Gateway Regional High School pitcher Geoff Sobotka delivers a pitch against visiting Southwick Tuesday. (Photo by Chris Putz)
HUNTINGTON – Two first half local high school baseball juggernauts collided, resulting in a heartbreaker for one team and a thrilling finish for another.
Gateway Regional pitcher Geoff Sobotka (6 Ks) pitched a three-hitter and knocked in the eventual game-winning run in the bottom of the fifth inning to lift the Gators to a narrow 4-3 victory over the visiting Southwick-Tolland Regional Rams Tuesday.
Sobotka’s hit in the fifth plated Justin Edinger, who finished the game with two runs scored, and gave Gateway a 4-2 advantage.
Sobotka also scored on an Ethan Gamble base hit earlier in the game.
The Gators pitcher needed just 80 pitches to get through seven complete innings.
“Goeffrey was masterful with his knuckleball, keeping batters off balance, and working out of jams,” Gateway coach Gary St. Peter said.
Edinger was also instrumental on defense, keeping Sobotka’s knuckleballs from getting away.
Sobotka ended the game by getting Bryan Sheil (hit) to ground out to second baseman Willis Pollard for the final out with the Rams’ potential winning and tying runs at second and third base.
Southwick-Tolland Regional High School pitcher Bob Hamel winds up against Gateway Tuesday in Huntington. (Photo by Chris Putz)
“If you can get their 2-3-4-5 batters out, it’s going to work out hopefully,” St. Peter said.
Andrew Mitchell collected two hits for Southwick.
St. Peter said facing Palmer flamethrower Tyler Wilson Friday night helped Gateway (8-2, 4-1) against one of Southwick’s finest on the mound, Bob Hamel.
Hamel scattered five hits, struck out six batters, and walked three.
“We made a couple of uncharacteristic errors, so it was not our best game,” Southwick coach Tim Karetka said. “And our offense did not do well. (Sobotka) mixed it up, and we didn’t make any in-game adjustments.
JV RESULTS
Southwick 10, Gateway 2
Southwick’s JV squad bounced back from a tough loss on Saturday, thanks to an excellent outing from pitcher Brian Mickalay (9 Ks, 2 hits allowed), and a sharp-hitting effort from the Rams.
Brando Seymore, Ryan Leclair, Brian Mickalay, and Richie Alimberti finished with two hits apiece for Southwick. Rams’ Joey Stratton and Tyler Orbin each singled.
Southwick improved to 5-4-1.
