North baseball slugs way to ECIC I lead
by PATRICK J. NAGY Reporter

Heading into the 2007 season, Williamsville North coach Jerry Scarcella thought his baseball team would have strong pitching and good fielding. It's the hitting that has surprised him the most and has placed them in first place in ECIC Division I at 8-1, 11-2 overall.

"I figured we would be hitting a lot of small ball (infield singles, bunts) but we're hitting the ball all over the yard," said Scarcella. "I'm hoping we can keep it going."

Last week, North went 5-0 against ECIC Division I league opponents and slugged 68 hits and scored 59 runs.

The Spartans blew out Frontier, 14-3, on Monday, April 30, West Seneca West, 10-0, on Friday, May 4, and Lancaster, 13-6, on Saturday, May 5 and came from behind to defeat Clarence, 11-10, in eight innings on Wednesday, May 2, and Frontier, 11-9, on Thursday, May 3.

Out of all five games, the Clarence victory was the sweetest. North trailed 9-2 after the fifth inning and 10-6 heading into the bottom of the seventh. With two outs, North scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh to send the game into extra innings.

Nick Fronczak hit a bases loaded single to drive in Alex Calderon and Pat Dwyer and two batters later, John Ticco singled in pinch runners Geoff Stallman and Eric Dahlman. In the bottom of the eighth, Calderon singled in Jared Fabian for the unbelievable come-from-behind victory.

"It might have been the most exciting game I've ever been a part of," said Scarcella. "We just battled and didn't panic. I was as surprised as anybody that we came all the way back. That's a life lesson for anybody."

North took an early 2-0 lead on Clarence in the first after a two-RBI single from Calderon scored Dwyer and Austin Benschadle. North added four runs in the fifth - Dwyer singled in Garrett Crage, Calderon plated Benschadle on a fielder's choice, and Zimmerman launched a two-run home run, his seventh of the season. The school record for most home runs is eight.

Calderon finished 3 for 5 with two RBIs. Fronczak hit 2 for 4 with two RBIs. North had 12 hits as a team.

Brad Stellrecht earned the win on the mound, throwing 4.1 innings and allowing five hits and one earned run. Mike Koch pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning for his third save.

North also trailed Frontier 5-0 going into the bottom of the third but scored eight runs to take a commanding lead they never relinquished. Ticco and Dahlman each hit twice in the inning. Ticco scored twice. Dahlman, Fabian, Dwyer, Benschadle, Calderon, and Zimmerman also scored a run.

"It was a wild inning," said Scarcella. "None of the hits were cheap."

Dwyer (2 for 4, two RBIs, scored twice), Ticco (3 for 3, double, triple, four RBIs) and Zimmerman (2 for 4, double, two RBIs) led the North bats, which hit 14 times as a team.

Dahlman threw six innings and allowed eight hits to pick up the win. Koch earned his fourth save.

North's offense erupted in its other three games of the week. The Spartan bats powered for 16 hits versus Frontier. Zimmeran was 2 for 4 with a home run and three RBIs. Fronczak was 2 for 5 with a solo home run and three RBIs. Benschadle hit 2 for 4 and scored twice. Taylor Gahagen was 3 for 4 with a walk, double, RBI, and scored twice. Ticco was 3 for 5 with an RBI.

Zack Boron earned the win, allowing six hits, two earned runs, and striking out four.

North pounded out 13 hits against West Seneca West and Lancaster. Calderon picked up the win against West Seneca West, allowing three hits, no walks, and striking out five, and was 2 for 3 at the plate with an RBI.

Benschadle (3 for 4, two RBIs), Fronczak (2 for 4, two RBIs) and John Piaggione (2 for 4, RBI) also contributed for North against West Seneca West.

North led Lancaster 4-3 before exploding for eight runs in the fourth to put the game out of reach for the Redskins. Gahagan tripled home Zimmerman, Fronczak and Ticco, Benschadle doubled in Fabian and Dwyer, Calderon singled in Benschadle, and Zimmerman doubled in Calderon.

"It's contagious," said Scarcella. "If one player gets on base, it's like a frenzy. We just start pounding the ball."

Gahagan (4 for 4, triple, double, three RBIs), Zimmerman (3 for 4, double, three RBIs) and Benschadle (2 for 3, double, two RBIs) led North's offense.

Boron went the final 4.1 innings and allowed four hits, three runs and struck out five for the victory.

North, ranked second among Western New York large schools, hosted Sweet Home on Monday, May 7 and West Seneca West on Tuesday, May 8 but results were unavailable before The Bee went to press. The Spartans play a home and home series with Orchard Park on Wednesday, May 9 and Thursday, May 10 and are at Lancaster on Friday May 11. All three games have 4:45 p.m. starts.

e-mail: pnagy@beenews.com