NEWS

Gil Black was the Westerners honored guest before first pitch on what was a gorgeous Friday evening in Danbury, Connecticut. After playing for the West Palm Beach Indians, a Florida State League affiliate of the Milwaukee Braves, he signed on to play for the Indianapolis Clowns, a professional team in the Negro American League. He learned to love baseball watching the New York Giants while growing up in Manhattan. 

The game itself was a back and forth thriller in which the Waves came back from a 6-1 deficit and scored three runs in the ninth to tie it at 9. Aaron Antonini was the walk-off hero for the Westerners in the tenth. Although Antonini, a lefty batter, was facing Corey Sawyer (Seton Hall University), a left-handed pitcher, manager Josh Parrow had confidence in his catcher in that spot despite having other options on the bench. “I looked at Aaron and I said, ‘Hey, you’re gonna win this game.’ You know, 100% in my heart of hearts.”

In order to get to that point, as has been a theme for Danbury in their first three games, they got out to an early lead once the action got underway. After a double play helped them work around a leadoff error, they took advantage of some aggressive base running. Jake Frasca (Sacred Heart University) led off the inning by getting hit by a pitch. Then, a couple wild pitches and a fielder’s choice allowed the Westerners to score the first run of the game. Spencer Harbert (University of Kentucky) would later add an RBI double by driving in Eddie McCabe (Georgetown University) who got on via a single. 

The Waves would get one back in the second when Grant English (Winthrop University) hit a solo shot just right of the ‘360’ sign on the centerfield wall. But, the Westerners got that run back and more in the home half and in the process, they batted around. They again took advantage of some aggressive base running and some Waves’ mistakes and the big blows came off the bats of Brayden Combs (University of Kentucky) and Harbert. Combs hit a two-RBI laser off the wall in right-center and Harbert had an RBI single to give Danbury a 6-1 lead when it was all said and done. That would also end the night of Ocean State’s starter, Carson Lester (Middle Tennessee State University), who lasted two innings and was responsible for 5 of the 6 runs being earned. 

Although the Waves would get two runs in the fifth, the Westerners would retain a 6-3 lead halfway through. Casey Dana (Seton Hall University) had an RBI double and the other run scored when catcher Aaron Antonini (Middle Tennessee State University) threw a ball into centerfield while attempting to throw out the base runner at second. LT Struble (Felician College) was the runner 90 feet away who was able to score on the error. That lead wouldn’t last through the seventh inning, however, in which the Waves got three hits and three runs. Catcher Michael Turner (Kent State University) hit a two-RBI double after pinch-hitting for Sonny Ulliana (University of Rhode Island) in the fourth and Grant English added an RBI single. 

The lead wasn’t gone for long, though, as Danbury scored two runs in the home half of the seventh. Harbert and Antonini each had an RBI double and the Westerners would load the bases. The runners would be stranded, however, as Cam LaFleur (University of Rhode Island) came in to pitch for the Waves and worked out of any further trouble. He was also helped by a strong throw from his right fielder, Garrett Hodges (Kennesaw State University), who caught a fly ball in right for the second out and fired a cannon home to nail Spencer Harbert who tagged up at third. The Westerners would also add another in the eighth as Jake Frasca led off the inning with a homerun over the right field wall. The Waves would then tie the score back up in the ninth and the game would head to extra innings. 

That set it up for Antonini to be the hero. With runners on first and second and two hits, he drilled a line drive into right field and with Eddie McCabe crossing the plate, Antonini was mobbed by his teammates in shallow right. When asked about the walk-off, he said, “I just stuck to my approach in the last at-bat. I know he’s gonna come with a curveball at some point, so I just wait through it and I made him pay for it.” 

The Westerners next game is Saturday night against the Mystic Schooners at Rogers Park.