Prep Baseball Report

Far West Region: McQuaid strikes late again



Paul Gotham
PBR New York Contributor
@pickinSplinters

McQuaid rallied from six down in the Section V Class AA semi-finals and then scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh before walking off in extra innings to beat Rush-Henrietta in the sectional finals. Saturday, the Jesuit Knights erased a late deficit and won in extra innings. 

AJ Fina plated Thomas Manno and Noah Campanelli with a two-out triple in the fifth to knot the game at four. After getting down 0-and-2, the junior outfielder battled back to a full count. With the runners in motion, Fina drilled a shot into the left center gap.

Ben Beauchamp sealed the victory when he brought home Nick Tomei with a one-out single in the eighth, and McQuaid (V) defeated Clarence (VI), 5-4 in Far West Regional action at Niagara Falls High School. 

Hunter Walsh tossed 3.2 shutout innings for the win. The sophomore right-hander came out of the bullpen with the go-ahead run on second and set down the next two batters on strikes. He retired the first six he faced and allowed just two to reach base.

Walsh threw 53 pitches - 34 for strikes and started out 10 of 13 batters with strikes. 

Jared Shalke highlighted a three-run Clarence third with a two-run double as the Red Devils took a 4-2 lead in the early going. Shalke went 2-for-4 with a run scored.

McQuaid, ranked No. 7 NYS Class AA, will play Massapequa (VIII), ranked No. 4, in the state semi-finals. Friday's first pitch is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. at Maine-Endwell High School.