14 hours Ago
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Behind the booming bat of Anthony DePetro and the game-saving relief stint of Anthony Abruzese, host St.
Joseph by-the-Sea won the winners’ bracket final of the CHSAA AA Archdiocesan playoffs Sunday with a resounding 9-5 win over Iona Prep in Huguenot. The victory secures a spot for the Vikings in the Archdiocesan championship round, where the double-elimination format will give them two chances to beat the yet to be determined survivor of the losers’ bracket. The championship will be played Friday at a site to be determined.
The IF game will be Saturday. The way things started, it looked as if the Vikings might end up on the wrong side of the decision. Starter Nicholas Zarski gave up a leadoff single to Devin Diaz and then a triple to Julian Guzman to open the contest.
The next batter sent a screaming liner to the right side that looked like it would be the Gaels’ third straight knock but Sea second baseman Paul Cilmi had other ideas -- making a lunging catch that was the first of three web gems he turned in on the day, all of which stopped Iona rallies. The play seemed to settle Zarski, who got the next batter to fly out to center, scoring the Gaels’ second run but stopping Iona’s momentum. The Vikings came roaring back in the bottom of the frame, behind a combination of patience and aggression that has been their trademark this season.
Anthony Molinini and DePetro walked ahead of Gioacchino Bonsangue’s RBI base hit to left. Randy Rivera doubled to right, and Cilmi singled before John Gano deposited a fastball over the fence in left center to give the Vikings a 5-2 lead. “That’s been our game plan all season,” said Sea head coach Nelson Ortiz.
“A few games ago, when we lost two, we got away from our game plan which is pitching, defense and being selective at the plate. We regrouped and did a lot of hitting, a lot of tracking over the last couple of days to try and get that better pitch. We did that today.
” The Vikings tacked on three more in the bottom of the second, when Molinini reached on an error, Vincent Pettruzelli doubled and DePetro chased everyone home with a three-run homer to give Sea an 8-2 cushion. Despite the big lead, the game would come down to a critical sequence in the fourth inning. Iona reached Sarski for three singles, loading the bases and sending Ortiz to the mound for a conference with his pitcher.
“Zarski’s been one of our big pitchers all year so I thought I owed it to him to give him a chance to find his groove,” said Ortiz. “It wasn’t like they crushed him, but they did get the ball through the infield.” After another Iona knock plated a run, Ortiz pulled his starter and handed the ball to Abruzese, who saved Sea’s bacon.
With the bases still loaded and no outs, the senior hurler induced a ground ball for the first out and a sacrifice fly to center that made the score 8-5 and brought the tying run to the plate in the form of Iona’s No. 3 hitter, Sean Concannon. The Gaels’ big left-fielder never saw a pitch, however, as Abruzese whirled and threw to shortstop Gabe Lucca, who slapped the tag on a surprised Diaz to end the threat.
“One of our coaches, Vin Nicolo, called for the pickoff,” said Ortiz. “We saw an aggressive runner who had taken a big lead on the pitch before that and we called the play.” Abruzese turned in two more hitless innings while DePetro added Sea’s final run in the sixth to make the final score 9-5.
“Abruzese saved this game for us,” said Ortiz. “He is the unsung hero of this game. He’s been a catalyst for a few years.
He’s a battler and I knew he would be the one who wouldn’t get rattled and shut the door.”.
