An article I wrote in June of 1978 was recently reprinted in the OBSERVER in anticipation of Coach Jagoda’s 400th career victory at DHS. Helped by Jerry Reilly’s award-worthy photography, it recounted a memorable 16-inning Marauder victory. It was led by Jagoda, who pitched all but the final out of the 4-1 win over Williamsville North.

That epic struggle, the Class BB title clash, was held in Sal Maglie Stadium in Niagara Falls.

It was the opening scheduled matchup of a rare playoff doubleheader. Sitting in the crowd that day were Coach Pete Criscione and his league and Class B champion Fredonia Hillbillies (20-3). They were there to face the Class BB winner in the Section VI Super Sectional BB-B Finals.

Back then, there were no Far West Regionals or State Championships in New York.

Pete Criscione

This was the final game of a special season in the Dunkirk-Fredonia area. It produced two sectional championship teams and came a year after Cardinal Mindszenty High School won its second Georgetown Cup as champions of WNY Catholic School baseball, and one year before the school closed its doors on Central Avenue in Dunkirk forever.

The local area managed to produce three memorable championship teams in two years, cementing the area as a high school baseball hotspot.

See MEMORIES,

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But as usual, I digress. Once the 4-hour and 10-minute Dunkirk-Williamsville North game spilled into extra innings, it became apparent there would be no second game.

Bill Hammond

After Dunkirk emerged as champs thanks to Jagoda’s pitching and Rob Gilray’s two-out single in the 16th, there was still one more game to be played.

There would be no more treks to Niagara Falls, the hotly anticipated “rubber” match between the two local clubs would be held on the neutral Fredonia State baseball field off Brigham Road.

The big game was scheduled for Saturday, June 17, the day before Fathers Day.

Attendance was estimated at more than 1,500, the most ever to view a high school baseball game locally at that time and likely still the record today.

With Jagoda injured and unavailable to pitch, Coach Stuhlmiller went with Brian Benamati on the mound. It was Benamati’s first start in several weeks due to an illness. It didn’t show as he opened with five innings of 2-hit ball.

There was no doubt who would get the starting nod for Coach Criscione — senior righthander Doug DeJoe.

It was DeJoe who pitched his team to the B crown with a 9-inning win over Lafayette.

He matched Benamati with zeros on the scoreboard for five innings, striking out 10 and allowing only a pair of hits to catcher Frank Fekete.

Fredonia split with Dunkirk during the league regular season, winning the first meeting 6-3 before dropping the rematch 2-1. It was DeJoe’s lone loss in a record-setting 16-1 career on the mound.

The scoring drought ended in the top half of the sixth inning. An error and intentional walk to shortstop Mike Wallace (2 hits) put runners on first and second and set the stage for heroics from Brett Kawski. The senior catcher singled up the middle to score left fielder Joe Favata. It was not the only heroic act from Kawski, who despite an injured leg, threw out two runners trying to steal second base and completed a double play by picking a runner off first base.

Dunkirk finally reached DeJoe trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the seventh inning. Centerfielder Rob Gilray drove a DeJoe fastball deep to left field and circled the bases with the game-tying run. Talk about dramatic and clutch!

DHS then loaded the bases on a Pat Kern (2 hits) single, sacrifice bunt and walks to record-setting leadoff hitter/shortstop Jeff Kubera and Fekete. The rally fizzled on a full-count swinging strikeout and it was on to familiar territory for both teams — extra innings.

After an uneventful eighth inning, DeJoe (2 hits) singled to open the fateful ninth inning and left fielder Pete Sorci walked.

Coach Stuhlmiller went to the mound for a conference with Benamati, but right fielder Randy Jones picked on the first pitch and singled to left field. That drove in DeJoe with the winning run. Fekete then replaced Benamati and gave up the final three runs in the 5-1 loss on a 2-run basehit over shortstop by Favata and a throwing error.

DeJoe, these days a successful singer/songwriter, finished off the Marauders in the ninth despite a Kern triple.

He closed with 16 strikeouts to end his career with FHS records for wins in a season (12), strikeouts (135) and Earned Run Average (0.53). That equates to seven earned runs in 92 innings.

Coach Stuhlmiller sized up everything perfectly after the game, saying, “I’ll tell you one thing, the baseball that we play in the Dunkirk-Fredonia area compares to anywhere in the state.”

But it was Coach Criscione who had the last word on the classic game, adding, “It was a super effort by both teams and the big winner was high school baseball.”

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DO YOU have a favorite, funny, weird, best or worst memory of amateur sports refereeing, playing or spectating? Drop me a line at mandpp@hotmail.com and let’s reminisce.

Bill Hammond is a former EVENING OBSERVER Sports Editor.