Paul Paino huddled his team together heading into the bottom of the seventh with the Wheatley baseball team trailing Spackenkill by two runs.
A magical playoff run was three outs from coming to an end. It was time for one last speech.
“We’ve been doing this now for about a month, winning close games, coming from behind, doing literally the impossible,” the longtime coach told his team. “Let’s just do it one more time, lets just go one base at a time and see how far we get.”
The response was as dramatic as it was historic.
The Wildcats rallied for three runs in the seventh, highlighted by Andrew Hastings’ game-winning single to right field to defeat Spackenkill, 3-2 in the Class B Southeast Regional Final at Farmingdale State University June 5.
For the first time in school history, Wheatley reached the NYSPHSAA ‘B’ semifinals.
“It’s a great feeling,” Hastings said. “We’re the only ones to do this. There’s no better feeling than this.”
Playing in the Southeast Regional for the first time since 1985, it seemed nothing was breaking for Wheatley (18-9), from an unearned run in the first after a sloppy start by starter Xavier Fallarino, to a pair of controversial calls at first in the fifth inning.
When Spackenkill (22-3) tacked on an insurance run in the top of the seventh on an RBI-single by Kenny Herrera, it seemed Wheatley’s luck had finally run out, especially with Spartans starter Billy Winnis scattering four hits in six shutout innings.
But with one out in the seventh, Matt Rothstein, the team’s ace and league MVP, doubled to center and pinch runner Brendan Doherty reached third on a passed ball. When reliever Mike Carney was hit by a pitch, the Wildcats had the tying run on for their top of the lineup.
Justin Borczuk’s single deep in the hole in short scored Doherty and Andrew Tripi’s single to left loaded the bases for Billy McLean. The junior catcher laced a single to left to tie the score at 2.
“Lately I’ve just been getting these situations late in the game and I love it,” McLean said. “I take advantage of it. It’s a hitter’s favorite dream.”
With the bases still loaded, Hastings stepped to the plate knowing Winnis couldn’t pitch around him. The sophomore took advantage, blasting the game-winning single to right to cap a remarkable come-from-behind victory.
“He crushes the ball,” Paino said. “He’s been crushing the ball all year. He broke the school RBI record with 36 as a 10th grader, he hit home runs. He plays like a senior.”
Carney picked up the win in two innings of relief. Fallarino settled down after a wild first inning and only gave up one unearned run on three hits before being forced out of the game on a line drive off his knee in the sixth.
The win was Wheatley’s 11th in a row and seventh in the playoffs. Of those postseason victories, four were by one run.
“The team’s incredible,” Paino said. “They just find a way to win. We have not lost a playoff game and five of them have been like this. They want it and they’ll do whatever they have to do to get it.”
Wheatley’s season ended Saturday with a 2-1 eight-inning loss to Clinton in the state Class B semifinals in upstate Endicott.
But it doesn’t tarnish the remarkable run the Wildcats made, one they will remember forever.
“We’ve left a legacy for the rest of our lives that we’re never going to be able to forget,” McLean said.
