After 15 innings, Steinert and ND end all even
LAWRENCE » So, it took 3 hours, 40 minutes and 15 innings to decide...
... absolutely nothing.
In a game that had everything but a winner and loser, Steinert and Notre Dame were tied 3-3 after 15 full innings when the game was called due to lack of daylight.
The Colonial Valley Conference rules state that games can end in a tie. If so, this would be Steinert’s first since 1996. Irish coach Joe Drulis, who doesn’t know the last time his team tied, said this is being considered a tie unless both sides can work something out.
“I guess we could always finish it, but right now it goes as a tie,” Drulis said. “They have to make up games and so do we. I’m not sure if we can find a common date. If we decide we can resume, we’ll make an announcement but for now we’re calling it a tie.”
Ironically, it was a game both teams thought they had won at one point.
Notre Dame (7-5-1) carried a 2-0 lead into the sixth inning after scoring twice in the fourth. Ryan Mains singled and scored on a wild pitch and Bill Trimble singled home Robbie Buecker, who had singled.
Steinert’s Joe Sacco was outstanding outside of that inning. Entering the seventh, he had thrown five clean frames. Irish sophomore Nick Feretic was equally good, taking a one-hitter into the sixth before doubles by Sacco and CJ Pittaro cut the lead in half.
In the seventh, Gabe Santin drew a one-out walk and Buecker entered for Feretic. Ryan Schwager reached on catcher’s interference. Sacco then hit into a fielder’s choice to put runners at the corners. Brady Plunkett delivered an RBI single and Pittaro followed with a run-scoring double to give Steinert a 3-2 lead.
In the bottom of the inning, singles by Jacob Kmiec and Justin Frascella put runners on firstand-third with no outs. Feretic bounced into a 6-4-3 double play to allow the tying run to score.
No one ever imagined that would be the last one despite eight more innings of play.
After his shaky seventh, Buecker was outstanding. He threw 8.2 innings, allowing three hits and one walk while striking out eight on 93 pitches.
“He left his heart on the field,” Drulis said.
In extra innings, Steinert (85-1) did not get a runner past first base until the 15th, when Schwager reached on an error and Plunkett’s two-out single put runners at the corners before Buecker got a pop-out.
Conversely, Notre Dame had several chances, but reliever Joe Swindasz made the pitches when necessary after entering to start the eighth. ND had runners on second and third with two outs in the eight and Swindasz got a strikeout. The Irish repeated that scenario with just one out in the 11th and the hurler got a strikeout and fly out.
It was Adam Chiacchio’s turn to walk the tight rope upon entering in the 12th. The Irish put a runner on second with two outs before the reliever got a fly out. In the 14th, Feretic reached on a fielder’s choice, stole second and took third on a ground out before Chiacchio got a fly ball to end it.
After deciding to play one more inning, things finally came to a halt at 7:40 p.m.
The game was not without its heated moments, as fans yelled at players and coaches, and players and coaches yelled back at fans on several occasions. It hit its peak in the 10th, when Plunkett and ND catcher Tatem Levins had words after Plunkett struck out.
What happened next depends on what dugout you were in. Pittaro, who was on deck, made contact with Levins. Steinert claims he was trying to get between the two and make peace. Notre Dame felt he came out and intentionally bumped Levins. Words were exchanged and it appeared the benches would empty before cooler heads prevailed.
Steinert, however, took the hit as the ump saw it Notre Dame’s way and ejected Pittaro from the game.
The episode marred what was an otherwise outstanding contest, with both teams battling hard for state tournament power points. Amazingly, just one error was committed as both sides maintained focus throughout the marathon.
Steinert (8-5-1) 000 001 200 000 000 — 3 5 0 Notre Dame (7-4-1) 000 200 1 000 000 — 3 10 1
2B: S-Sacco, Pittaro. N-Trimble. RBI: S-Pittaro 2, Plunkett. N-Trimble.