into the lead in the bottom of the third on an RBI single by Brandon Montalvo to score Vito Mannino. They added their second run on a bases loaded hit by pitch of Patrick Desarno. Ryan Murrin induced a flyout to end the inning.
The Seminoles answered back with a run in the top of the fourth on a wild play. With runners on 2nd & 3rd a wild pitch scored Espinet, but Murrin attempted to score when the throw to the plate got away and was gunned down by the first baseman. It took a terrific tag by the pitcher covering the plate to nab him.
This one was far from over, though.
In the bottom of the fourth, Kyle Montalvo smoked a two-run inside-the-park home run to tie the game and make it a new ballgame.
A leadoff walk in the top of the fifth came to haunt the Titans, as Alex Rossi drove him Spyro Matarangas with a sac fly to left and make it 5-4.They extended the lead to 6-4 in the next inning on another wild pitch to score Espinet, who singled and stole second and third.
Murrin went out for the sixth, with only 62 pitches and a chance to finish what he started. He ran into trouble though, on a leadoff single and another single by Jake Scharlat. The No. 3 hitter, Nowlan made hit hurt with a well-struck two-run double to make it a new game. He moved to third on a wild pitch, but was thrown out at the plate when the next batter hit a comebacker to the mound. It appeared the game might go to extras, but Aaron Stander‘s hustle to get into scoring position paid off when the next pitch was in the dirt and allowed him to score and enabled the Titans to walk off winners.
They will play the Islip Owls, while the Seminoles will play the LI Indians, with the winners facing off for the championship at Plainedge Park at 1pm.
