SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts - A rise. A fall. A final cinematic battle, in which the heroes defy the odds and earn victory when facing seemingly sure defeat.
An appearance by the late Stan Lee was all that was missing from a game that might otherwise have been mistaken for a superhero movie, as Yeudy Ramirez completed a cycle with a ninth-inning hit and was followed by a walk-off two-run home run by Josh Frometa to give the American International College baseball team an 9-8 victory over the University of New Haven and clinch a home playoff game in the first round of the upcoming Northeast-10 Conference Championship Tournament.
AIC is now 19-21 overall and 13-9 in the NE10.
The Yellow Jackets took a 7-4 lead into the ninth, but Casey Cerruto whacked a leadoff home run to left and Matt McIntire followed with a double. AIC called on its closer Anderson Cuello Batista to shut down the threat, and he was able to get the first out on a flyout that advanced McIntire to third.
However, the Chargers bats came to life again; after a wild pitch scored McIntire, Jake Russo and Aedan Forde singled, and both scored on a Cole Maucere double to the right field corner. The Yellow Jackets suddenly faced an 8-7 deficit and had just three outs left to save the game.
Compounding the challenge, the Chargers elected to send out their ace starting pitcher, Michael Gatti, to the mound to try to lock up the win. He quickly induced a popup for the first out of the inning.
Ramirez came to the dish and attacked, driving the first pitch he saw past the dive of New Haven's third baseman and into left field for a single. The Chargers defender was slow to throw the ball back into the infield, and the speedy Ramirez, who had stopped at first, took off again, reaching second.
Frometa stepped into the batter's box. Gatti delivered. AIC's senior third baseman swung.
The crack of the bat sent New Haven's outfield racing to the wall, but not as quickly as it sent the ball over it. The Yellow Jackets spilled out of the dugout and mobbed Frometa as he jumped onto home plate to end the game in cinematic fashion.
AIC's first pitch offensively went the same way as its last; Ramirez led off the bottom of the first with a first-pitch-swinging shot to left. Three batters later, Nick Serce drove a two-out, two-strike single through the right side and Kiernan Caffrey made it hurt by blasting a two-run shot to right.
In the third, the Chargers loaded the bases with no outs. AIC drew a 6-4-3 double play, trading a run for two outs, but a double, single, single, and error allowed the visiting squad to take the lead, 4-3.
Ramirez led off the third and immediately got on base, smacking a double into the left-center gap. Two batters later, Leandro Guevara smashed the ball over the third-base bag, scoring the speedy shortstop with a double of his own.
Ramirez put AIC back in the lead in the fourth. With Cole Patterson and Sam Tanous at second and third, he drilled a two-out pitch down the left-field line to score both and give AIC the 6-4 edge.
In the seventh, Ramirez laced a liner into the right-center gap and charged around the bases, reaching third easily for a triple. Guevara once again doubled down the line to bring him home.
Though he did not factor into the decision, Vaughn O'Leary made a solid start, throwing 6.2 innings and allowing three earned of four runs on nine hits with four strikeouts.
The Yellow Jackets enter the final day of the regular season with two more to play with the New Haven on Saturday, May 3. Given the threat of inclement weather, first pitch for game one of the doubleheader will be at 10:00 a.m. Between games, AIC will celebrate Senior Day.
