
WAVERLY BLASTS UNION SPRINGS, 21-6; ADVANCES TO TITLE GAME
By: Tim Birney | Waverly Athletics | June 3, 2021
AURORA, N.Y. — Waverly broke a 1-1 tie in the top of the fourth inning,
and pulled away for a 21-6 win over Union Springs here Thursday evening
in the semifinals of the IAC baseball championships at Wells College.
The
Wolverines, now 13-4, will look to defend their 2019 IAC title Saturday
against the winner of Friday's Trumansburg-Dryden semi-final game.
“It was a total team effort,” said Waverly coach Kyle McDuffee.
Waverly pounded out 25 hits in the win, including 19 over the final four innings.
“Our
approach at the plate is currently top-notch,” said McDuffee. “The
Union Springs pitcher (Ryan Bailey) is good, probably one of the best
we’ve faced all year.”
“And our defense is playing very well
behind our pitching,” added McDuffee. “I’m very proud of this young
team. It plays with awesome passion, and total love for the game.”
Hollywood
improved to 5-0 on the season, and 12-0 for his career. He allowed six
runs — three earned — on seven hits, while striking out four and walking
four in five innings of work.
Freshman Joey Tomasso pitched a scoreless inning of relief with two walks to finish off the game.
“(Caden) Hollywood continues his pitching presence on the mound,” said McDuffee.
Junior Thomas Hand was 5-for-5 with two doubles, five runs, two stolen bases, and two RBI to pace the Wolverines at the plate.
“(Thomas)
Hand had a big day at the plate,” said McDuffee. “He was a big reason
we opened up the score tonight. He seems to always find a way to score.”
Waverly left runners on in each of the first two innings, and trailed 1-0 thanks to Bailey’s first-inning home run.
In
the top of the third, Hand led off with a double, and moved to third on
a bunt single by freshman Jay Pipher. The Wolverines tied the game on
an infield RBI single by Tomasso.
Bailey avoided further damage, thanks in large part to a runner being cut down at the plate on a single by sophomore Ty Beeman.
With
one out in the top of the fourth inning, junior Brady Blauvelt reached
on a groundball single, and senior Nick VanHouten ripped a line-drive
double to right field to put runners on second and third. Hand then
reached on an infield single, but neither runner could advance.
With
two outs, Blauvelt scooted home on a passed ball to make it 2-1, and
Tomasso slammed the next pitch to right field for a two-RBI triple to
push the lead to 4-1.
Union Springs put together three hits in
the bottom of the fourth to trim the deficit to 4-2, but the Wolverines
kept hitting in the top of the fifth.
Hollywood led off the fifth
by slicing a double to left field. After a walk to Beeman, junior Kaden
Wheeler reached on an infield single to load the bases.
After Hollywood scored on a passed ball, Blauvelt beat out an infield single to re-load the bases.
With
two outs, Beeman scored on a passed ball, and Hand followed with a
two-run double up the middle to make it 8-2. Pipher drove Hand home with
a line-drive RBI double to extend the lead to 9-2.
The Wolves
tried to keep it close, scoring four runs in the home half of the frame
to cut the lead to 9-6, but Waverly answered with three runs in the top
of the sixth inning — scoring the first two on passed balls, and the
third on an RBI single by VanHouten.
Hollywood retired Union
Springs in order in the bottom of the sixth, then the Wolverines blew
the game wide-open with nine runs in the top of the seventh inning.
The
rally featured an RBI triple by sophomore Isaiah Bretz, a two-run
double by Pipher, and an RBI single by junior Brennan Traub.
Tomasso
had four hits, including a triple, one run scored, and three RBI for
the Wolverines, while Pipher had four hits, including a pair of doubles,
and three RBI, and Blauvelt had three hits, including a triple, three
runs scored, and one RBI.
Traub had two hits, two runs scored,
and two RBI in the win, while VanHouten doubled and singled, scored two
runs, and drove in one run, and Hollywood doubled and singled and scored
two runs.
Beeman singled and scored three runs for Waverly,
while Wheeler singled and scored, Peters singled, and Bretz drove in two
runs, and scored two runs.
Waverly will face the winner of
Friday’s Dryden-Trumansburg game, Saturday. If Trumansburg wins, Waverly
will travel there Saturday. If Dryden wins, the Wolverines will host
the game.

About the Author
Tim Birney is the founder / owner of River Road Media Group. He was born and raised in the Valley, graduating from Waverly High School in 1984.
Birney earned an Associate's Degree in Journalism from SUNY Morrisville in 1986 and a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism / Public Relations from Utica College of Syracuse University in 1988. He began his newspaper career at The Daily Review in Towanda in 1989, before moving on to The Evening Times in 1995. He spent more than 10 years at the Times, the last four as Managing Editor.
River Road Media Group includes Valley Sports Report (launched Aug. 10, 2009), Tioga County (NY) Sports Report (Aug. 13, 2018), and Northern Tier Sports Report (Aug. 31, 2020). Southern Tier Sports Report is set to launch in 2021.
