Athlete Of The Week: Ryan Weingartner

FALMOUTH – Ryan Weingartner stepped into the batter’s box with a simple plan: bring a run home.

The Harwich infielder from St. Joseph’s University helped spark a ferocious comeback Sunday night when he hit a game-tying grand slam that erased a 5-1 deficit in the seventh inning of Harwich’s eventual 10-8 victory at Falmouth.

“Earlier in the game, I got beat inside by a fastball, so I was just looking to get the head out and drive in a run,” said Weingartner, a Berlin, N.J. native. “With the bases loaded and no outs, I just wanted to get a ball that I could handle and put it in the air. I got my pitch and luckily I didn’t miss.”

It was the first homer of the summer for Weingartner, who hit .316 with 15 blasts during his spring season at St. Joe’s. It couldn’t have come at a better time for the Mariners, as he sparked a six-run seventh inning that led to three more runs in the eighth.

“The guys were fired up,” he said. “I was glad that we came out with a win. That was an awesome game — down by four and then comeback. Everyone got into it, so it was a good time.”

Although it’s still early in the summer, Sunday’s clutch performance has undoubtedly been the highlight of Weingartner’s brief time in Harwich. So far, the middle infielder has been thrilled with his experience.

“This is awesome,” he said. “Coming out here and playing a really high level of baseball everyday has been a really awesome experience. Everyone in this dugout has been really great.”