Wulff answers call, leads Titans into title game

Bishop Gorman’s Brandon Wulff was 0-for-2 Thursday when Titans coach Nick Day challenged him to step up his game.

The outfielder responded big time, leading an improbable rally and driving in the go-ahead run in the top of the 10th inning to lead the Titans to an 11-9 victory over Liberty in the semifinals of the American Legion state tournament at UNLV’s Wilson Stadium.

The win lifted the Titans into the championship game at 7 p.m. Saturday, where they will face either Rancho or Basic.

By the time the night was over, Wulff had gone 3-for-5 with two doubles, a triple and three RBIs to lead Gorman, which rallied for four runs on two hits and four walks to tie it in the ninth.

“Brandon started the game with a couple of bad at-bats,” said Titans coach Nick Day. “That’s when I challenged him to step up.”

Gorman (36-9-2) struggled throughout most of the night, as the Patriots (26-8) jumped ahead 3-0 on RBI hits by Jesse Keiser and Daniel Skelly in the first inning.

Though the Titans took a brief lead with four runs on two hits in the fourth, Liberty scored the next six runs and led 9-4 after six innings.

But Gorman got a run back in the seventh and opened the ninth with a pair of walks. Wulff cashed in with an RBI double, igniting a four-run rally to send the game into extra innings.

After Cadyn Grenier led off the 1oth with an infield single, Wulff tripled in the go-ahead run. Matt Hudgins followed with a single to bring in an insurance run.

Titans reliever Alex Perron escaped a jam in the bottom of the inning to get the win.

“We got some breaks tonight,” Day said. “We had a couple of nice swings, which was nice to see because these are things we haven’t been getting.”

Day said Thursday’s dramatic victory was just the momentum-builder his squad needed heading into the championship game.

“It’s nice to have that momentum,” he said. “It hasn’t been perfect, but we’re finding ways to win.”

Ethan Ibarra went 3-for-3 with two RBIs to lead the two-time defending champion Patriots, who were eliminated.

Basic 9, Rancho 3 — in the other semifinal, Ryne Nelson went 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs to lead the Blue Sox, who took control early and rolled to a victory over Post 8.

Under the tourney’s double-elimination format, Rancho and Basic will play again Friday at 7 p.m.

The winner of that game will face Gorman in Saturday’s championship game.

The Blue Sox used timely hitting, scoring runs in four of the first five innings to take a 6-0 lead.

Zach Barnhart and Richard Coughlin had RBI doubles to cut Rancho’s deficit to 6-3 in the sixth, but Basic reliever Josh McLean took control in the late innings and his offense tacked on three more runs to seal the win.

Jose Verdugo went 2-for-2 to lead Post 8.