Springfield hangs on, 3-2, to earn a trip to state

The Tigers’ regional championship victory over Lake Center Christian ended with a dramatic play at third base.

By TOM WILLIAMS

VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF

LORAIN — In heart-thumping fashion, the Springfield High baseball team has advanced to a state semifinal game for the first time since 1994.

Senior ace Todd Kibby tossed a five-hitter against Lake Center (24-6) in Sunday’s 3-2 victory in the Division IV regional championship at the Pipe Yard.

But it was Lake Center’s final hit in the seventh inning that had everyone’s pulses racing.

With Springfield (28-4) ahead 3-1, Justin Vandegrift was at second base and Shane Byler on first. Justin Wagler singled to left field, scoring Vandegrift.

As Nick Russell fielded the ball, Byler saw third baseman Bryan Visingardi was off the bag and broke for third. Russell didn’t hesitate.

“I saw him rounding second and Visingardi coming up so I threw it,” Russell said. “I figured he’d be there.”

Visingardi quickly ran to defend the bag in time to take Russell’s throw, tagging the sliding Byler for the final out.

“That was crazy,” catcher Matt Semach said. “We like to make it interesting, I guess. We get two outs then let two guys on. A hit to the outfield and he throws him out at third — whatever it takes.”

Springfield coach Bob Beam called the win “outstanding, what you work for.”

Beam was impressed by the final play.

“We work on things like that and for a freshman [Russell] to do that kind of play, it’s unbelievable,” Beam said.

On deck was Jesse Coblentz, the hitting leader of Saturday’s 12-inning win over Gilmour Academy. Beam noticed but had faith in Kibby’s arm.

“Todd was pitching lights out for us so if he would have come up, it would have been our best versus their best,” Beam said.

Instead, it will be Springfield with a senior-loaded squad playing in the new Huntington Bank Ballpark a year after their season ended with a regional final loss to Gilmour Academy. Friday at 10 a.m., Springfield will play Newark Catholic.

“We knew this wasn’t going to an easy game,” said Semach who twice threw out Vandegrift trying to steal second base, “We knew we had to hold them because we knew what it felt like to lose and we didn’t want to do that again.”

Kibby, who will play for Bowling Green next year, called the victory “the greatest in the world, the greatest I’ve felt so far.” Visingardi said he saw Vandegrift coming from second “so I got there as fast as I could. [Russell] made a great throw.”

Early on, a rout looked possible as Springfield needed just five pitches to load the bases in the bottom of the first inning. After Travis Richey’s leadoff single, Ronnie Bovo bunted and reached base when Locker threw late to second base.

Kibby’s infield single loaded the bases and Visingardi followed with a slow roller halfway to third base that scored Richey. Dylon DeJane hit a fielder’s choice that scored Bovo for a 2-0 lead.

Lake Center escaped the jam when Springfield took a base-running gamble. As DeJane stole second base, Kibby broke for home when catcher Ned Ring threw to shortstop Shane Byler. The shortstop returned the ball home where Kibby was tagged.

Lake Center sliced the lead in half when Justin Wagler singled in the fourth inning and scored on a wild pitch.

Springfield got that run back in the next at-bat when Frank Sferra singled, was sacrificed to second by Semach and scored on Brad Ferraro’s single to left field.

“This is amazing,” said Sferra, one of seven seniors on the Springfield roster. “We always said we were going to do it but I never actually thought we would.

“We relied on Kibby and he came through for us.”

Kibby threw 111 pitches, 29 in the fourth when Lake Center scored. After a one-two-three inning in the fifth, Lake Center threatened in the sixth when Coblentz drew a one-out walk and losing pitcher Erick Locker reached base on an error.

Kibby struck out Ring and Matt Goodson to end the inning.

“I’ve never felt this way in my life, it’s just awesome,” Richey said.

Beam said his team learned from last year’s season-ending loss.

“We came in here today relaxed and played well,” said Beam who teaches seventh-grade science. “There were a couple of times that we didn’t come through with a big hit, but we shook it off, went out there and played defense. They didn’t let it faze them.”

williams@vindy.com