May 16, 2008
Wave Baseball
Hickey trickey for NC
Sophomore pitcher's turn on the mound helps deliver FCIAC playoffs race life to DHS in five-years-in-coming 7-1 win over Rams
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Well, you’ve heard this one before...
“Any time Darien plays New Canaan the rivalry is huge, the kids get excited, on both sides” said Darien baseball coach Tom Zawacki of the latest incarnation of Rams vs. Wave.
These next words, though, have not been heard anywhere near the Darien hardball diamond for some time.
“It was a big win for our guys,” Zawacki said of DHS’s thorough 7-1 victory over the Rams at home on Tuesday afternoon. “I want to say it was my first year as coach (the last time Darien defeated the Rams), so that was five years ago.”
Darien has made the state playoffs for the first time in as many years this season too. So the connection is clear. This is a turnaround tide for the Wave.
“A couple of things today — the first is David Hickey, who is a sophomore and a 6-3 left-hander,” said Zawacki of one of the Wave’s stable of at least four, young, go-to pitchers. “This was his third start, and he was exceptional.”
Fanning five Hickey went the distance holding the Rams horns tight — keeping the hosts to two hits and the lone jaunt across the plate, the run scoring on a sacrifice fly.
“He was poised and he went all seven innings and he was just phenomenal,” said Zawacki. “To have a sophomore go out and pitch a game like that, it always makes you look like a good coach.”
And although Zawacki was joking, he could not have been more correct. Not that he was the one to volunteer this bit of strategy — so his modest tongue in cheek jibe, at himself, is intact.
Because choosing Hickey, rather than Teddy Malley for instance, whose number was up in the rotation, was indeed a strategic choice to make. Hickey, unlike Malley for instance just for one in the pen, was a mostly unknown quantity to an experienced Rams catcher who plays with half of the Wave hurlers in the summer American Legion leagues.
But then again, this team’s strength is in the standout quality of its once unknown, underclass quantities.
“You know, we’ve been saying since the start of the year that this is a young team of juniors and sophomores who have a very bright future,” Zawacki said. “They continue to improve every game and this was one example of that improvement.”
Darien went ahead 3-0 in the first inning, and added four runs in the fourth.
“So we got on top early,” Zawacki said. “Their pitcher is Connor Flemming, who is their ace. He’s a senior, so we knew it was going to be a tough match-up. And our guys I thought were very patient at the plate.”
Darien’s hitting was right on time with sophomore John Gardner breaking it open with a two-run single down the left field line.
New Canaan’s run came in the second inning making it 3-1.
Designated hitter senior Brett Kelly bleached a blue tattoo onto to the ball with a blast to deep left field, scoring two runs off a double in the third.
“It went over the left fielder’s head,” Zawacki said. “He’s got a fantastic bat, he is obviously one of our senior leaders.”
Speaking of senior leaders, captain Jamie Russell, as usual, provided plenty of that on what is DHS’s best ball team in some time.
“For him it was an important game,” Zawacki added. “Because, he’s the captain, it’s his senior year — it’s the last time he’s playing New Canaan.
“He was on base a few times and really showed leadership today and I think that is a big reason that our attitude was great.”
The Wave had no errors while the Rams had two. Darien had five hits, as Gardner and Kelly led with a double each.
Darien is 11-7 overall, 9-7 FCIAC with games vs. Harding Wednesday and Norwalk in the regular season finale on Friday. And that is going to be a grand finale.
“We are currently tied for the eighth spot in the FCIAC,” said Zawacki of the league playoff picture, where only the top eight get in. “And Darien has not made the FCIACs in 15 years. So we have a shot.”
Darien will likely have beaten a weak Harding team last night, while New Canaan faced Norwalk on Wednesday as well. According to Zawacki, if the Bears too win vs. the Rams, then Friday’s showdown will be just that, with the winner making the tournament.
“The winner of that game will go into the FCIACs,” Zawacki said. “Darien has not only, not been in the FCIACs for 15 years, but has not beaten Norwalk for about the same time.”
Solid-as-always NHS (9-8, 8-7) is led by star pitcher Matt Iannazzo.
“We’ll be seeing him on Friday,” Zawacki added. “A really tough lefty ace.”
Iannazzo is riding to the University of Pittsburgh on a full boat scholarship in the fall.
“So everything is kind of stacked up against us, but it’s a young scrappy team that is surprising a lot of people this year. But we beat Greenwich, we beat Staples, we beat McMahon and a few others. So why can’t we go out and have a good game against Norwalk.”
Blue Wave White Caps
David Hickey was signaled by catcher
James Patton to let loose with the junk on any given pitch and did so nicely in this win...Hickey was 0-2 coming into the game, but what is deceptive is that his losses came on a 4-2 decision to Ludlowe which does not lose very often at all, and 5-1 to Westhill in an otherwise off effort from the Wave, so Hickey was due...the line-up for DHS’s first win over the Rams in five seasons: in left field was
Jamie Russell, junior
Kevin Sousa in center, right field junior
Ryan MacDonald, third Gardner, at short junior
Chris Bruno, second base sophomore
Jake Archey, and at first junior
Mike Alfieri, catcher Patton...polished lefty sophomores
Rick Hodges and Hickey have each made good impressions on the mound this spring...
Devin Burke (4-1), DHS’s power pitcher is expected to go against the Bears, he had 17 strikeouts in eight innings in Darien’s tight, and quite epic, 2-1 nine inning loss at Trumbull on April 30...he has struck out 74 batters this year...Malley is right up there too at 4-1...Bruno turned in a tremendous effort in the field vs. NC, scooping the ball in the hole and firing for the out at first like a clock ringing in the time...Darien baseball’s time appears to be now.
© Copyright 2008 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers
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