Late Two Run Blast Sinks East Baseball

A two-run home run off the bat of Caleb Olesen lifted Newfield over Hills East 3-2 Tuesday afternoon. 

Both starting pitchers dealt deep into the game at . The Thunderbirds led 2-1 heading into the sixth inning and starting pitcher Mike Ceperano, who made it through five and a third innings surrendering only four hits, started the inning with a strikeout of Dom Amato.

Cory Vogeli followed with a single but pinch runner Matt Rich was cut down trying to steal second base. Newfield’s Tyler Hirt then reached on an error and nearly befell the same fate as Rich but for a miscommunication between the second baseman and shortstop that left the bag uncovered as Hirt slid in.

That play proved crucial because the next batter, Olesen, got under a pitch and lifted it out and over the fence in left field for the games decisive hit.

“We made a crucial mistake not covering second base with two outs and the guy was clearly going to be out,” Thunderbirds head coach Tim Belz said. “We messed that up and they took advantage of it with the pop fly home run and took the lead 3-2.”

The one mistake was enough for Newfield. Hills East jumped out to a 1-0 lead after the first inning and pushed its lead to 2-0 in the third on an RBI single by Joe Raio that scored Jon Eisdorfer. The Thunderbirds had a chance for more after loading the bases with one out but Ceperano was thrown out trying to advance to third on a single by Steve Muraco.

Hills East stayed ahead into the sixth inning behind Ceperano’s arm. But it was Olesen’s home run that proved to be the difference.

“You get on top of one pitch here and the ball flies out, it’s the homer dome,” Belz said. “It always seems to happen at the wrong time. He made good contact with the ball and it just lifted.”

Moments after celebrating his go ahead home run Olesen was back in right field with Lee Giglio at the plate. Giglio drove an outside fastball high and deep to right field. Olesen started back in a dead sprint. Eventually he reached up over his shoulder and snared the ball out of the air.

“It was a hell of a play he made out there,” Belz said. “I thought for sure that was going to get over his head. “

Newfield Head Coach Paul Pedersen was just as impressed.

“Unbelievable,” he said. “It was a great catch.”

The Thunderbirds had the heart of their lineup in the bottom of the seventh but could not put together a rally against Mike Weimar, who pitched a 1-2-3 inning for the save.

“I thought we were going to get a big hit but we didn’t,” Belz said of the final inning.

The two teams continue their series on Wednesday at Newfield and conclude the three game set Friday evening at Otsego Park at 7 p.m.