In a baseball game that took two days a week apart to complete, Quinn Illig supplied the dramatic finish for Central Bucks West.
The Bucks’ second baseman and leadoff hitter smacked a two-run walk-off homer with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning Monday afternoon to give host CB West (2-1, 1-1) a 4-3 win over intra-school district and Suburban One League Colonial Division rival CB East (1-3, 1-1).
“It was a 3-2 curveball right down the middle, so I just told myself stay back and stay relaxed,” said Illig, who was 2-for-4 with a triple, homer and three RBIs in the game. “He (CB East’s Sam Bliss) is a good pitcher and can locate wherever he wants, but with a 3-2 count I knew he had to come to me, so I just waited.”
Will Hogenauer, who had two singles in the game, preceded Illig’s blast over the left field fence with a one-out walk. After Luke Birkhead lined out for the second out, Illig got his turn at the plate and delivered in a big way.
He and Hogenauer had also teamed up for CB West’s second run in the bottom of the fifth when Hogenauer singled and Illig drove him in with a long triple to left that barely missed going over the fence.
Monday’s game had started a week earlier on March 27 but was suspended because of rain with two outs in the bottom of the third and the game tied at one. It was picked up from that point Monday on a much better weather day.
Bliss and CB West’s Julio Ermigiotti, both right-handers, went the distance on the mound. Mixing in a generous amount of curveballs and sliders with his fastball, Ermigiotti struck out 11 and surrendered only five hits for the win. Bliss also pitched well for the most part, striking out eight and giving up five hits.
“This was awesome,” said Ermigiotti after the walk-off victory. “We look forward to this game every year and the energy is always up for it. Even after we got behind 3-2, I didn’t lose any confidence and just kept pitching. I just kept focusing on the next batter.”
After CB West pushed ahead 2-1 in the bottom of the fifth, East tied the game at two in the top of the sixth when Colin Lynch singled, stole second and came around to score on a throwing error. The Patriots grabbed a 3-2 lead in the top of the seventh when Chase Fulford singled for his second hit of the game and eventually came around to score on a single by Jack Mislan. Illig then settled things in the Bucks’ half of the inning.
“We knew we had the combo of Hogenauer and Illig coming up,” Central Bucks West head coach Brian Weaver said. “They both have been very effective lately, so we couldn’t have asked for a better spot in the lineup to be coming up at that time.
“Julio has been automatic for us. He’s controlling three pitches for strikes and is about as ferocious a competitor as you can get. With all the adrenaline from an East-West game, some guys could get too amped up but with Julio, it just locks him in even more.”
Central Bucks East head coach Kyle Dennis saw positives from his team despite the rather crushing loss.
“Quinn is a nice hitter and put a good swing on a good pitch,” he said. “After we got the lead, we had the heart of our order up and it would have been nice to extend it.
“Sam (Bliss) did a good job for us. He’s our guy. He peppers the strike zone and challenges hitters.”
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