Waubonsie Valley baseball hosts rival Metea Valley in the regional semi final on a warm and windy afternoon. The Warriors swept Metea in the three regular season matchups, but two of the games were decided by just one run and the Mustangs are fresh off a blowout victory over East Aurora in the regional quarterfinals. This highlight is sponsored by BMO.
Waubonsie Valley gets the bats going right away
The Warriors have the bases loaded with nobody out in the bottom of the first after singles from Ryan Gustaitis and Owen Roberts and a walk from Ben Ford. Hiroshy Wong lines a single into right field to bring in Gustaitis to start the scoring.
After a sac fly from Sean Carroll, Josh Hung is at the plate with runners at second and third. He lines one down the line that gets past the third baseman and into left. Ford and Wong come around to score as Hung hustles into second base. The Warriors are rolling up 4-0.
It’s 5-0 in favor of Waubonsie, still in the first after a Shane Torress rbi groundout and a Ryan Morton walk. Ryan Lucas grounds one deep into the hole at short. Kyle Bucher makes a great snag but Lucas beats the throw to keep the inning alive. Gustaitis then walks, forcing a Metea pitching change.
Owen Roberts dominates at the plate and on the mound
Anthony Cassano enters the game and on the first pitch he throws, Owen Roberts crushes one to deep left center. The junior knows he got all of it right off the bat, breaking the game open with a 9-0 lead for the green and gold.
Still in the first inning, Sean Carroll at he dish for a second time and he powers one deep to left. The ball gets to the wall for a triple that scores Ford and Wong. An 11-0 lead for Waubonsie Valley after just one inning.
Metea Valley has a major task ahead, but the offense does get something going in the second as Matthew Reilly singles into right to load the bases with one out after a hit by pitch and walk to Liam Wagner and Tyler Gluting.
But Waubonsie pitcher Owen Roberts shows why he earned the DVC Player of the Year and Pitcher of the Year awards this season. He escapes the jam unscathed with back to back strikeouts. Ten strikeouts over four innings for Roberts.
Metea Valley makes one final push to get back in the game
Anthony Cassano settles in on the mound with a pair of scoreless innings, but in the bottom of the fourth, Sean Carroll rips a double down the line that scores Noah Pilon for his fourth rbi of the game. The Warriors are on the verge of victory with a 12-0 lead heading to the fifth.
Last chance for Metea Valley. Cole Pittman starts the inning with a bunt single to third as the Mustangs need base runners.
Carter Behrns walks and with two outs, the Mustangs are down to their final strike against Riley Roberts. But Metea Valley senior Owen Myket keeps the season alive with a three-run blast to deep right field. The Mustangs trail 12-3 and avoid the run-rule.
In the bottom of the fifth, following a walk to Sean Carroll, Josh Hung drills a ball to left. It gets down and Carroll hustles around third and comes in to score. That gives Waubonsie Valley baseball a 13-3 lead over Metea, ending the ball game as the Warriors advance to the regional championship game on Saturday morning.
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