It’s a not-so-perfect ending for Wilson
PLYMOUTH MEETING — Matt VanOstenbridge saw the way his Central Bucks West rival, Julio Ermigiotti, buzzed through Wilson’s lineup in the top of the first inning Monday.
The Bulldogs left-hander figured it might take a shutout to beat the Bucks in their PIAA Class 6A Tournament opening-round match-up.
“I knew it was going to be a really tight game,” VanOstenbridge said.
Wilson’s ace threw a strong game but the Bucks’ right-hander was untouchable, firing a perfect game to lead the District 1 champion Bucks over the District 3 runner-up Bulldogs 3-0 at Villanova Ballpark at Plymouth.
“I’ve been around high school baseball for 35 years,” said Bucks coach Brian Weaver after watching Ermigiotti set down 21 straight batters and record the first no-hitter of his high school career. “I’ve never seen a performance like that.”
Ermigiotti, a Lehigh University recruit, got ahead of hitters with an 88-90 mph fastball and stayed ahead the entire way. He needed just 80 pitches to complete his masterpiece.
He went to a three-ball count on just one batter, Tommy Hunsicker, who fouled off a full-count pitch before looking at a called third strike — one of nine strikeouts for Ermigiotti.
“He was just shoving fastball,” said Wilson coach Bill Underwood. “Coming on top of our guys pretty hard. We knew he threw pretty hard but it seemed harder than we (thought) it was going to be. He really moved his fastball around and we just couldn’t catch up to it for some reason.”
Ermigiotti was aware throughout that he had a perfect game going – a true rarity at the high school level, where even the best pitchers struggle with control at times and even the top teams throw the ball around a little and commit errors.
There was none of that Monday as the Bucks had nothing but routine grounders to handle when the Bulldogs managed to make contact.
Ermigiotti said he felt some nerves in the final inning, though it was about as calm a perfect game as you’ll ever see. There were no close plays at first and no need for his defenders to bail him out with a big play to keep the perfect game alive.
The hardest-hit ball against him came from the 21st and final batter, Christo Hunsicker, who hit a liner to right field. As it was caught Ermigiotti stepped off the mound and raised his hands in triumph after completing the dream performance.
“We knew they were a good team and we knew it was going to be a fight,” Ermigiotti said of the Bulldogs (19-9), who had lost just twice over the last six weeks. “From the first inning, once I got (them) 1-2-3, (I thought) ‘Alright, it’s gonna be a good day.’ ”
VanOstenbridge kept his team in it, opening with three scoreless innings. He had a little bad luck in the fourth when the Bucks (21-6) had four hits and put three runs on the board.
One of those hits was a bloop into right field. Another was a bunt down the first-base line that VanOstenbridge thought would go foul. When it didn’t he picked it up but too late to make a play and the bases were loaded.
He jammed the next hitter, Jack Hogenauer, inducing a slow chopper to third base. Christo Hunsicker came in hard to collect the ball but his only play was at first, and the Bucks went up 1-0.
Kevin Bukowski followed with a sharp single up the middle, plating a pair of runs and providing Ermigiotti with what looked like a huge lead.
“If the ball bounces a little differently, it could’ve been a completely different inning, completely different game,” VanOstenbridge said.
The junior allowed six hits over 5 2/3 innings; three of them never left the infield. He walked two and struck out two.
Despite the loss Underwood was appreciative of the season the Bulldogs put together. One season after finishing 11-11 they reached league and district championship games.
“We didn’t really think back in January and February that we were gonna be in the state playoffs,” he said. “To get into states and experience this is like the cherry on top.”