Friday, May 25, 2018

WIZARDS LEAVE THEIR LEGACY


By JEREMY GUTIERREZ

The Section 9 varsity baseball season has come to an end, and the playoff seeds are out.  Naturally, the Wizards played must win games against Warwick and Kingston on Thursday, May 17th.  Both Warwick and Kingston have already clinched a spot in the postseason; Washingtonville is not going up against easy opponents.  The outcome of last Thursday determined the Wizards’ birth for a playoff run.

JEREMY GUTIIERREZ FOR THE WIZARD WEEKLY
Washingtonville faced Warwick for the first, and most important game of the day.  The Wizards got the early lead putting up three runs in the first inning thanks to Myles Passley who drove in two teammates.  What would seem like a dinger derby for the Wizards, eventually turned into a pitching dual.  Jeremy Gutierrez, the pitcher for Washingtonville, limited Warwick to one run over six innings, as Warwick held the Wizards scoreless for the remainder of the game.

With a score of Washingtonville up 3-1 in the top of the 7th inning, the Wizards were looking to close out the game.  Jeremy Gutierrez went back out on the mound seeking to pitch a complete game, and lead the Wizards to sections.  After a 1-1 count, the leadoff hitter for Warwick turned on an inside fastball for a solo home run.  The Wizards were hanging on by a thread with the score 3-2 in the last inning.

The save opportunity was then passed down to senior captain, Jack Wilde.  Jack started out successfully retiring the first two batters of the inning.  With one out left in the game, the next batter slugged a fly ball over the right fielders head for a triple.  The next batter was walked, resulting in runners on 1st and 3rd with two outs, in the top of the 7th inning.

The outcome of this at bat would determine the Wizards’ fate for the remainder of the season.  An out would result in a sectional birth, but a base hit would result in the Wildcats tying up the game and possibly spoiling Washingtonville’s plans of sections.  With the season on the line, the pitch was thrown, and the ball gets cracked 350 feet over the fence.  The final score ended up being 6-4, Warwick.

The Wizards fought all year and just came short of making history.  Game two of the double header against Kingston did not make a difference in the advancement of the team, and Washingtonville fell short, yet again, with a final score of 3-2, Kingston.  With six seniors graduating this year, the Wizards have made many unforgettable memories while trying their very best to make a name for themselves.

Only time will tell what will come for the Wizards varsity baseball team in the future.  With the team gradually getting better each year, Washingtonville is on pace to make sections next season.  Even though the Wizards couldn’t advance to sections this year, the team has still showed great progress and made many memories throughout the season.  They certainly have a lot to be proud of.




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