Section V Baseball

Way-Co whips Aquinas in ‘B’ state qualifier

BATAVIA — Two days after winning their first sectional baseball title in 13 years, Wayland-Cohocton head coach Steve Wager and his ‘B2’ champion Eagles decided to take another step.

This time over Private school Aquinas, who had captured the ‘B1’ crown.

Seniors Tyler Thielges, Evan Englert and Tim Weidman all played huge parts once again as Way-Co (18-5) built a 5-1 lead and held on for the 7-4 victory over the Little Irish (10-13) in a Class B state qualifying game at Dwyer Stadium in Batavia Tuesday.

Thielges did the damage on offense going 2-3 with a pair of doubles, two RBIs and a run scored, while Englert, who entered the game with a 32-scoreless inning streak went the distance allowing just four hits, two earned runs , six K’s and four walks.

Weidman’s homerun over the left field fence in the fifth inning gave Way-Co the 5-1 lead.

“It wasn’t our prettiest game of the year, but again we managed to fight off some adversity and overcome a couple mistakes,” said head coach Steve Wager. “We got some clutch hitting when we needed it. We had good pitching and managed to make the plays we needed to make to put this one in the book.”

Aquinas would finally snap Englert’s scoreless streak that dated all the way back to May 14 when the Little Irish took advantage of one miscue in the top of the first when they scored an unearned run for the 1-0 lead.

Way-Co battled back when Evan Englert drilled a double to left, was sacrificed to third on a bunt by Joe Meyer, and scored on a sac-fly by sophomore C.J. Ellis.

In the bottom of the third, Thielges led off with a walk, stole second, moved to third on a bunt by Collin Burke, and after a walk to Tim Weidman, Tyler Brown’s sacrifice fly to right brought home Thielges to make it 2-1. Another run would score when the throw to the plate went off line and Weidman hustled home all the way from second to increase the lead to 3-1.

The Eagles struck again in the fourth when Englert singled and later scored on a RBI double by Joey Meyer.

Way-Co would jump to a 5-1 lead in the bottom of the fifth as Weidman blasted a towering homerun over the left field fence.

Aquinas would plate an unearned run in the sixth on a hit, a walk and an errant pick-off throw.

Way-Co got a pair of runs back in the bottom of the sixth when Meyer and Brett Curtis had hits to get things going and each scored when Thielges clubbed a double that made it 7-2.

Aquinas would score a pair of meaningless runs in the seventh but that would not be enough as the Eagles advanced to Wednesday’s state quarterfinal game against Section VI champion Fredonia (19-5).

For Way-Co, Tyler Brown finished 1-1 with one RBI and a sacrifice while Englert was 2-3 with a double and two runs scored. Meyer was 2-2 with a double and one RBI while Curtis was 1-3 with a run scored.