Springfield rallies for 5-3 win over Newark Catholic

By John Bassetti

The Tigers were down 3-0 before coming back for a date in the state title game.

COLUMBUS — Junior Dylon DeJane had a big hit that scored Bryan Visingardi with the go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth inning to send Springfield High into today’s Division IV state baseball championship game.

DeJane’s double off the left-field wall wasn’t the only big hit by the Tigers, but the first baseman’s hustle in retrieving a wild throw in the top of the sixth was probably the biggest fielding play of the game that ended in Springfield’s 5-3 victory over Newark Catholic (20-11).

The Tigers will play defending state champion Hamler Patrick Henry at 4 p.m.

“They were playing me like I was going to pull it, but I just went opposite field and found a gap,” DeJane said of his double that scored Visingardi, who led off the bottom of the sixth with a double off the high wall in Huntington Park’s right field.

The outcome looked bleak heading into the bottom of the fifth, following what appeared to be Newark Catholic’s death blow after a two-run surge extended the Green Wave’s lead to 3-0.

“Even in districts we rallied late, so we knew we could do it,” said DeJane. “He [Newark Catholic pitcher Miles Richardson] was a good pitcher and threw some off-speed pitches that threw me off,” DeJane said.

DeJane’s double off a high fastball was the hit that sent Richardson (8-1) packing after allowing seven hits and five runs with three strikeouts.

Enough can’t be said of the game’s other starting pitcher, Todd Kibby, who allowed only six hits while striking out eight.

Kibby defused what could have been more than a 1-0 lead for Newark Catholic in the first inning.

After Chris Leibold’s RBI single to score Richardson with one out, Kibby had back-to-back strikeouts of Kevin Cox and Nate Adams.

Adams’ at-bat was the clincher because Kibby started by throwing three straight balls.

“I went down 3-0, then my coaches told me to take it one pitch at a time. So I took it one pitch at a time and ended up striking him out to end the inning,” said Kibby.

Kibby, a left-hander, faced mostly right-handed hitters, which usually favors the batter. But he didn’t fret.

“I have a back-door slider that’s hard for righties to pick up on,” he said. “I just went to that pitch when I needed a pitch to go to when my curveball was struggling and I couldn’t work in my fastball. That helped me through the game.”

DeJane’s play in the top of the sixth was coupled with excellent defense by shortstop Ronnie Bovo and second baseman Frank Sferra.

For the inning’s first out, DeJane managed to stretch to get a throw from Bovo, who had dropped a grounder off the bat of Adams.

After Andy Vernau’s single, Derek Adam hit a grounder that Bovo fielded, then tossed to Sferra to get Vernau for the second out. However, Sferra’s throw to first was out of DeJane’s reach. But DeJane chased down the ball, and whipped it back to second where Bovo waited before tagging Adam.

“That’s what turned the whole game around,” Kibby said. “That helped change the momentum. That was the biggest play of the game.”

DeJane said got a good ricochet off the first-base side netting.

“I got a good bounce off the net, then threw it back. My coaches helped me out by telling me that he [Adam] was running.”

Bovo was another key all-around contributor. The sophomore’s single up the middle scored Travis Richey with the tying run in the bottom of the fifth before Kibby flied out to end the frame.

Springfield’s fifth-inning rally swung the momentum away from the Green Wave.

“Todd’s going to keep us in any game we play and he did that today, he pitched outstanding,” Springfield coach Bob Beam said.

Beam also singled out the defense of Bovo and right-fielder Brad Ferraro, a sophomore who chased down two long fly balls for two of the outs in the second inning.

Of Springfield’s seven hits, Visingardi and Ferraro each had two and Richey had three RBIs. Richardson had two hits for Newark Catholic.

bassetti@vindy.com