ROCHESTER — The Niagara Falls Wolverines’ dream season has a new destination: Binghamton and the state final four.
After winning the first Section VI title in the school’s 25 years of existence, Falls made more history Friday night in the Class AAA Far West Regional. Anthony Savino broke a scoreless tie in the sixth inning, Trevor Meidenbauer was strong on the mound again, and the Wolverines played sparkling defense throughout a 5-0 win over Section V champion McQuaid Jesuit.
“I love this group of guys, we all love each other,” Savino said. “Every game we try as hard as we can just to keep it going. We never want the season to end.”
The Wolverines (16-5) will play in the state semifinals at 1 p.m. June 13 at SUNY Binghamton. They’ll face the winner of Saturday’s regional between Saratoga Springs (Section II) and Cicero-North Syracuse (Section III).
Rob Augustino knew on the bus ride to Innovative Field that his team wasn’t satisfied.
“You could hear a pin drop,” the ninth-year coach said. “Everyone looked focused, everyone was relaxed. We came out here and it was 0-0 through five. (We were) relaxed, ready to go. I was confident the whole way through.”
Cole Englert, MVP of the Section V finals, silenced the Falls bats for five innings, striking out 10 batters and allowing only two hits.
“He’s good,” Augustino said of the right-hander, who was pitching for the second time this week at the Triple-A Red Wings’ home. “Eight days ago he pitched, four days ago he pitched 100-some pitches. He came out with 90-some pitches. We knew if we could get through that, good things will happen.”
The Wolverines’ Nick Ligammari and Dominic Puleo worked back-to-back walks to start the sixth and McQuaid (16-8) had to go to its bullpen and submarine pitcher James Randisi. After a fly out, Savino hit a ball over first base to score pinch runner Antonio Kreps from second.
“Go look at the stats and the games early on when Anthony wasn’t producing,” Augustino said of his senior shortstop. “I knew his swing was there. He’s been here five years, confident and the last few games and then today, just on fire.”
Andrew Brydges followed Savino’s RBI single with a perfectly executed squeeze bunt, plating pinch runner Kyle Dean from third, and an error on the play allowed Savino to come home from second and make the score 3-0.
McQuaid coach Tony Fuller, who led the Knights to state championships in 2019 and 2022, was ejected from the game in the bottom of the sixth. He argued an out call at first base after Puleo made a snap throw to nab a baserunner.
Niagara Falls added two runs in the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Puleo and an RBI ground out by Meidenbauer.
Meidenbauer followed a one-hitter in the deciding game of the Section VI championship series by pitching a two-hitter Friday. The senior lefty struck out eight batters, walked three, hit another and was backed up by some strong play in the field by his teammates.
Savino started a 6-4-3 double play on a hit-and-run play by McQuaid in the third. To end the inning, Ligammari made a diving stop at first base and threw to Meidenbauer covering for the out.
Brydges had a diving catch in right field to take away a double in the fourth, where Puleo threw out a runner trying to steal.
And Savino made an over-the-shoulder running grab in shallow center field to highlight the sixth.
“I’ve said before to everyone that’ll listen — we throw strikes and our defense is second to none,” Augustino said. “And they proved it today.”
As a result, Niagara Falls finds itself two wins from a state championship.
“It’s honestly surreal right now,” Savino said. “There’s no words, really. It’s like a fever dream. We’ve worked all winter, we’ve worked all of our lives for this. We’re prepared for anything that comes our way.”