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Niles’ DeFalco no-hits Lakeview
By Steve Ruman
NILES
There’s a saying in sports which suggests that when an athlete does something out of the ordinary, he or she should act like they’ve been there before.
Marco DeFalco’s post-game celebration following Niles’ 6-0 win over Lakeview on Wednesday was mild, almost reserved, given the circumstances.
Perhaps the celebration hinted that the Red Dragons still had some unfinished business (this was the first game of a doubleheader). Or perhaps it was just a sign that indeed, DeFalco wasn’t navigating in uncharted territory.
Less than one month after pitching a no-hitter against Jefferson, DeFalco on Wednesday duplicated the feat. This time, it was a 6-0 no-hit victory over Lakeview in a game played at Eastwood Field.
Lakeview (11-7, 8-4) gained some revenge in the nightcap, downing the Dragons 1-0.
Despite losing its first conference game of the year, Niles (16-3, 9-1) captured its second straight All-American Conference White Tier championship.
“I just went out there every inning, business as usual, trying not to put any added pressure on my shoulders,” DeFalco said. “My emotions were pretty high in that last inning. I was taking more time than I usually do, but in the end I just focused on doing what I always do on the mound.
“After that last strike, I was excited, trust me. But we had another game to play, and our goal every game is to win, to do our best. We don’t ever get overly excited, knowing there is always still work to do.”
DeFalco’s gem included 13 strikeouts. He did face some adversity in the fourth and sixth innings. In the fourth, a pair of two-out walks and an error loaded the bases, but DeFalco recorded a strikeout to get out of trouble. In the sixth, the first two Lakeview batters reached on an error and a walk. However, that was followed by a pair of strikeouts and a pop-out.
“It’s hard to describe Marco’s growth over the past two years,” said Niles coach T.C. Guarnieri. “He’s that kid that’s always the last to leave. He works his butt off.
“Today, he had a couple of blips, but each time, he locked down, did what he had to do and blew them away with the fastball.”
DeFalco owns a 6-0 record with an 0.51 ERA. He has allowed just three earned runs on the season while recording 73 strikeouts.
Niles wasted little time in giving DeFalco all the run support he would need in the first inning. Corbin Foy plated a pair of runs with a single in a three-run frame. In the second inning, the Dragons built their lead to 5-0 on RBI by Tyler Srbinovich and Nicholas Guarnieri.
Niles leadoff hitter Tre Martin pounded out three hits and scored a pair of runs to help the Dragons’ cause.
In the nightcap, Lakeview plated the only run of the game when Anthony McClennan was hit by a pitch to start the game, then came around to score. Lakeview was limited to three hits, but the 1-0 advantage held up thanks to a five-hitter tossed by Daniel Brammer.
“Getting another (AAC) banner means a lot to our program,” Guarnieri said about Niles’ title. “That’s one of the goals these kids have during the off-season. That’s the reason they put in so much hard work during the winter months”
Niles has two more regular season games scheduled, then will enter the Struthers district as the top-seeded team.
“We still view this season as a work in progress,” Guarnieri said. “These kids have accomplished a lot, and they have reason to be proud. But they’ll be the first to tell you there’s still a lot to get done.”