Wilson advances behind Christo Hunsicker’s clutch hit, Matt VanOstenbridge’s pitching
2024 Berks baseball coverage presented by
Utilities Employees Credit Union
By Nathan Breisinger — MikeDragoSports.com correspondent
WEXFORD — After a 4 ½-hour trip across Pennsylvania to open the PIAA Tournament, the last thing Wilson’s Christo Hunsicker wanted to do was prolong things.
With two outs in the seventh the junior rapped a two-run single up the middle to send the Bulldogs on to a 2-0 victory over North Allegheny in a Class 6A opener on the Tigers’ home field.
On the second pitch he saw from North Allegheny reliever Charles Mau, Hunsicker snapped a scoreless tie with his second hit of the game.
“My first two at-bats, I was a little under it,” Hunsicker said. “My coaches gave me some advice to stay on top of it a little more and I was trying to hit a lower line drive instead of a pop up because all we needed was a single.”
The change in approach allowed Hunsicker to drive his ball past a stout defense that was difficult to break and had held teams scoreless over the last 13 innings.
“Small things have to go your way or you have to make things happen and our guys did today,” Bulldogs coach Bill Underwood. “If that guy at second base is two steps over, he’s got the ball. They were throwing him outside. I (told Christo): ‘Crowd the plate a little bit, shorten up that area and take that ball the other way.’ ”
The Bulldogs (20-7) advance to the state quarterfinals to play Downingtown West, an 11-1 winner over Central.
The win was Wilson’s first in state tournament play since 2019, when it beat Penn-Trafford 6-5.
Hunsicker’s clutch hit would have been all for naught if it wasn’t for another outstanding performance from Wilson ace Matt VanOstenbridge, who threw a one-hitter with six strikeouts.
The Penn State commit worked diligently through the Tigers lineup, relying on his changeup at the most crucial times.
He carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning before Matthew Parraguirre singled.
“I knew they were all going to have really good swings with a lot of really good players,” he said. “They are the best lineup we’ve seen all year, so I knew I had to have all four pitches working. What came up big today was that changeup; it came up big a couple other times this season. I knew because I had that pitch, I would have a successful day.”
After Hunsicker’s go-ahead hit, VanOstenbridge finished things off with a seamless seven-pitch seventh, lowering his ERA to 0.79.
“It’s typical,” Underwood said of VanOstenbridge’s fourth straight playoff win. “He throws an unbelievable changeup, so when you got a lot of righties up there and you throw the changeup like he throws it, it’s hard to beat him.”
VanOstenbridge received massive help from his defense, including an inning-ending double play to get out of a bases-loaded jam in the fourth. VanOstenbridge hit two consecutive hit batters; an error loaded the bases with one out.
VanOstenbridge escaped when David Posey chopped one to third baseman Tommy Hunsicker, who threw a bullet home; catcher Tyler Herbein turned it quickly to first for a double play.
“That was amazing,” VanOstenbridge said. “Hit a couple guys, unfortunately, and a little error. Bases loaded and a play like that . . . we work on our defense all year, and that’s when it pays off.”
The Tigers (17-7), who got a no-hitter in the District 7 title game, continued their shutdown pitching. When Hunsicker approached the plate with an opportunity to deliver, everything aligned perfectly.
With one out in the seventh, freshman Ryan Marmolejos drove one to the wall in left-center field to record the first extra-base hit of the contest. The double was followed by a walk by C.J. Fernandez. That ended the day for starter Nico Varlotta, who went 6 2/3 innings, allowing five hits and three walks.
Jack Gabel loaded the bases by drawing a walk; that brought up Hunsicker,
“Win or lose, this is an unbelievable experience for these guys to travel four and a half hours on a coach bus and be able to come out as a team and win is icing on the cake for them,” said Underwood.
