Gateway rallied for a stunning 11-10 win over visiting Sabis Wednesday to earn a WMass D4 tournament berth. (Photo by Frederick Gore/www.thewestfieldnews.smugmug.com)
HUNTINGTON – The Gateway Regional High School baseball team is tourney-bound! The Gateway Regional High School baseball team is tourney bound!
It bears repeating that Gateway punched its postseason ticket with an incredible come-from-behind victory Tuesday at home. The Gators rallied for seven runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to defeat Sabis, 11-10.
Tommy Ruffo scored Calvin Dowers for the game-winner on a well-placed hit through the right side of the infield.
“It was an unbelievable seventh inning from our guys not giving up,” Gateway coach Gary St. Peter said. “I’ve never seen a team throw a switch (like this), but these guys did it.”
Gateway Regional’s Everett Warner, left, is all smiles after scoring in the seventh inning. (Photo by Frederick Gore/www.thewestfieldnews.smugmug.com)
Gateway (10-5, 5-2) entered its half of the seventh trailing 10-4.
Ruffo, Brett Turbin, and Justin Edinger hit consecutive singles to lead off the rally. Geoffrey Sobotka (2-for-4, 6 RBIs) plated all three runners with a bases-clearing triple. Pinch-hitter Joe Jones and Everett Warner both reached on consecutive errors to load the bases. Calvin Dowers also reached on an error, and a run scored. Willis Pollard knotted the game at 10-10 with a two-run double. Ruffo came up to bat for the second time in the inning, and the rest is … history.
Gateway pitcher Josh Baillargeon, who had one strikeout and one walk in one inning of relief, earned the victory.
Curtis Dowers opened the game on the mound for Gateway before exiting the game with an injury, joining an already crowded list of wounded Gators. Middle reliever James Degray managed to keep the team within striking distance.
“We’ve got some nagging injuries … but we’ve got guys that are filling in, working hard, and doing the right things at the right time.”
Johnny Haskell also delivered at the plate for Gateway, going 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI.
