MORAVIA - The two hour-plus trip that the Walton baseball team made to play Moravia in the opening round of the Section IV, Class C playoffs on Thursday didn't quite equal the separation of talent between the two clubs. The No. 9 Warriors, who play in the Mid-State conference, were as unfamiliar with the Blue Devils, seeded eighth, as they were with Moravia itself.
Angela Kershner / The Citizen
Moravia's Dustin LeFave slides into third seconds after being forced out during the Blue Devils' 8-6 loss to the Walton Warriors at home Thursday in the first round of the Section IV, Class C playoffs.
Moravia's Dustin LeFave slides into third seconds after being forced out during the Blue Devils' 8-6 loss to the Walton Warriors at home Thursday in the first round of the Section IV, Class C playoffs.
Despite the unfamiliar surroundings, the Warriors had no problem dominating at Ettinger Field, winning the game 8-6 and the right to face No. 1 Sidney, on Saturday.
“We had a little information about them,” Moravia coach Rich Valentino said. “But when it comes to these games, you can throw the scouting reports right out the window.”
The Blue Devils fell behind early, but played catch-up for only the first three innings and again late in the game, when Walton freshman Philip Hanley stepped into a Justin Stanton 0-2 fastball and crushed it over the center-field fence for a three-run home run in the sixth. The hit broke up a 4-4 tie and the Blue Devils put only three runners on base in the final two innings.
“Justin first threw the curveball for an out pitch, which is tough for the catcher to catch,” Valentino said. “With a guy on second and third and on 0-2, he was afraid to throw the curveball because he knew that if it was a wild pitch, they'd score a run, which we already did twice before. It's tough because when you're pitching out there, you have to worry about keeping the ball in front of the catcher. He just threw it right down the middle and I told the team today, with the humidity out there, the ball carries better and that one sure did. It was well hit.”
Moravia also committed five errors on the day, which is uncharacteristic of the club, while only pulling together eight hits.
Greg Langtry gave up five runs on five hits in 2 2-3 innings on the mound, but only the two in the first inning were earned.
The Blue Devils got on the board in the second on a Mike Drake RBI single, but scored four in the third off of Bryan Backus, who was pulled for Fisher after Langtry scored the tying run.
Senior Jake Wood roped an RBI double to score Stanton in the third. Langtry was the only multiple hitter for Moravia, with two, but Wood belted two RBIs - the second came on a sacrifice fly in the sixth to score Adam O'Brien.
Moravia graduates some of their best players this year in catcher Bryant Badman, Dustin LeFave, Langtry, Wood and O'Brien. LeFave closed out his high school career, literally, in the last inning of the game striking out all batters consecutively in just 13 pitches.
“If we had started out the game at the top, I think it could have been a little bit different,” Valentino said. “We could have relaxed a bit more. We played too tentative, too tight and that's makes a big difference. It's tough to play that way. It's tough to win that way.”
Warriors 8
Blue Devils 6
“We had a little information about them,” Moravia coach Rich Valentino said. “But when it comes to these games, you can throw the scouting reports right out the window.”
The Blue Devils fell behind early, but played catch-up for only the first three innings and again late in the game, when Walton freshman Philip Hanley stepped into a Justin Stanton 0-2 fastball and crushed it over the center-field fence for a three-run home run in the sixth. The hit broke up a 4-4 tie and the Blue Devils put only three runners on base in the final two innings.
“Justin first threw the curveball for an out pitch, which is tough for the catcher to catch,” Valentino said. “With a guy on second and third and on 0-2, he was afraid to throw the curveball because he knew that if it was a wild pitch, they'd score a run, which we already did twice before. It's tough because when you're pitching out there, you have to worry about keeping the ball in front of the catcher. He just threw it right down the middle and I told the team today, with the humidity out there, the ball carries better and that one sure did. It was well hit.”
Moravia also committed five errors on the day, which is uncharacteristic of the club, while only pulling together eight hits.
Greg Langtry gave up five runs on five hits in 2 2-3 innings on the mound, but only the two in the first inning were earned.
The Blue Devils got on the board in the second on a Mike Drake RBI single, but scored four in the third off of Bryan Backus, who was pulled for Fisher after Langtry scored the tying run.
Senior Jake Wood roped an RBI double to score Stanton in the third. Langtry was the only multiple hitter for Moravia, with two, but Wood belted two RBIs - the second came on a sacrifice fly in the sixth to score Adam O'Brien.
Moravia graduates some of their best players this year in catcher Bryant Badman, Dustin LeFave, Langtry, Wood and O'Brien. LeFave closed out his high school career, literally, in the last inning of the game striking out all batters consecutively in just 13 pitches.
“If we had started out the game at the top, I think it could have been a little bit different,” Valentino said. “We could have relaxed a bit more. We played too tentative, too tight and that's makes a big difference. It's tough to play that way. It's tough to win that way.”
Warriors 8
Blue Devils 6
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