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Wantagh Upsets Undefeated Queensbury On Arm of Joyce

June 13, 2016

Travis Larner
New York Staff

Wantagh Upsets Queensbury On Arm of Joyce


Junior Jimmy Joyce pitched a gem in the first semifinal of the New York State Class A Final Four, as Wantagh High School advanced to the Class A Championship Game with a 2-1 victory over previously-undefeated Queensbury High School.

Joyce earned his ninth – and undoubtedly most important – win of the season with a complete-game one-hitter. He gave up just one unearned run while striking out two and walking a pair on 81 pitches.

The performance from Joyce was just the latest in a line of fantastic starts the Warriors have received from the pitching staff in the postseason, as teammate and likely championship game starter Bobby Hegarty has twirled three consecutive one-hitters.

“Me and Bobby have been playing together since we were 12,” said Joyce with a smile after the win. “We’ve been thinking about this year forever. For us to have these great performances just means the world to us.”

Although both Joyce and Wantagh head coach Keith Sachs acknowledged that the starter’s knuckle curve was off, the junior was able to rely heavily on his fastball and the defense behind him.

“I wasn’t throwing as hard today, I was just trying to hit my spots,” Joyce said. “As I got tired, it (my curveball) was being left up; I couldn’t throw it for a strike.”

“He was spotting his fastball,” Sachs explained. “He didn’t have his curveball working the way it usually does, and when he does he’s usually more strikeout dominate.”

Wantagh scored both of its runs in the top of the second inning, and it proved to be enough for Joyce the rest of the way. Junior Trevor Fagan slapped a base hit back up the middle, which deflected off of Queensbury pitcher Aaron Cook. Cook’s subsequent throw sailed wide of first, allowing Fagan to take second. He moved up to third on a wild pitch and scored the first run on a suicide squeeze, laid down by senior Mike Derham. Junior Charlie Interrante then plated what would be the game-winning run with a double laced down the left field line, plating senior Joe Murphy, who reached safely via a walk.

Queensbury cut the lead in half in the home half of the third inning. Sophomore Graham Wettersten reached safely on a botched grounder to short. He moved up to third on a fielder’s choice groundout by older brother Erik Wettersten. Cook then helped his own cause by driving in the run with an RBI fielder’s choice of his own, but that’s the only offense his team could provide him.

Joyce retired the side in order in the final four innings, including back-to-back punch outs with his fastball in the fourth.

Defense played a major role in Saturday’s semi as well. After a pair of errors in the first three frames, including the misplay that allowed Graham Wettersten to get on base, the Warriors were crisp in the field. Murphy made a noteworthy snag in center for the third out in the bottom of the first, stranding a would-be run in the inning. Fagan showed tremendous concentration in the fifth to haul in a foul popup, which came down right along the backstop fencing on the left side of the plate.

“We try to preach (playing spotless defense),” Sachs said. “We haven’t scored in double digits much at all this year. We’re used to being in one-run games, and we assumed they weren’t. When you put two good pitchers on the mound like this, defense is going to make the difference.”

Cook was the tough-luck loser for the Spartans, the on-paper favorites among the final four teams after reaching the finals last season. He surrendered two runs on five hits and three walks. The righty fanned six on 98 pitches in 6.0 innings of work.


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