I have to make this quick because I have work to do, but what incredible pitching today. Shutouts tossed by Dobbs, Pleasantville, Mount. Iona Prep, Fordham Prep, Pearl River and Gorton all surrendered just one run. Thomas Cardona of Mount no-hit All Hollows, and Alex Adami one-hit St. Ray’s, which beat Stepinac earlier this year. Also, Evan Oleson had another terrific game, striking out 13 for Rye Country Day.

There were a few close ones and a few important ones. If you saw something worth mentioning, let me know. I’ll be checking the comments religiously…

Fordham Prep 3, Xavier 1: At Fordham Prep, Sal Lisanti struck out nine over six innings. Peter Lamacchia had an RBI and a run for the Rams.
Ardsley 5, Edgemont 4: At Ardsley, Adam Stein hit a 2-run triple as part of a three-run first and then added another RBI in the second that put Ardsley up 5-0. Kiyota Gomi went 2 for 3 and didn’t allow an earned run in a complete game win. Adam Raymond went 2 for 4 with an RBI for Edgemont.
Irvington 3, Sleepy Hollow 1: At Irvington, Andrew Crisara pitched a three-hitter, struck out nine, and allowed one earned run. His sacrifice fly also put Irvington up 2-1 in the bottom of the first. Teammate C.J. Raimondo’s RBI double in the first tied it at 1-1. Danny Rosario had an RBI triple for Sleepy Hollow.
Tappan Zee 3, Rye Neck 2: At Rye Neck, Tyler Rorick broke a 2-2 tie with an RBI single in the seventh. Tappan Zee’s John Garcia had a two-run double in the fourth inning. Joe Saputo had an RBI single.
Sacred Heart 11, Blessed Sacrament 8: At Sacred Heart, Steven Kendrick went 4 for 4 with two doubles, four RBI, three runs, and five stolen bases for the Irish.
Dobbs Ferry 5, Solomon Schechter 0: At Dobbs Ferry, Greg Steinfeld pitched a one-hitter. Chris Bucci had an RBI, a run, and two steals for the Eagles. Adam Leffel had the Solomon Schechter hit in the first inning.
Pleasantville 11, Croton-Harmon 0: At Pleasantville, Drew Lizardi pitched a four-hitter. Mike Marone was 2 for 4 with three RBI and Will Andreycak went 3 for 3.
Byram Hills 5, Putnam Valley 3: At Putnam Valley, Matt Dipietrantinio allowed three runs on three hits with a walk and eight strikeouts in the win. Pat Vierengel went 2 for 2 with two runs for the Bobcats. Patrick Considine had a home run and two RBI for the Tigers.
Mount St. Michael 3, All Hallows 0: At Mount St. Michael, Thomas Cardona pitched a no-hitter with 10 strikeouts and four walks for the Mountaineers. Teammate Malik Wylie went 2 for 2 with a triple and a run.
Iona Prep 8, St. Raymond’s 1: At St. Raymond’s Alex Adami threw a one-hitter and struck out six. Adami, who can pitch with either hand, threw righty and allowed his first hit with two outs in the fifth. Adam Hernandez had a two-run double as part of a four-run sixth.
Kingswood-Oxford 7, Masters 4: At Masters, Connor Devlin went 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI for the Panthers.
Gorton 5, Lincoln 1: At Fleming Field in Yonkers, winning pitcher Mark Clayton allowed three hits and struck out 12. Clayton and Anthony Nunez each had two hits and an RBI.
White Plains 10, Mount Vernon 2: At White Plains, Alex Calvert and Michael Dapice each had three RBI. Teammate Nick Cutsumpas hit a solo home run.
Ketcham 15, Carmel 9: At Ketcham, Zack Graczyk went 3 for 5 with an RBI for the Rams, who led 4-0 until the fourth inning. Ketcham (9-0) remained undefeated.
Tuckahoe 8, Bronxville 3: At Bronxville, Joseph Melendez struckout seven and allowed just one earned run in the complete game win. John Cioffi had two hits for the Broncos.
Pearl River 2, Hastings 1: At Pearl River, Josh Mendelson was 2 for 3 with two RBI. Kevin Ambrose earned the win with two scoreless innings. Alex Pezzuto was 2 for 4 with a run for Hastings.
Rye Country Day 12, Greens Farms Academy 2: At Greens Farms Academy, Evan Oleson struckout 13 in the complete game win.
Blind Brook 5, Port Chester 4: At Blind Brook, Brett Novick went 1 for 5 and had the game winning RBI in the bottom of the ninth inning. Teammate Nick Leiningen went 2 for 3 with two RBI and a solo home run in the seventh inning to tie the game. Frank Flumara went 3 for 5 with a double for Rams.
North Rockland 24, East Ramapo 9: At North Rockland, Manny Martinez went 3 for 4 with a three-run triple in the second, five RBI, and three runs for the Tigers. Luis Vasquez went 2 for 4 with a solo home run in the sixth for the TItans.

OK, with the rain soaking fields the last two days, there’s been very little baseball to discuss. However, one thing has dawned on me: We’ve officially hit the midway point of the season.

Obviously, some teams have exceeded the 12-game mark. Others have not. But we’re now less than a month away from the seeding meeting — if you can believe it — making it the perfect time to discuss your favorite topic of conversation.

The question I have is this: Who are the favorites? It’s tough. There are no clear-cut frontrunners. No Hastings ‘06 and ‘07. No Ketcham ‘04 and ‘05. No Keio in ‘07.

— In Class AA, Mamaroneck is the favorite, followed by an array of contenders from League I-B and I-C and John Jay-Cross River. Obviously anyone can win at any point in time, but one team from that group should take it all.

— In Class A, I believe Pelham is ahead of the pack right now, followed by the defending champ, Somers.

— In Class B, Kennedy has moved to the front of a very balanced and very clouded field, but there are no guarantees in this class for sure.

— And in Class C, the trio of Keio, Valhalla and Tuckahoe appeared primed to scrap for that No. 1 seed. The team that grabs it will be the favorite heading into the postseason.

If you’re out there tonight, let me know:

A) Your favorite in each class

B) Your darkhorses

My darkhorses are the following: Clarkstown South in AA, Lakeland in A, Hastings in B (seriously…remember that home field, which can win a crazy game or two). No darkhorses in C…the field is too small.

OK, now it’s your turn. Thoughts???

Kennedy stole another one from its friendly rival in Brewster yesterday, as the Gaels took the second-annual Caiazzo Challenge 15-7 on the strength of a 10-run fifth inning.

Alex Myers covered the game and has the story. It sounds like Kennedy started slow but hit its way back into control. C Anthony Corona belted a long homer, and SS Mike Mercurio had a huge day at the plate with four hits and six RBI, including three on a bases-clearing double that highlighted the fifth-inning explosion.

The game was played in honor of Chris Caiazzo, who died in a car crash last winter. He was a sophomore in high school who pitched for the Brewster JV.

All proceeds from the game went to a fund in Caiazzo’s name. I went up last year for the game and they did a nice job. Not a surprise to see it went off well yet again.

Ironically, this is the second year in a row the game’s star was a Brewster guy. Last year it was Rich Lennox, who earned the victory on the hill, and this year it was Mercurio. Both Lennox and Mercurio knew Caiazzo growing up, so both appreciate what the game means to the Brewster baseball family.

But is the old man snoring? He may end up snoring through the day instead of watching baseball. Cancellations are inevitable with all this rain. Schools will, I’m guessing, be more willing to cancel because of the recent nice weather. There haven’t been rainouts, so no one is backed up dealing with makeups. Double check before you go to any games that it’s still being played.

Six games are on the schedule this week for Jake and I, although the forecast looks horrendous.

In a way, I guess it was bound to happen. The last two weeks haven’t even remotely resembled April. For example: I haven’t had to dress like an Alaskan ice fisherman for games, which, perhaps incidentally, I’ve appreciated greatly.

As long as the weather isn’t too nasty, here’s a look at what we’re covering:

Monday — Tuckahoe vs. Keio, at Manhattanville College, 4:30 p.m.

Tuesday — Rye at Pelham, at Glover Field, 4:30 p.m.

Thursday — Briarcliff at Kennedy, 4:30 p.m.

Saturday — Siegriest tournament at Nyack, 4 and 7 p.m., and Mamaroneck at Don Bosco, 3 p.m.

Sunday — Clarkstown South tournament, 10:15 a.m. and 1:15 p.m.

There are a bevy of others key games this week. Tell us what else we should look out for…

I thought our first set of notebooks last week were meaty, but these are even meatier. Better get out your steak knife…

NORTHERN WESTCHESTER/PUTNAM — Yorktown has been hot. The ‘Huskers had won seven straight before a 4-3 loss to Lourdes. Still, Y-town is feeling good so far. Also, I mention this afternoon’s Caiazzo Challenge between Kennedy and Brewster, and next Saturday’s plans to honor the ‘98 state champs at Briarcliff.

CENTRAL WESTCHESTER — Port Chester has won three of its last four, including an impressive win over Rye. The main reason for the Rams’ success has been the play of Jesse Burba and Frank Fiumara, college-bound seniors who hope to impress their work ethic on the next era of Port Chester baseball players. Also, you probably know this, but Mamaroneck is gearing up for Saturday’s clash with Don Bosco. Mike Chiapparelli described it as a “no-lose situation” for his Tigers.

SOUTHERN WESTCHESTER — Perhaps one of the most overlooked players in the area is Sacred Heart LHP Dominic Lafurno, a 6-foot-3 senior who throws between four and six pitches, including a fastball that tops 80 and a screwball. Lafurno and his coach, Chris DiCintio, believe all he needs is some exposure. Also, Charlie Vetrano is back on the mound, and he should make mighty Pelham even better.

ROCKLAND — Few teams in the section are hotter than Clarkstown South, which has won seven straight after a slow start. The Vikes are simply pounding the ball. Jake also makes note of big tournaments this weekend at Nyack and Clarkstown South.

Four stories, nine topics, two sets of rankings. Enjoy…and fire away the questions/comments!

Somers had a great idea in the offseason. The Section 1 Class A champion would host an early April showcase featuring every sectional champ (minus Class D Solomon Schechter). Keio would play Hastings and Somers would play North Rockland. Then April showers washed out the infield and the showcase. The two big schools postponed until today.

North Rockland used the game as a breakout. The Red Raiders scored 10 in the final three innings to win 11-5. Will Sheehan was unstoppable, going 4 for 5 with a homer and four RBI. Manny Martinez (that’s him wearing a dirt mask in the photo) was 3 for 3 and Anthony Gokey drove in four. North Rockland hasn’t scored like this against a good team all year. But it’s got 20 over its last two games, so maybe the hitting surge it enjoyed in the postseason is coming early. So coach Tom Lynch hopes. Without power it’ll be hard to make another playoff run. There are too many top teams in AA.

The best show was Sheehan, who showed signs of shaking off his season-long slump. Everybody knows the kid can hit. He bats third for a reason. But the fact is he hasn’t hit. He had to be wondering what was wrong. Today he did nothing but hit, and suddenly he leads the team in RBI. He’s had to deal with a move to right field, the result of his position fight with catcher George Wargo. Wargo won the starting catcher spot, which forced Sheehan to DH, and now the outfield. Lynch said he’ll stay there.

“Me and George have been competing at catching since little league.,” Sheehan said. “It’s always been switching off between DHing and that. This year George is playing great back there. I have no problems with playing right field because I play right field in the summer too when he catches.”

Frank Lanzano, making his second start, got the win. He’ll see more action now that North Rockland’s schedule is busier. No more pitching Ryan Fasano and Nick Viohl every other day. Dan Tracy took his second loss, which is one more than he had last year. His ERA is still great though.

“Tracy’s throwing as well as he possibly can,” Tuskers coach Joe Wootten said. “We’re making errors. We’re making errors this year. Error leads to more pitches, more pitches leads to more fatigue, ball’s up in the zone, they’re going to hit a little bit more.”

So with a busy day behind us, Jake and I finally got to our belated top 10 list for this week.

I know I say this every week (or so it seems), but this gets tougher and tougher. Iona and Stepinac both lost this week. So did Carmel and North Rockland and Arlington. Mahopac lost twice to John Jay-East Fishkill, which was considered a question mark after losing 100 of the 168 IP on its pitching staff. Now? The Patriots appear to have grown into quite a club.

With that said, please be kind. Here’s the top 10 of two men…let’s hear yours…

1. Mamaroneck — The easiest spot to fill on the board. The Tigers are 10-0 and posted an impressive win over Scarsdale Friday considering Matt McGovern was out. They have quite the week ahead with JJEF on Monday and Don Bosco on Saturday. Sean Hagan is currently scheduled to pitch both games.

2. Ketcham — The Indians are still unbeaten but they’re about to get a whole lot busier. They have a three-game set with Carmel this week that will show how powerful they are.

3. Stepinac — It wasn’t exactly a blowout, but the Crusaders’ win over Iona was a win, razor-thin though it was. They deserve the nod to this point.

4. Iona Prep — Eight runs allowed in last five games. Problem is, two of them were losses, which leads to this thought: The offense must pick it up.

5. John Jay — The Indians return to action in Westchester next week, although they shouldn’t be challenged until their home-and-home with Somers in two weeks.

6. John Jay-East Fishkill — If the Patriots prevented one pinch-hit homer on Wednesday, they would’ve earned a three-game sweep of Mahopac. This team was certainly underestimated. Right now, JJEF sits right behind Ketcham in what should be a wild League I-C race.

7. Arlington — Here’s a team to watch, one that is enigmatic to say the least. The Admirals beat Carmel 17-2, then cough up 10 straight runs to blow a six-run lead. That’s a strange pair of results.

8. Pelham — The Pelicans’ depth and talent in the field and at bat is impressive. If their pitching holds up, and if Charlie Vetrano returns from a broken collarbone anywhere close to where he was last year, they belong right here with those above them. Like I said on Thursday’s TV show, this is the team to beat in Class A.

9. Mahopac — There’s no reason to worry at this point in the year. However, when aces C.J. Riefenhauser and Anthony Castellitto pitch and pitch well, the Indians need to take advantage. This week against John Jay-East Fishkill they didn’t do that.

10. Kennedy — Still hanging on despite very little activity over the last week. The Gaels have two strong wins (vs. Iona and Pelham) that put them here with the rest.

On the doorstep:

— Clarkstown South

— Somers

— Carmel

— Suffern

Also, I was asked to provide a small-school list, which I thought was more than a fair suggestion considering the different enrollments. Here’s how I rank ‘em:

Small-school top 5 (Classes B and C) —

1. Kennedy — The favorite in B as this early point in the season. Only true blemish on their record is one loss to Westlake.

2. Valhalla — Not only did the Vikings nearly shock Pelham, they shook off the loss and knocked off unbeaten Bronxville and Tuckahoe on back-to-back days. Impressive.

3. Briarcliff — The stingy Bears (3.0 runs allowed/game) have a home-and-home this week vs. Kennedy.

4. Putnam Valley — The Tigers have a 7-3 record, but all three losses (Mahopac, Ardsley, Pearl River) came at the hands of larger schools.

5. Bronxville — Broncos have a better group of wins (Rye Neck and Keio) and fared better vs. No. 2 Valhalla than Tuckahoe.

OK, that’s all for now. Let me know what you think about both polls, plus please vote in our new poll at the right.

This was a meeting of two clubs going in opposite directions. New Rochelle is hot, having won three of four. Mount Vernon, losers of four straight, is not.  New Ro easily defeated the Knights, 16-3. The Huguenots, which have climbed back to .500, scored six in the first and seven in the sixth.

The offense was balanced. Andrew Bruzzese, Anthony Petrone, Brett Rosen, and Matt Duran all had their moments. Bruzzese won his third game by pitching six innings.

The one remarkable thing about this game was that Mount Vernon starter Michael Phelps went the distance. He was responsible for 14 earned runs, 14 hits, and nine walks. I don’t have an exact pitch count on him, but it had to be way up there. Coach Joe Mazzella said he didn’t mind because Phelps was still throwing strikes. But his velocity was clearly down, and the game was so out of hand by the end, it was unclear why he was still in. As he was getting battered in the sixth, Mazzella went to pull him. But after a conference at the mound he left him in.

“He says ‘Coach I want to stay,’” Mazzella said. “I was going to take him out and he said ‘Coach I’m doing well, I’m throwing the ball well, it’s just that (the defense isn’t) making the plays.’”

It was another close one between Scarsdale and Mamaroneck, but for the fourth time in the last two seasons the Raiders fell to the Tigers, this time 7-3.

The margin hardly seems that close, but if you were there and saw the game you’d know it was pretty tight the whole way. Scarsdale came in with a real chance here — not only had it played the Tigers tougher than anyone last year (4-2 and 6-5 losses in ‘07, including a loss in Mamaroneck’s last at-bat), but Sean Hagan was over at first and Matt McGovern was on the bench. (More on that later…)

The game was a pitcher’s duel through three, with Mamaroneck’s Andrew Benkwitt and Scarsdale’s Ben Kushner each throwing up goose eggs. The Raiders stranded runners at first and third in the second, but really that was about the only early threat until the fourth.

Mamaroneck finally solved Kushner in the fourth, beginning with Taylor Mondshein’s leadoff triple to right-center. Mike Rosenfeld was hit by a pitch, and Matt Seid walked to load the bases. The rally was there, but Kushner seemed to limit the damage when Hagan hit into a ground-ball double play. The throw to first pulled 1B Mike Morris off the bag, but Hagan was called out…originally. The umps conferred, and Hagan was put back on first. It was a key moment in a three-run inning.

Scarsdale answered with a rally of its own in the bottom of the inning. Pinch-hitter David Wheeler drove in a run with a single, but that was as far as the Raiders went, stranding the bases loaded.

Mamaroneck scored three more runs in the fifth with two outs. The Tigers appeared to end the inning scoreless when Hagan grounded to second with runners on first and second. Mondshein, running between first and second, distracted Scarsdale 2B Marc Wolfer and the ball bounded off his body and into short right field. Mondshein hustled all the way around to score, as you can see in the photo above. “He ran his tail off,” Mike Chiapparelli said.

Scarsdale scored two more in the fifth on RBI doubles by Zach Tatti and Morris, which was the end of Benkwitt’s afternoon. So Eric Windsor came on and proceeded to escape a no-out jam with two (then three) runners on base.

Windsor was excellent, ultimately tossing three scoreless innings in relief. He made sure Scarsdale never seriously threatened.

As for McGovern — I talked to Matt after the game. Apparently, he dropped down a bunt earlier this week against New Ro and tweaked his hamstring. He sat out Wednesday’s game against Mount Vernon and today’s game, although he warmed up and said he could’ve pitched in relief. McGovern said he will see a doctor over the weekend and that he hopes to return next week, if not against John Jay-East Fishkill on Monday then by the time the Tigers travel to Don Bosco next Saturday. (On another note, McGovern saw Bosco yesterday…he said they were great.)