Graczyk, Anderson Power Baseball Past St. Thomas Aquinas, 6-4
Box Score
FLEMINGTON, N.J. (March 19, 2010) – Fueled by a four-hit performance from freshman centerfielder Zack Graczyk (Carmel, N.Y.), C.W. Post rebounded from an early deficit to win its second straight contest over St. Thomas Aquinas, 6-4, in East Coast Conference baseball action.
C.W. Post improves to 4-5-1 overall and 2-0 in the ECC while St. Thomas Aquinas drops to 3-11 overall and 0-2 in conference action.
Graczyk's performance included a double and a two-run home run in the top half of the seventh inning.
St. Thomas Aquinas drew first blood in the bottom half of the third when junior third baseman Matt Marotta (Suffern, N.Y.) singled through the left to score freshman second baseman Frank Salerno (New City, N.Y.) from second.
The Spartans held the lead until the top of the sixth when Graczyk led off the inning with a double to left field and came around to score when senior first baseman Brian Anderson (Nesconset, N.Y.) connected for a single to centerfield. The Pioneers took the lead on the next at bat when freshman catcher Anthony Corona (Carmel, N.Y.) reached on a fielder's choice, allowing senior shortstop Bryan Bonin (Commack, N.Y.) to score from third.
The Pioneers tacked on three more runs in the sixth, beginning when Graczyk blasted a shot over the left field fence for a two-run home run. Anderson drove in the third run of the inning with an RBI single to right center.
The Spartans added one run in the bottom of the seventh when senior designated hitter David Schwartz (Nanuet, N.Y.) hit an RBI single to right field.
C.W. Post got one more run in the ninth when Graczyk came in to score from third on a groundout.
Things got interesting in the bottom of the ninth when the Spartans scored two runs on a single and a fielder's choice with only one out. But senior pitcher Brian Saldana (Deer Park, N.Y.) got out of the jam with a groundout double play ball to end the game.
Senior starter Pete Budkevics (Deer Park, N.Y.) earned his second win of the season and scattered nine hits with two runs and six strikeouts over six and two third innings. Saldana picked up his first save of the season by pitching the final two and a third innings and allowing two runs on four hits.
Salerno batted 2 for 5 at the plate and came around to score two times for the Spartans. Senior left hander Brian LeMarr (Flushing, N.Y.) took the loss after going six full innings and letting up two earned runs on three hits and three walks with four strikeouts.
The two teams will battle it out in a doubleheader on the C.W. Post baseball field on Saturday, March 20 beginning at 12 p.m.