Travis Larner
New York, Staff

Williamsville East Walks Off Over Wallkill, Advances to Class A Finals

Endicott, N.Y. – The Flames of Section VI Williamsville East High School heated up at the right time in Saturday’s New York State Class A semifinal against Section IX’s Wallkill High School, scoring a thrilling 4-3 walk-off victory to advance to the championship game.

Williamsville East (22-6) will face Wantagh High School (24-5) of Section VIII in the state finals, with first pitch originally scheduled for 4:00 p.m. at Union-Endicott High School’s Pete Sylvester Park. Wantagh reached the finals with a 2-1 win in the first semifinal over previously undefeated Queensbury (25-1) of Section II.

The Panthers held a slim 3-2 lead heading into the home half of the seventh. However, lanky left-handed reliever Kyle Doering, a 6-foot-4 junior, loaded the bases in the final inning of regulation with three consecutive full-count walks. Williamsville East junior Jack Rubins lofted a 1-0 pitch into shallow center field, but it was deep enough to allow classmate Mike Steffan to tag up and tally the game-tying run.

“We were going to draw the throw,” said Flames head coach Jerry Gasz. “He was lollygagging out there, and as soon as I saw that, I said, ‘You got to throw me out.’ You never know, maybe another time he’s out, but when you have the opportunity you got to take a chance.”

Senior Ryan Foster followed with the game-winning hit, a base knock back up the middle that drove in sophomore Charlie Mack.

“They have a lot of determination, a lot of heart,” said Gasz, now in his 47th season at the helm. “They’re a fearless, competitive team.”

The loss signaled a heart-breaking end to a rollercoaster season for Wallkill (12-11). The Panthers began the season with a bleak 2-6 record and entered the Section IX Tournament with a sub-.500 record, but went on a tear to claim the sectional crown and reach the state semis.

“The record doesn’t show how much talent we have,” said senior pitcher Anthony Pacifico, who started the semifinal matchup on the mound for the Panthers. “It really showed in the postseason when it was win-or-go-home. We took it one game at a time.”

Pacifico hurled 5.2 innings of two-run ball with a no decision for Wallkill. He was taxed for six hits and four walks while fanning three batsmen on 94 pitches. He also drove in one of his team’s three runs. Junior catcher John Zinko paced the Panthers, going 2-for-3 with a double and one run driven in.

Mack earned the win for the Flames, tossing 1.2 innings of relief. He gave up one hit, issued one walk, and fanned a pair. Senior Mike Poturalski went 2-for-4 at the dish in addition to his 5.1 innings of work on the mound for Williamsville East. He gave up three runs on five hits, two walks, and a pair of strikeouts on 65 pitches.

The Flames will be seeking the first state championship in program history, while the Warriors of Wantagh are playing for their first title since 1998.