Wallerstein, East Lake shutout Sickles to force Game 3

East Lake senior righty Hunter Wallerstein pitched a complete-game shutout win against Sickles in Game 2 of the 6A-Region 3 semifinal – forcing a decisive Game 3 between the two teams on Saturday. 

By Mike Camunas, Creative Director

CITRUS PARK — Hunter Wallerstein legitimately claims he wasn’t thinking about it.

“I really was trying to just throw strikes,” the lanky East Lake senior right-handed pitcher, affectionately called “Wally,” doubled down. “I was just feeling myself — just felt really good (tonight) and I just trusted my guys (playing defense behind me), which gives me a lot of confidence.”

Click here for our full gallery of photos from this game.

That confidence, and his defense, allowed Wally to carry a no hitter into the sixth, as Wallerstein would still toss a complete game, one-hit shutout gem (101 pitches) to blank Sickles 5-0 on Thursday evening.

FINAL: @Baseball_ELHS Senior SP @HunterWall268 throws a CG gem (H, 6K, 2 BB) to shutout host @SHSGryphonsBB 5-0 to force a rubber match Saturday in this 6A region semifinal. @813Preps pic.twitter.com/6nVSTH2Y4I

— Mike Camunas (@MikeCamunas) May 2, 2025

“I told him in the (postgame) circle there,” East Lake coach Zack Roper said, “that it was a heck of a time to have your best start of the season. (Sickles) is an excellent team, they can swing the bat, very disciplined in the way they play — to have Wally step up in that moment, which is a tough moment, there was a lot of pressure because it was lose or go home.”

Sickles CF Zach Dial throws a ball back into the infield after an East Lake single in the third inning.

Wallerstein’s moment now forces a Class 6A-Region 3 semifinal rubber match Saturday, with the Eagles hosting the Gryphons (23-9).

On Thursday, the Eagles came out the box swinging, building Wallerstein a 5-0 lead it never relinquished by the third inning. In the first, Eli Millian drove home Andrew Sheffield with a two-out RBI single, but the Eagles put up a crooked number in the third, adding on four runs.

Eagles senior Dylan Taft doubled in a run in the third inning.

East Lake (22-9) was relentless on Gryphons junior starting pitching Jake Taylor, who gave up 12 of the Eagles 13 hits in the game over his six innings pitched. In the third, Dylan Taft had an RBI double, Drew Gerber and Brayden Spink had RBI singles and a wild pitch allowed Gerber to score for the game’s fifth run.

With his lead off first base, East Lake’s Camden Boehm watches Sickles pitcher Jake Taylor after a third-inning single from the sophomore.

“(After the third inning) I felt really comfortable,” Wallerstein said. “I knew then that I had a little bit of a cushion. I could just pound the zone and not worry about being too pretty or too much and was able to get out there and just throw strikes.”

@Baseball_ELHS evened the Class 6A region semifinal series with @SHSGryphonsBB, forcing a rubber match Saturday thanks to senior SP @HunterWall268 shoving a complete-game, one-hit, shutout gem (w/ 6K) over the Gryphons. He breaks down his performance and more for @813Preps. pic.twitter.com/q9kQx9ZQPA

— Mike Camunas (@MikeCamunas) May 2, 2025

Sickles junior left-handed starting pitcher Jake Taylor

Wallerstein threw a lot of strikes in the game — 63, in fact, with 23 of them looking, which led to his first complete game of the season.

“What a night for Wally — he really deserved it,” Roper said. “He had to come out of a lot of games in the sixth inning (three times) or only got to six innings (twice) and so for him to get his first complete game in this big moment was huge, and we’re grateful we got his best tonight.”

Senior Jordan Yost had Sickles lone hit of the game – a one-out single to left in the sixth inning.

Sickles, on the other hand, with its one hit came from the program’s very own hit king, Jordan Yost, with a single in the sixth inning. The Gryphons got three other baserunners aboard (two walks and a hit batter) and a wild pitch in the fourth put two runners in scoring position, but Wallerstein stamped out the rally attempt with a strikeout.

Peter Tsikouris threw an inning of relief for the Gryphons, giving up one hit.

Gryphons sophomore Peter Tsikouris pitched one inning of relief, allowing one hit.

It was, hands down, Wallerstein’s best performance, not only this season, but also facing Sickles. It was the third time facing the Gryphons — first in preseason, but then just a few weeks ago on April 17 in the 6A-9 district championship, where Sickles got the best of Wallerstein: a no-decision over 5.1 innings, giving up five runs (three earned) on five hits and a walk.

“We’ve seen him three times this season,” Sickles coach Eric Luksis said, “and tonight he threw an extremely good game because that was the best fastball command we’ve seen him have — and the slider was working better than we’ve seen. … The goal here is to win the series. We’re one game away from doing that, and if you told us a few months ago that we’d be in this position, then we’d take it and we just have to get rid of this one and Saturday is coming up.

“So, hats off to him because he had a helluva game tonight — the kid threw a really good game.”

Hunter Wallerstein earned his sixth win of the season, striking out six.

Roper knew facing Sickles for a fourth time Thursday was going to be a challenge.

“Whenever we face off against Eric and Sickles,” he said, “we know that they’re going to be extremely prepared and that’s why they’ve won a lot, that’s why they have a state championship. We’ve seen them a lot over the last six, seven years, so every time we know it’s going to be a dog fight. So, this, to me, this is how the series should go and come down to a third game.”

Eagles senior Andrew Sheffield (#2) takes his lead off second base with Gryphons SS Jordan Yost positioned behind him. Sheffield led off the game with the first of his three hits, and would score twice in the win.

Wallerstein agreed.

“Look,” he said, “I woke up this morning just excited and knowing what we had to do and I have complete confidence in (Saturday’s starter) Cam Boehm to go out there and do his thing and I have just complete confidence in my guys (to get it done).”

⚾ 6A-Region 3 ⚾
Series tied 1-1