Zilke’s triple lifts Reserve past Rockets

May 23, 2014 at 12:08a.m.

STRUTHERS

Western Reserve High baseball coach Ed Anthony bounded out of the dugout and yelled, “Oh my goodness. I think I lost some hair over that one.”

When asked how much he has, he lifted his hat, rubbed his graying hair and said, “Less now.”

His Blue Devils had just rallied past Lowellville 3-2 in Thursday’s Division IV district semifinal at Bob Cene Park thanks to a game-winning triple by Dan Zilke, who entered the game in a three-game slump.

Zilke started Thurs- day’s game 0-for-3. When he stepped to the plate with one out and one on (Jake Clark had just singled), he wasn’t thinking about winning the game.

“I just needed to get a hit,” he said.

Zilke lifted one high into a tricky right-field wind, spinning Lowellville’s outfielder around before dropping over his head.

“I didn’t actually think that was the game-winning hit until they started running out on the field,” Zilke admitted.

It was Reserve’s third win this season over the Rockets (11-13) and by far the closest. The Blue Devils won the previous two meetings 12-2 and 13-0.

“I can tell you right now — them [Lowellville] kids should be proud,” Anthony said. “That team just played us all the way to the end. They played us as hard as anyone this year.”

Did he ever think it might not be his team’s day?

“There was a couple points,” Anthony said. “I’ve been doing this 28 years and I can tell you honestly, this game is so unpredictable. We beat them [easily in previous meetings] and then you see today. Same teams. That’s why they play the game.”

The Blue Devils (17-5) will meet Mathews at 5 p.m. in today’s district final at Cene. Anthony will trot out his ace, Nick Allison (8-0), after pitching No. 2 starter Tristan Bova (6-1) in Thursday’s win.

Bova went the distance, giving up four hits while striking out nine and walking two. Bova retired 17 of the last 19 batters he faced, with one of the other two getting erased on a double play.

“I’m proud of the way he pitched,” Anthony said.

Lowellville starter Tyler Barone matched him for five innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on 11 hits. Tyler Rotz pitched the final 1 1/3 innings to get the loss. The Rockets led 2-1 after two innings and didn’t give up the game-tying run until the sixth, when pinch-hitter John Clegg tripled and Zach Smith followed with a single.

“We expected to play this way today,” Lowellville coach Ben Santiago said. “I think they didn’t expect that. We kind of snuck up on them.”

Santiago said he felt he cost his team a victory because of a decision he made in the fifth inning. Vince Rotunno led off with a single, Spiro Schialdone bunted him to second and Joe Micco hit a fly ball into deep left field that Santiago thought would drop, so he started screaming “Go! Go! Go!” Evan Nesbitt made the catch, then threw to second for the double play.

“The wind kept it up,” Santiago said. “Any other time, it’s to the fence. To me, I think that was the turning point in the game. One play doesn’t cost you a game, but in my eyes, I feel like I hurt the team that way.

“It hurts. This is a special group and it’s hard to see them leave.”