Westhill Upsets Top Seed Staples in FCIAC Baseball Tournament

The curse of the top seed in the FCIAC baseball tournament has struck again.

Westhill erupted for five runs in the top of the sixth inning against Staples ace David Speer and upset the top-seeded Wreckers, 7-4, Monday afternoon in the quarterfinals of the FCIAC baseball playoffs.

Speer, who lost his first game of the season, gave up hits to the first six batters in the inning. Westhill's Morgan Williams and Ryan Curto delivered two-run singles against a drawn-in infield to highlight the uprising.

Westhill's win was no fluke. The Vikings also beat the Wreckers, 10-3, during the regular season.

"They hit my fastball," Speer said. "That's the best offensive team I've pitched against probably in my three years here. (I) just ran into a hot lineup, I guess."

While Westhill (13-8) advances to the semifinals on Tuesday at the Ballpark at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport, it was a bitter loss for the Wreckers (18-3), who were seeking their third consecutive FCIAC title.

Staples cruised to the league's best record at 16-2, but finishing first isn't always an advantage. The Wreckers won the FCIAC as a No. 7 seed two years ago, when all four lower seeds advanced to the semifinals. Historically, a lower seed has won this tournament more than a higher seed.

Monday was a day of upsets, as No. 2 seed Greenwich was the only top seed to advance. No. 2 Norwalk and No. 4 also were ousted.

"It's one game," Staples coach Jack McFarland said. "It's not a seven-game playoff. They had some timely hitting. They had that one crooked inning you try to stay away from in this tournament."

Early on, Speer (6-1) looked overpowering, retiring the first nine hitters he faced. The Wreckers also weren't doing much against Westhill ace John Porter.

Staples broke on top, 1-0, in the bottom of the third after leadoff hitter Jack Hennessy reached on a single to deep short to start the inning.

With the speedy Hennessy on base, Porter briefly lost control of the plate, walking Ben Lipper. Hennessy then stole third and scored the game's first run on Ryan Burke's sacrifice fly.

However, the first hit allowed by Speer was a two-run home run in the top of the fourth by Alex Rough that gave the Vikings a 2-1 lead. Rough took advantage of the short porch in left, hitting a line drive to the right of the 306-foot sign.

The Wreckers tied an intense contest, witnessed by a large and enthusiastic crowd at Staples High School, in the bottom of the fifth on another sacrifice fly by Ryan Burke.

Given that Speer has enjoyed one of the most successful careers of any pitcher in FCIAC history, no one could have predicted what happened  in the sixth inning. The Columbia-bound senior dropped to a still-spectacular 21-4 as a varsity pitcher at Staples.

"David has won so many big games for us," Staples catcher Grant Mosss said. "We ran into a team that was hot. There's nothing you can do about it. He was throwing well. His fastball was as good as it ever been, but's that's a good hitting
team."

The rally started harmlessly enough as Scott Valenzano reached on a check-swing roller down the third-base line for an infield single.

But after Rough doubled into the right-field corner, the Wreckers were forced to bring the infield in. Williams slapped a two-run single up the middle past a diving Hennessy at second base to give the Vikings a 4-2 lead.  

"I just think they had some good at bats," McFarland added. "They put the bat on the ball. He pitched a great game for five innings. Sixth inning, they got to him a little bit."

The Vikings were far from done. Sam Kostrich doubled to left, putting runners on the corners. Again, the Wreckers had to play the infield in, and Curto slapped a single up the middle. Pinch hitter Billy Druehl capped the inning with a sacrifice fly.

"That was just a good job of hitting by them," Moss added. "They had the two singles with the  infield in. Both of those pitches were down, and the kid just put the bat on the ball.

"With the infield in, it's a  great situation to be hitting in.  Usually, those are balls are routine to the second baseman or shortstop." 

Danny Carbone gave the Wreckers a ray of hope with a two-run homer in the bottom of sixth, but Porter retired the final six batters in order to close out the win."

If there was a blessing in disguise for the Wreckers, it's that they will have their ace back on the back for their  first game in state tournament next Monday or Tuesday.

Last year, because of a scheduling fiasco, the Wreckers were forced to go with their No. 4 starter and lost in the first round of the states. 

"It'll take a couple days to shake this off," Speer added. "We're all really disappointed but come Monday or Tuesday, it'll be a fresh start. Five-game winning streak, we win states. We've done that before."

Staples beat Westhill, 4-3, in last year's FCIAC championship game.