Late heroics by Hayden Schimoler rallies Exeter baseball past Portsmouth

PORTSMOUTH - Exeter High School baseball coach Bruce Joyce said it should be on SportsCenter, Blue Hawk first baseman Shea LaFleur said it was one of the most insane plays he's ever seen, and Portsmouth head coach Tim Hopley described it as Willie Mays style.

Certainly high praise for Exeter's Hayden Schimoler who made huge plays to help the Blue Hawks rally for a 4-3 Division I win on Monday at Portsmouth High School.

In the bottom of the sixth inning with runners on second and third with one out and the game tied at 3-3, the Clippers just chased Schimoler, Exeter's starter, and were a hit away from taking a lead going into the seventh.

Portsmouth's Gar Hindle hit a flyball to shallow centerfield, which caused Schimoler, who was now at shortstop, to retrieve backward and make an amazing grab for the second out. Nick Gladu then tagged from third and made his way home.

"130 feet out there at least, and (Schimoler) just (made an) acrobatic throw right on the money," Joyce described of what happened next.

Schimoler made the catch and then fired a strike to catcher Finn Adams, who applied the tag on Gladu right before he slid into home, ending the inning and keeping the game tied at 3-3.

"It was just perfect," Joyce said. "Just a hell of a play. (Schimoler's) a great athlete. It shouldn't shock us necessarily, but just the way that whole thing unfolded was unbelievable."

"I'm just thinking make sure I stay out of the way so I don't get that interference call," Adams said. "Make sure to secure the baseball, get the tag down and get (Gladu) out."

Adams said he knew the tag was good and on time, though Hopley said he didn't see it the same way as Gladu or the umpire.

Schimoler, who got pulled from his start on the mound, prior to Hindle's at-bat, was ready and hoping the ball would be hit to him.

"A little bit of anger, a little bit of energy," Schimoler said. "I just had so much energy coming off the mound. There wasn't much thinking. It was more just a catch-and-throw kind of reaction. It was definitely cool, and everyone was excited. I think it was the momentum shifter there."

Blue Hawks gain momentum

Momentum shifter it was because that's just how baseball works. Schimoler drew a leadoff walk to begin the seventh, and later scored the game-winning run on LaFleur's RBI two-out double. With two outs, LaFleur just wanted to put the ball in play.

"Luckily I got a first pitch over the plate and knew to attack," LaFleur said. "Just let it ride off that."

LaFleur said producing the game-winning hit was an amazing feeling.

"Knowing you can put your team in that position (to win) is awesome," LaFleur said.

"(LaFleur) has been hitting the ball well," Joyce said. "He's been making really good contact. The pitch he got was a little bit up and over the plate. He just drove it the other way; it worked out great."

Exeter's Evan Louie closed the door, striking out Joe Zinagriello, then getting Jake Carlisle and Patrick Bancroft to ground out to end the game.

"It was a great win," LaFleur said. "Last year, (Portsmouth) beat us pretty good, so it felt really, really good getting that win; it was great for the team."

Exeter improved to 7-1 on the season, while Portsmouth goes to 4-5.

"Tough one," Hopley said. "We had our chances, but we've been in this position three or four times now, games that we haven't been able to pull out in the end."

Zingariello went six innings and allowed two earned runs for the Clippers, while Schimoler went 5 1/3 innings, allowing three runs and striking out five. Louie got the final five outs, earning the win.

More on Schimoler's game-saving play

Schimoler was upset he gave up the tying run in the sixth when Andrew Hudlin scored an unearned run. But his heroics kept the game the tied.

"I knew the throw was going to beat (Gladu)," Joyce said. "Whether it was going to be on target or not, it was hard to say. But, (Adams) didn't have to move, it was right there, and he was able to make to the tag."

Joyce added that nothing really phases Schimoler.

"He gave us all he could on the mound and then some," Joyce said. "And he's just onto the next thing. If his role is not on the mound, it's at short and making a play like that. It's like a next play for him, nothing really phases him too much."

"He's always been gritty, and always making the tough plays even when he's been knocked down a little bit," Adams said. "Never really gives up, so I think that play was a given for him despite how hard it was."

Schimoler and outfielders Mike Caron and Jack Dever all battled the sun on Hindle's flyball.

"I talked to (Dever in center) and made sure he knew we were on the same page with things," Schimoler said. "I think they all heard me, they let me go and do my thing."

Portsmouth takes early lead

Portsmouth jumped out to a 2-0 lead on Zingariello's RBI double that scored Hindle, who doubled to leadoff the game. Carlisle later hit a sacrifice fly in the inning.

Exeter scored in the second when Brennan Schimoler scored on a fielder's choice to cut the lead in half, 2-1. The Blue Hawks took the lead when Kyle Morgado's RBI groundout scored Jack Dever; and went up 3-2 with Adams scoring on a Portsmouth fielding error.

The Clippers tied the game in the sixth.

"We needed to do just a little bit more, and be just a little bit better," Hopley said. "I thought our guys battled, scratched and clawed. We just came up a little bit short."

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Late heroics by Hayden Schimoler rallies Exeter baseball past Portsmouth