Tim Hennig goes distance to help Wantagh advance in Class A baseball playoffs
The Wantagh team celebrates their victory over MacArthur during a Nassau Class A baseball playoff game on Monday in Wantagh. Credit: Dawn McCormick
The public high school baseball postseason got underway on Monday and Wantagh provided some reminders of what truly matters at this time of year. Good pitching is invaluable. Error-free defense is essential. Style points mean nothing.
No one from Wantagh is going to call its Nassau Class A first-round game against visiting MacArthur a masterpiece or even hang it on a wall, but they will all take the 3-2 victory that kept them from facing a do-or-die contest Tuesday.
“We talk about doing the small things and hope the big things take care of themselves,” Wantagh coach Keith Sachs said. “In a game between good programs like these, every run and every base is going to matter. We made some mistakes on the bases we could have ended up regretting, but overcoming those and finding a win is essential at this time of year.”
Wantagh (15-4-1) will play at defending champion Calhoun Tuesday in the winner’s bracket of double-elimination pool play. MacArthur (11-7-1) hosts Manhasset in an elimination game.
Wantagh tied the score 2-2 in the bottom of the fifth when AJ Bardi doubled down the right field line and ultimately scored on a Paul Fontana single and then plated the go-ahead run in the sixth to pull it out. Joe Legovich singled, took second on Tim Wunderlich’s bunt and third when the bunt resulted in a throwing error. He raced home ahead of the throw on a Bardi ground ball to third base.
“The bottom line is [the grounder] got the job done,” said Bardi, who will play next year at Maine. “We’re fine with small ball and scoring a run an inning. If we do that, I don’t think we lose.”
Righthander Tim Hennig was the glue that held the entire effort together. The Binghamton-bound senior allowed six singles and struck out five in a complete game effort and was backed by errorless defense.
Hennig, who has allowed only one extra-base hit this season, held the Generals to 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position; MacArthur’s runs came on a Chase Palma sacrifice fly and an Evan Paladino ground out.
“The first innings were hard and then, as the game wore on, I found my groove and rode it,” Hennig said.
“Timmy is that guy who never rattles,” Sachs said.
Wantagh allowed only 2.4 runs per game in the regular season and Hennig said “that because our defense is one of the best – if not the best – in the county.”
MacArthur lefty Tyler Bonsignore was a formidable obstacle, allowing five hits and striking out four. The Generals made three errors that led to two unearned runs.
“He threw strikes and that made nothing easy,” Legovich said. Added Bardi: “[Bonsignore] is a great pitcher with that unusual windup you don’t expect.”
Wantagh is back in the postseason after missing it for the first time in 29 seasons a year ago, but it’s done looking back.
“That served us during offseason workouts,” Hennig said. “We don’t think about it anymore. We’re focused on what’s happening now.”
Roger Rubin returned to Newsday in 2018 to write about high schools, colleges and baseball following 20 years at the Daily News. A Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2011, he has covered 13 MLB postseasons and 14 NCAA Final Fours.
