Oswego holds off IMSA's upset bid

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Almost never seems to get enough credit.

Zero-for-2008 IMSA and 10-run ruled 11 times -- nearly pulled the shocker of the Class 3A baseball tournament.

The No. 6 seeded Titans held a 2-1 lead against No. 3 Oswego entering the bottom of the sixth inning Tuesday only to see the Panthers rally for a 3-2 victory.

"I'm sad, but I'm happy," IMSA coach Renard Miller said. "This is the way we should have been playing all season. This was the expectation for this team is to play exactly like this."

After the two teams traded first-inning runs, the Titans (0-18) shocked the Panthers by pushing across the lead run in the top of the fifth on an RBI single by Vince Rossi (2-for-3). Pitcher Trevor Hohm, one of six sophomores on the IMSA roster, had a three-hitter entering the bottom of the sixth. Then the Panthers bunched three hits and a stolen base to score the tying and winning runs.

Tyler Brooks (2-for-2) started the rally with a single to left. Pinch-runner Josh Wagner stole second and scored on a two-out bloop single to right by Brandt Stone. A wild pitch sent pinch runner Kevin Wilson to second and he scored on a single to center by Steve Figgins.

Even then, the Titans didn't go down without a fight. Freddy Damon opened the top of the seventh with a single to right and moved to second with two outs on a sacrifice bunt by Efrim Jimenez. Oswego's Kevin Zmuda, who pitched the final two innings in relief of starter Drew Nicholson, then fanned Po Shi (2-for-4) to end the game.

"We certainly didn't take IMSA lightly," Oswego coach Chris Neitzel said. "We haven't been hitting (and) we've played a lot of close games this year. We play a lot of close games and, fortunately today, we were able to come out on top."

Oswego, which defeated IMSA 10-0 on May 9, had a chance to take charge in the first inning when it loaded the bases, scoring once, but saw the inning end when Stone bounced into a double play.

"We did it when we had to," Neitzel said. "I thought we were going to blow it open in that first inning and then the kids kind of pressed. It was a game we were supposed to win and then the kids press, I pressed, everybody pressed.'

That left the nothing-to-lose Titans, with a huge opportunity. It didn't happen even though catcher Kevin Wang was 2-for-3 as IMSA outhit Oswego 8-6.

"We lost, but I'm proud of 'em because that's how you play baseball," Miller said. "If you're going to go down, I'd rather be on the winning side of it (but) that's the way the game is supposed to be played.

"We're young. I'm really looking forward to next year. For the seniors, I hate for it to end like this. (But) even pros go down like this."

Oswego moves on to face Marmion Academy at 4:30 p.m. Thursday in the regional semifinals.