HAMBURG — The Wolverines are heading back to the state final four.
Niagara Falls needed just three hits to down Section III’s Christian Brothers Academy 9-5 Saturday at Frontier High School to advance to the semifinals of the NYSPHSAA Class AAA tournament for the second consecutive year.
“We were overlooked the entire year,” said Niagara Falls coach Rob Augustino. “I think this win today just validates our program. We’re back-to-back (in the state final four) and so far we beat three teams that are ranked ahead of us.”
Despite taking a 1-0 lead in the first inning, the Wolverines (17-6) found themselves in a jam shortly after when the Brothers loaded the bases with no outs in the second. CBA took full advantage, scoring four runs off Falls’ starting pitcher Anthony Littere to take an early 4-1 lead.
“Just keep doing our thing,” said Augustino on his message to his team when they went behind. “We’ll change pitchers, we’ll do what we need to do, and runners will find a way to score runs. Just stay together.”
It was a familiar spot for Niagara Falls, which trailed early in their sub regional win over McQuaid. In need of a spark, they got it from their cleanup hitter.
After Littere tallied an RBI single and later scored on an error, Nick Ligammari smoked a ball deep to left field for a three-run home run to give Niagara Falls a 6-4 lead in the third. Despite a strong wind pushing the ball toward the foul pole, it just stayed fair — much to Ligammari’s confusion and later elation.
“Definitely the biggest (hit I’ve ever had),” said Ligammari on his home run. “It started hooking, I thought it was foul. Then my first base coach told me it was gone and I just didn’t even know what happened.”
Heading into the game, Augustino said the plan was for Littere to throw five innings, and relief pitcher Matt Warner to throw two. That plan ended up flipping when Warner entered in the third inning.
The early entrance didn’t phase Warner, however, as he went on toss five relief innings, allowing just one run. His lone strikeout came on the final at bat of the game, securing the win for his team.
“Pretty good outing,” Warner said. “I pitch to contact, I know the defense will do it for me – we’ve got an all-star defense. But the strikeouts will come.”
Andrew Brydges added to the Wolverine lead in the fourth with an RBI groundout, before Luca DeLorenzo answered with an RBI single for CBA (17-8) to make it 7-5.
The Wolverines were walked or hit by pitches 10 times in the game, and their insurance runs in the fifth came largely thanks to them. With the bases loaded all off walks, Antonio Kreps scored on a wild pitch before Littere walked in a run two batters later.
Littere finished 1-for-2 with the pair of runs and RBIs, while Rocco Grotto had a solid day at the plate for CBA going 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run.
The Wolverines will take on Section III’s Liverpool in the state semifinals, as they chase the program’s first ever state championship. They are the second team from the Niagara Frontier League to punch its spot to the final four, with Grand Island also making it in Class A.
“They’ve been ranked all year, they hit the ball well, so we got our work cut out for us,” said Augustino on the impending matchup with Liverpool. “But you can’t beat them unless you’re there.”
Niagara Falls will face Liverpool at 4 p.m. Friday at Union Endicott High School in Binghamton.