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.