CLASS B

No. 6 Briarcliff 21, No. 11 Bronxville 8 — Did anyone see this coming? Not me. In fact, there are many certainties I have learned the last five years covering playoff baseball. One of them is that the first round is often the cleanest. Everyone (well, almost) throws their ace, and everyone is fresh and rested. I can’t go back through the years for obvious reasons, but were all the data available, I’d bet you this is one of the highest-scoring first rounders in years. … Briarcliff clearly swung the bats well. Twenty-one runs in five innings at the plate is remarkable. The Bears’ 21 hits were a high on the day as well. Seven players (SEVEN!?!) had multi-hit days. James Lombardi went 4 for 5, and Jordan Sacks, who also had six RBI, and Jo Jo Pandalfo each had three hits. … Sacks got the start and appeared to have pitched pretty well. He allowed no earned runs in five inings, but was hurt by a shoddy defense. Briarcliff committed three errors that led to four unearned runs. It’ll have to shore up the D against Nanuet, which, behind Dan Diaz, you can expect to play a clean game tomorrow. The Bears also can’t expect to rely on their offense to this degree, but it has to at least give Diaz and Nanuet a little pause. This was their ninth game scoring seven runs or more. Briarcliff really can hit when it’s on. … Also, give credit to Brad Taylor in defeat. He may’ve struggled on the mound, but he didn’t bring it to the plate, where he went 4 for 4 for Bronxville. Read more of this entry »

CLASS A

No. 3 Hen Hud 8, No. 14 Tappan Zee 3 — So I was dead wrong about this one. I admit it. Hen Hud showed me a whole lot winning this game as easily as it did. Without Mike Tandy and Joe Rizzi, I still think pitching was a pregame concern here, but what was most underestimated was the Sailors’ offense. Chris Weiner obviously was terrific pitching out of jams. He allowed nine hits in six innings but limited Tappan Zee to just two runs. The offense supported him behind a two-hit, two-RBI game from T.J. Olesczuk and balanced hitting around him. Six different players had hits and six different players scored runs. No one had a better game than Nick Ritornado, who went 3 for 3 against Joe Gryzlo and Cody Woodford, TZee’s top two pitchers. If Tandy returns Monday, as many of you have speculated, and he can be sharp, expect Hen Hud to move into the semis.

No. 4 Ardsley 3, No. 13 Panas 2 — Give Panas an inordinate amount of credit. No team this season has picked up as many hits (eight) or earned runs (two) off Ardsley ace Mike Swerdloff this season as the Panthers had yesterday. Pedro Reynoso, the speedy quick-shooting basketball player, went 3 for 3. Teammate Ian Cole scattered 10 hits and nearly matched Swerdloff, but Ardsley’s offense did just enough and Swerdloff held Panas at bay. Andy Rose drove in two runs for Ardsley and Swerdloff, John Pilla and John Principio all had two hits. … Panas’ success driving Swerdloff deep into the game hurts Ardsley going forward. Even if it finds a way to get past Brewster, I don’t know how much he can pitch against Lakeland or Pearl River on Tuesday. That’ll put pressure on the rest of Ardsley’s rotation to step up. Read more of this entry »

(WARNING: this is a long post)

As I said last night, yesterday we spent the afternoon and evening trying to relay the nuts and bolts of yesterday’s 19 games as quickly as possible. Here are my thoughts on all 19, with Class AA up first:

CLASS AA

No. 1 Mamaroneck 6, New Rochelle 0 — I saw two or three innings of this one and have to give kudos to New Ro. Mamaroneck had scored nine, 16 and 12 runs in its three previous games against the Huguenots. Plus, with Mike Rosenfeld and Gabe Klein back to make their lineup complete for the first time really all season, the Tigers had averaged a mind-boggling 16.7 runs per game in their last six games. With that as the backdrop, Mamaroneck had just a 2-0 lead against Ian Lindsay when I showed up yesterday for a quick peek. Its lineup went on to scratch out a few more runs off Lindsay and Martin Aranda, but the explosion never came to fruition. Rosenfeld and Matt McGovern each had extra-base hits, but that’s about it. Those bats will need to heat up against much stiffer competition to lead the Tigers to another title.

No. 2 Arlington 8, No. 15 White Plains 2 — I exchanged some texts last night with Marcel Galligani, White Plains’ frustrated coach, and he said it was similar struggles that ailed the Tigers. They committed five errors and allowed six unearned runs. They were down 4-2 and left runners at second and third with one out. They basically took their only chance to stay close with a powerhouse like Arlington and dashed it. For Arlington, a very sound team, it did exactly what it did earlier this season against White Plains: it executed and waited for White Plains to self-destruct. Give the Admirals credit, too, for saving Tyler Albrecht’s arm and only throwing him four innings. They want to make a deep run and having one of its top pitchers fresh for next week will help. Here’s the Poughkeepsie Journal’s story on the game.

Long day today — a great day for some, a lousy day for others. I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to a few more days of craziness next week. There were almost no upsets today, but that is sure to change Monday and Tuesday.

We had a lot in the way of scores and schedules today, but I’ll move beyond the nuts and bolts tomorrow and offer some analysis of the first round. I want to make sure I’m giving you the info you want and need, so if there’s anything in particular you’d like to know before the quarters feel free to ask. I’ll do my best to answer, or to find out the answer.

Of course, on Monday Jake and I will have our fearless predictions. We misfired on a few upsets today, but that always happens. Yorktown coach Sean Kennedy reminded me that I always pick against them. I filled in the blank — that the ‘Huskers always prove me wrong and win.

Hey, you can’t get ‘em all right? (Year after year after year…)

North Rockland couldn’t beat Clarkstown South in three tries during the regular season. Any one of them would have given the Red Raiders a league title. By a luck of the seeding draw, North Rockland got one more crack at its rival.

“This one,” coach Tom Lynch said, “is much better.”

Behind starter Phil Martino and a bases-clearing double by Jorge Cruz, the Red Raiders finally beat South 5-1 to advance to a Class AA sectional quarterfinal.

Martino didn’t know he was going to start until this morning but responded with his best effort of the season. Lynch purposely kept him and the other two starters, Frank Rosario and John Veltri, in the dark about who would get the ball. At batting practice he told Martino to start getting ready.

He also told him there would be a quick hook if he got into trouble. All he was allowed was two walks before Rosario replaced him. Those walks never came.

For the first time this season the senior righty did not walk a batter. And for the first time in his career he went the distance. In seven innings Martino struck out five and gave up no hits. By staying in all the way he ensured Rosario will be fresh as a daisy on Monday.

That’s when No. 6 North Rockland travels to No. 3 Ketcham. Recall that the Red Raiders won at Ketcham during their miracle run to the state final as a No. 15 seed in 2007.

Martino’s ERA (1.42) is surprisingly good this season. He’s been the king of the unearned run. Ten of the 17 runs he’s let up were unearned.

Martino’s performance today was even starker in contrast to South’s Joe DePool, who didn’t make it out of the second inning. He didn’t have command of the strike zone and once he hit Anthony Gokey with the bases loaded that was it. Ryan Kip got out of that jam but lost it himself the next inning. He walked two, hit a guy, then gave up the double to Cruz (pictured right) to break the game open.

I was puzzled not to see Viking ace John Tricario on the hill. I asked coach Rich Wirchansky about it, to which he responded with a “no comment.”

Tricario’s absence wasn’t an isolated incident. Two other key players did not surface in this game. South outfielder Ian Baker was absent from the lineup. Wirchansky issued another no comment on him.

North Rockland shortstop Victor Sanchez, the usual No. 3 hitter, was replaced by Joe Rastelli. Lynch said Sanchez is sitting “until he does what we want him to do offensively and defensively.” Whether he plays on Monday will be a game-time decision. Rastelli was good in his absence, drawing two walks, stealing a base, and laying down a bunt. He also made a slick pick on a funny hop at shortstop in the seventh inning (though the throw was off, resulting in an error).

Bryan Greig had South’s RBI in the first inning.

I’ll add to it throughout the night, but here’s what we have so far:

Class AA
John Jay 3, Suffern 1: Jared Hirschberg and Steve Green combined to throw a four-hitter to lead No. 8 John Jay to victory over visiting Suffern in the opening round of the Class AA tournament. Hirschberg pitched 4.1 innings and allowed one run on two hits to earn the victory. Green pitched 2.2 innings in relief and allowed two hits and struck out four to earn the save. It was Green’s first outing since May 6. The Indians, who will visit No. 1 Mamaroneck tomorrow at 4:30 in the quarterfinals, scored all three runs off Suffern ace Robbie Aviles. The junior pitched for the first time since serving a five-game suspension to end the regular season. He pitched all six innings, allowed three hits and struck out 11. Vincent Crotty hit a solo home run in the third inning to give the ninth-seeded Mounties a 1-0 lead. John Jay scored two runs in the fourth on an RBI double by Anthony Iacomini and a sacrifice fly by Alan Filauro. Filauro added an RBI double in the sixth.
Mamaroneck 6, New Rochelle 0: In a Class AA opening round game at No. 1 Mamaroneck, Michael Rosenfeld (2 for 4, double) had two RBI and became the second person ever to eclipse 100 RBI on the varsity level for the Tigers, joining Sean Hagan. Matt McGovern had a double, a triple, and an RBI. Andrew Benkwitt threw six scoreless innings and McGovern threw a scoreless seventh. Brett Rosen had a double for the No. 16 Huguenots. Starter Ian Lindsay pitched 4.1 innings and left trailing 3-0.
Yorktown 12, Saunders 2: In a Class AA opening round game at Fleming Field in Yonkers, Steve Nardelli pitched 6.2 innings and allowed just one earned run and Jake Matranga went 2 for 2 with a double and five RBI off the bench for the 12th-seeded ‘Huskers. Austin Sichling had two hits, including an RBI triple. Andrickson Zorilla hit a solo home run for No. 5 Saunders.
Fox Lane 9, Scarsdale 4: In a Class AA opening round game at No. 4 Fox Lane, Robbie Scott hit a grand slam to turn a 3-1 deficit into a 5-3 lead. Tim Panetta hit a solo home run and a triple, and Jesse Hunt went 3 for 4 with a solo home run. Fox Lane had seven extra-base hits. Brian DeVoto pitched seven innings to earn the victory and allowed just one earned run. Henry Hirsch went 2 for 3 with a run scored for No. 13 Scarsdale.
Carmel 3, Horace Greeley 0: In a Class AA opening round game at No. 7 Carmel, Mike Volpe threw a no-hitter to extend his scoreless-innings streak to 32 innings. Volpe struck out 11 and allowed two walks. He threw 87 pitches to win his fifth consecutive start. Gaston Rojas made a running catch in foul territory in the seventh inning. Zack Graczyk hit a two-run home run in the third. Ryan Shilling had an RBI in the fifth. Trevor Ganzi pitched six innings and allowed three runs on six hits for the 10th-seeded Quakers.
Ketcham 5, John Jay-East Fishkill 1: In a Class AA opening round game at No. 3 Ketcham, Brian Quain threw a five-hitter to earn his eighth victory of the season. Ketcham scored four runs in the first innings and had taken a 5-1 lead through two innings. Eric Luksis allowed six hits in six innings for John Jay-East Fishkill.
Arlington 8, White Plains 2: In a Class AA opening round game at No. 2 Arlington, Tyler Albrecht allowed one run in four innings and earned the victory. Albrecht, Andrew Golding and Donato Traditi combined to throw a three-hitter.

Class A
Hen Hud 8, Tappan Zee 3: In the opening round of the Class A tournament at No. 3 Hen Hud, T.J. Olesczuk had a triple and a base hit with two RBI for the Sailors. Teammate Nick Ritornato went 3 for 3 with a double and an RBI. Ryan O’Rourke had two RBI for the No. 14 Dutchmen.
Brewster 11, Harrison 8: In the first round of the Class A tournament at No. 5 Brewster, Ryan Carter went 3 for 4 with a double and four RBI for the Bears. Tyler Hanson, Dan Mannix and Joe Piacquadio each added two hits. Mike DeLacy went 3 for 4 with a double and four RBI for No. 12 Harrison.
Beacon 12, Rye 9: In the opening round of the Class A tournament at No. 6 Beacon, William Ramsey and Chris Triano each hit a two-run home run for No. 11 Rye.
Eastchester 13, Byram Hills 4: In a Class A opening round game at No. 7 Eastchester, Tom Medico hit two home runs and pitched four innings to earn the victory. Mike Bastone went 3 for 4 with a home run and had five RBI for the Eagles and Dan Sorine went 3 for 4 and had three RBI. Matt DeAngelis had a two-run double for the tenth-seeded Bobcats.
Pearl River 11, Pelham 8: In the Class A opening round at No. 8 Pearl River, Bobby Holmsen had two hits with two RBI for the Pirates. Teammate Nick Mart had two RBI and a double. Mike Bitetto and Malcolm Sigelbaum each had two RBI for the No. 9 Pelicans.
Ardsley 3, Panas 2: In a Class A opening round game at No. 4 Ardsley, Andy Rose had a two-run single in the bottom of the fourth inning to give Ardsley a 3-1 lead. John Pilla had two doubles and an RBI. Pedro Reynoso went 3 for 3 and had an RBI for No. 13 Panas.

Class B
Pleasantville 9, Pawling 8: In the opening round of the Class B tournament at No. 8 Pleasantville, Patrick Leyden had a bases-loaded double in the bottom of the seventh for the win. Will Andreycak had three RBI for the Panthers.
Albertus Magnus 9, Croton-Harmon 7, 8: In the opening round of the Class B tournament at Albertus Magnus, Ryan Sullivan had a two-run walkoff home run in the bottom of the eighth. Teammate  Mike Celenza had two hits and three RBI for the No. 7 Falcons. Jimmy Bowler had two hits and two RBI for the No. 10 Tigers.
Briarcliff 21, Bronxville 8: In a Class B first-round game at No. 6 Briarcliff, Jo Jo Pandolfo went 3 for 5, including a triple and a double, with six RBI. Teammate James DeAlto went 3 for 4, including a double and a triple, with four RBI. Brad Taylor went 4 for 4 with an RBI for the No. 11 Broncos.

Class C
Haldane 5, Tuckahoe 4: In a Class C quarterfinal at No. 4 Haldane, Will Charkowski had an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning to win the game. The previous batter, Mike Impellittiere, drove in Derek O’Dell with a triple to tie the game at 4-4. Louis Bellatoni went 3 for 4 with an RBI for the fifth-seeded Tigers.
North Salem 7, Valhalla 2: In a Class C quarterfinal game at No. 3 North Salem,  Nick Ranelli had three stolen bases and three runs scored for the Tigers. Chris Langelotti went 2 for 3 with one RBI and a run scored. John Meaney had one RBI for No. 6 Valhalla.

MONDAY — All games at 4:30
Class AA quarterfinals:
No. 8 John Jay (15-6) at No. 1 Mamaroneck (16-4-1)
No. 12 Yorktown (12-9) at No. 4 Fox Lane (16-4)
No. 6 North Rockland (15-5-1) at No. 3 Ketcham (17-4)
No. 7 Carmel (15-6) at No. 2 Arlington (17-4)
Class A quarterfinals:
No. 8 Pearl River (13-8) at No. 1 Lakeland (18-1)
No. 5 Brewster (14-7) at No. 4 Ardsley (16-4)
No. 6 Beacon (14-7) at No. 3 Hen Hud (16-5)
No. 7 Eastchester (12-9) at No. 2 Somers (15-4)
Class B quarterfinals:
No. 8 Pleasantville (12-9) at No. 1 Kennedy (19-1)
No. 5 Rye Neck (14-5-1) at No. 4 Hastings (14-6)
No. 6 Briarcliff (14-7) at No. 3 Nanuet (16-3-1)
No. 7 Albertus Magnus (12-8-1) at No. 2 Dobbs Ferry (18-2)
Class C semifinals:
No. 4 Haldane (13-8) at No. 1 Keio (17-2)
No. 3 North Salem (14-7) at No. 2 Blind Brook (14-6)

Hey everyone. I’m just about to head out to watch a couple games today. I’m going to swing by Mamaroneck since it’s the only 11 a.m. game nearby, then head to cover Yorktown vs. Saunders at Fleming Field. I’m interested to take a look at Saunders and see if it’s for real.

I’ll pass along scores. I’ll try and get Jake’s score from Clarkstown South-North Rockland. If I hear of anything, or if you hear of anything, please let’s try to keep the updates flowing. This will be our scoreboard for today.

Let the playoffs begin!

Here’s today’s schedule:

SATURDAY
Class AA opening round:
Mamaroneck 6, New Rochelle 0
Arlington 8, White Plains 2
Ketcham 5, JJEF 1
Fox Lane 9, Scarsdale 4
Yorktown 12, Saunders 2
North Rockland 5, Clarkstown South 1
Carmel 3, Greeley 0
John Jay 3, Suffern 1
Class A opening round:
Hen Hud 8, Tappan Zee 3
Ardsley 3, Panas 2
Brewster 11, Harrison 8
Beacon 12, Rye 9
Eastchester 13, Byram Hills 4
Pearl River 11, Pelham 8
Class B opening round:
Briarcliff 21, Bronxville 8
Albertus Magnus 9, Croton-Harmon 7
Pleasantville 9, Pawling 8
Class C quarterfinals:
North Salem 7, Valhalla 2
Haldane 5, Tuckahoe 4

St. Ray’s and St. Joe’s by the Sea beat Fordham and Mount, respectively, pushing both teams to the brink of elimination in the CHSAA playoffs. They play Game 2 of their best-of-three series tomorrow at St. John’s.

Fordham will meet St. Ray’s at 1 p.m., followed by Mount vs. St. Joe’s at 3:30. If both locals win, they’ll play Game 3 on Monday at a time and site to be determined.

I just heard from New Ro’s coach Pete Annunziata, who said his Huguenots held on for a 5-1 win. Anthony DeAngelo pitched for New Ro, the No. 16 seed, and earned the victory over No. 17 Ossning at Davis Elementary in New Rochelle. D’Angelo scattered five hits and allowed just one run in five innings of work. He was relieved by Martin Aranda, who threw two perfect innings.

As I said before, I saw the first five innings of the game. New Ro scored two four unearned runs off Ossining. There was a big sequence in the bottom of the second that I thought gave the Huguenots all the momentum. With Brian Martin on second and two outs, Ian Lindsay chopped a hit-and-run single to right field. Martin raced to third, but he scored when Ossining threw the ball over the head of the cutoff man and out of play near the Ossining bench. Lindsay, on second, came around to score when the next batter John Alvarez blooped a single over first base. It was a huge boost for New Ro to score two on a chopper and a pop up. Ahead 2-0, the Huguenots and D’Angelo were in control.

The Huguenots advanced to Game 4 against Mamaroneck, which swept them during the regular season. They play tomorrow at 11 in the Class AA opening round.