The Kenmore West Blue Devils improved to 4-1 by defeating their crosstown rival Kenmore East Bulldogs (1-3) by a score of 2-1.
The dramatic win was sealed on a walkoff RBI single by Dom Schmidt, who drove home the game-winning run with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh inning.
“When the opportunity comes and your number is called, you’ve got to step up,” Blue Devils coach John Haynes said. “Dom and the rest of our team stepped up today and that’s really all you can ask for.
“That kind of mentality is contagious, and it spreads.”
Ken-West took an early 1-0 lead when Owen Green walked to drive in Zach LaPlante with the bases loaded, but the Bulldogs answered back quickly when they also loaded the bases an inning later. Nate Bova drove in the run when he was walked.
From there, Blue Devils pitcher Andrew Fron and Bulldogs pitcher Aidan Bova went to work. Over a four-inning span, neither pitcher allowed a run nor did they allow many baserunners. In Fron’s case, when the Blue Devils did allow a baserunner, he went into a zone, according to Haynes.
“He pitched a great game and mowed them down,” Haynes said. “He and the rest of our pitching staff have a great attitude towards those kind of situations. When someone gets on base, they hunker down and get people out. That’s just a good example of stepping up and doing what you have to do to win.”
Fron finished the day with 6.1 innings pitched and three hits allowed, along with four walks and 10 strikeouts, while Bova went 6.1 innings while allowing a pair of runs (none earned) with two hits, five walks (one intentional) and four strikeouts.
The bases became loaded in the bottom of the seventh when Schmidt struck, scoring teammate Cole Phillips in the process.
