It was a night that Wayne Hills baseball fans will remember for quite a long time. For the first time in seven years, the Patriots won the Passaic County Tournament championship, defeating West Milford with a final score of 13-2.

It was an outing led by senior RHP Austin Phillips. Phillips had pitched a complete game, throwing seven strikeouts and only allowing one walk. The game ended with an absolute bang, as sophomore first baseman Jason Modak hit a walk off grand-slam in the bottom of the sixth to secure the win.

Senior shortstop Dan Abate, the MVP, started things off early in the bottom of the first inning with a lead off home run to right field to give Wayne Hills a 1-0 lead. After Hills took a 2-0 advantage on a West Milford error, Dan Colon smacked a two-run home run to left field to give Wayne Hills a 4-0 lead after the first inning.

Abate finished the game 3-for-4, with the home run and a pair of doubles. Senior OF Joe Simone finished the day going a perfect 3-for-3. Also, the widely talented senior right fielder Joe Curcio had three hits and came around to score three times!

“You can just tell how hard it is to do by the reaction of the kids,” Wayne Hills second year coach Brian Gelalia said of winning the tournament. “But they put in tons of work and they at times feel a little disrespected. there was a chip on their shoulder to prove something this year. To be able to cross off the second goal on our list is a special thing.”