Whitman Helps Dwyer Withstand Atlantic’s Rally

Hunter Whitman pitched four innings of relief and earned the save.

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The last time Hunter Whitman pitched against the Atlantic Eagles, his Dwyer Panthers were upset in the 7A-13 championship game.

When his teammate Colton Rendon had an uncharacteristic off night and lasted three innings against Atlantic in Tuesday night’s regional semifinal, Whitman was given a shot at redemption.

He made good on it, setting down nine straight in the fourth through sixth innings before eventually finding himself in a jam in the seventh. Clinging to a one-run lead, the Eagles had loaded the bases against him. Whitman held off the Eagles as the Panthers won 5-4 to advance to a regional final Friday against American.

It was a remarkable situation for the Panthers to find themselves in. After being bumped down from 8A-9 for the 2014 season, the Panthers landed in an eight-horse race that included the likes of two-time district champion Royal Palm Beach and West Boca, considered by many to be the best team in Palm Beach County. With a pitching staff that included ace Thomas Szapucki and the youngster Rendon, as well as a lineup that batted .321 as a team throughout the season, the Panthers acclimated well to their new environs, good enough for the second seed in the district.

If it was a remarkable situation for Dwyer, having the tying run of a regional semifinal just 90 feet away, it was nothing short of miraculous for Atlantic. After an 0-6-1 start, the Eagles were considered an also-ran at the end of the regular season. Going into the district tournament, they were considered a dark horse by even the most die-hard fans. But, with a lineup consisting of seasoned veterans such as Joey Ohannesian and Jarren Pinkney along with up-start underclassmen Alex Cordes and Nicholas Cortese, Atlantic began a four-game postseason tear in which it not only squeaked past Dwyer in the championship but also took down West Boca in the previous round.

When the Eagles and Panthers faced off for the district title, they did so with a safety net, knowing that even the loser of the contest was bound for play in the regional tournament. On Tuesday, there was no such assurance. It was a do-or-die situation, with the winner moving on and the loser packing it away for the season.

Connor Webb, lead-off man and center fielder for the Panthers, made it clear in the first at-bat of the game that he was not ready to pack it away just yet. He began a 3-for-5 night by blasting the third pitch he saw deep into center field, where it bounced off the imitation “Green Monster” of Little Fenway Park in Delray Beach for a triple.

“I just kind of sat fastball and got one for a strike,” said Webb. “I put a good swing on it and got lucky.”

It was the second time in as many games that Atlantic starter Stefan Leclerc found himself in early trouble. He walked the leadoff batter in the Eagle’s game against Monarch last week and later allowed him to score the only run he would surrender while pitching the complete game.

Duke Stunkel made sure that Leclerc once again paid for his early mistake. He ripped an 0-2 pitch back at the mound, which it caromed off towards second base, allowing him to reach on an infield single while Webb came home for the score. Shane Olive expanded on the lead a few minutes later when he rocketed a double into right-center to bring Stunkel around.

Leclerc, who has admitted that the first inning is often times the most challenging for him, has made a habit through the playoffs of settling down afterwards and pitching lights out the rest of the way. On Tuesday, it was his defense that got him into trouble in the second.

Rendon kicked off the inning by reaching on an Atlantic error. After a strikeout, Leclerc gave up back-to-back hits to Alex Morales, who had a 3-for-4 night, and Webb. Jacob Deen, running for Rendon, moved to second on Morales’ single and then third on a passed ball, before scoring on a throwing error. Morales later scored on a groundout by Alex Neher to expand the lead to 4-0.

Jarren Pinkney had an RBI double in the third to kick off a three-run rally.

Leclerc finally did settle down in the third, retiring the side in order. He hung another zero in the fourth but not before loading the bases, leading to some anxious fingernail-biting by the Atlantic fans in attendance.

In the meantime, the Eagles’ bats went to work and made a game of it.

With one out in the third, Cordes and Ohannesian notched their second single in as many at-bats. Pinkney followed with a towering fly ball to deep center field, bringing fans of both teams to their feet to see if it would have enough juice to make it over the wall.

It did not.

It it did, however, drop in for a double. The uncertain nature of the hit caused the runners on base to have to hold though, and by the time it was determined that it would not be caught, only Cordes was able to score. George Engroff and Duane Cyr kept the rally alive by tallying back-to-back RBI singles to drive in Ohannesian and Pinkney and narrow the gap to 4-3.

Rendon stopped the bleeding by recording the final two outs to finish his night having allowed three runs on seven hits. He walked one and struck out three while recording the win, his second of the postseason.

Olive gave Whitman and the Panthers some room to breath in the fifth when he led off with a solo home run over the wall in left field, making it 5-3. Travis Braun then reached on a bunt single before Leclerc caught the next two batters looking. When Morales blooped a pitch into center field in the next at-bat, Cordes saved a run for the Eagles by firing a strike to home, catching Braun trying to score from second, which he had stolen earlier.

In the sixth Engroff came on in relief of Leclerc, who gave up 10 hits while walking two and striking out six. Through the final two innings, Engroff struck out four of his own, walked one and allowed one hit while hanging two zeros.

Down by two in the bottom of the final inning, the Eagles made their move.

Leclerc, who moved to shortstop after leaving the mound, started it off with a high and shallow fly ball to right field. Stunkel charged to make the catch, but his sliding attempt came up just short, allowing Leclerc to round safely to second. He moved to third on a ground out by Michael Buckley before Cordes and Ohannesian teamed up to their third pair of back-to-back singles in the game. Cordes’ was a line shot back to the mound that ricocheted off Whitman’s glove, thereby forcing Leclerc to hold at third. Ohannesian’s, a grounder through the left side of the infield, got the job done though, driving home Leclerc to make it a one-run game.

With runners on first and second, Pinkney came on having driven in five runs so far in postseason play. Panthers Manager Frank Torre knew he was not to be trifled with.

“I didn’t really want to give him anything he could hit,” Whitman said. “If he had to get on, he had to get on, but we didn’t want to give him any great swings in there.”

Connor Webb tripled in the first at-bat of the game and later came around to score.

Pinkney did not get a swing at all, let alone a great one. He drew a free pass on four pitches to load the bases and push the go-ahead run into scoring position.

“To be perfectly honest, I was scared to death because they were literally one base hit away from taking the game and they had two outs to do it,” said Webb.

The situation was so nerve-racking for Torre that he felt the need for a mound visit.

“When I went out to the mound I told him, ‘You’ve worked hard for this. You deserve this. This is your moment.’ And man, he made me look good,” said Torre.

Whitman made him look good by dealing three straight strikes to Engroff for the second out. It took him only four pitches to catch Cyr swinging in the next at-bat to ice the game and bring his teammates charging to the mound to mob him in celebration.

“Pretty scary,” Webb reiterated. “But, Hunter Whitman, he’s the man of the night. He just shut them down. It was really impressive.”

Atlantic Manager Steve Wilson could not be more proud of his team’s effort. Engroff and Cyr have come through in big spots all season for the Eagles, so he gives all credit to Dwyer and its lefty reliever for being able to pull out the victory.

“Sometime’s you need to tip your hat to the other team,” Wilson said. “I mean, their pitcher did a great job and got them out. We battled at the end and that’s all I can ask from my players.”

Torre also had much to be proud of.

“That’s the epitome of just gutting it out when things get tough,” said Torre about the close call at the end. “I knew, even when we jumped out with a lead, it wasn’t going to be easy. They can swing the bats. Then Hunter came in and was just phenomenal.”

Asked whether or not the win is any more special because Atlantic beat them earlier in the postseason, Olive, who hit the solo home run for Dwyer, admitted that it was.

“It feels great,” said Olive. “Especially with them beating us in the district championship. It feels really good.”

Whitman, who was unhappy with his performance the last time he faced the Eagles, also took special comfort in this victory.

“It felt good coming back after that district loss,” Whitman said. “Just knowing we could show them what we have and come back after what I did last time.”

While Atlantic’s improbable and magical playoff run has come to an end, Wilson still views the season as a success.

“In the end, we were able to win a district championship,” Wilson said. “They can never take that away from us. Nobody thought we could do it. The only people who thought we could do it were my teammates and my coaches.”

He also understands that this season may be just the beginning for some of his up-and-coming stars.

“Even in a loss, we were able to succeed, in that we saw what we needed to do” Wilson said. “But more importantly, we came together as a team, and the only downside to that is that I have to say goodbye to my seniors. And that’s very difficult.”

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