Baseball Splits With St. Thomas Aquinas
Box Score Game One
Box Score Game Two
BROOKVILLE, N.Y. (March 20, 2010) – The C.W. Post baseball team completed a late-inning comeback in game one, and tried to do the same in game two, but fell just short in extra innings, as the Pioneers posted a 6-5 win over St. Thomas Aquinas in the opener but fell 4-3 to the Spartans in 10 innings in the nightcap.
The Pioneers improve to 5-6-1 and 3-1 in the East Coast Conference, while the Spartans slip to 4-12 overall and 1-3 in ECC action.
The first game saw St. Thomas Aquinas scratch out a 1-0 lead in the first inning as Kevin Ryan (Levittown, N.Y.) doubled down the right field line and scored on a single by Matt Smith (Paramus, N.J.)
C.W. Post answered quickly as they put up four runs in the bottom of the first. Freshman centerfielder Zack Graczyk (Carmel, N.Y.) singled up the middle to lead off the inning, and Bryan Bonin (Commack, N.Y.) was hit by a pitch, followed by a bunt single by Mike Callaghan (East Meadow, N.Y.) that was thrown away by the STAC first baseman, allowing Graczyk to score and the runners to move to second and third. After a strikeout and a pop up, Nick Compito (Syosset, N.Y.) got hit by a pitch to extend the inning, and freshman Kevin Chenicek (Levittown, N.Y.) took full advantage, doubling to right field to clear the bases and give C.W. Post the 4-1 lead.
STAC chipped away with another run in the second on a sacrifice fly RBI from Mike Apreda (Teaneck, N.J.), and pulled ahead in the fifth inning as they posted three runs, highlighted by a two-run double by George Wargo (West Haverstraw, N.Y.).
Down 5-4 with two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Kyle Dean (Southbury, Conn.) was hit by a pitch. The following batter, freshman Casey McKay (North Massapequa, N.Y.) ripped a double to center field, scoring Dean with the tying run. Graczyk followed with a single to right center that plated McKay as the go-ahead run.
Following his big hit, Graczyk came in to close the game and earned the save, giving up just one hit. The comeback made a winner of Michael Behar (Staten Island, N.Y.) who threw one inning in relief ad gave up two hits while striking out one. Starter Josh Laufer (East Northport, N.Y.) went two innings, gving up four hits and two runs with one walk and one strikeout. Junior Marshall Kapson (Commack, N.Y.) threw three innings of relief, scattering five hits while giving up three runs.
Graczyk had three hits in the game for the Pioneers.
The second game was a familiar scene as the Pioneers found themselves down in the first inning, this time as STAC put up three runs in the top of the first, as an RBI double, a passed ball, and an infield throwing error accounted for the three runs.
C.W. Post came away with a run in the bottom of the inning as Graczyk scored on a double play groundout.
The Pioneers continued to claw back with another run in the third, as Graczyk again led off with a single and moved around to score on Callaghan's RBI single to left field.
In the fifth, C.W. Post evened up the game at 3-3 when McKay and Graczyk knocked back to back singles to lead off the inning, but despite runners in scoring position and only one out, C.W. Post was only able to get one run.
The game headed into extra innings as the Pioneers had an excellent chance to score in the eighth with bases loaded and one out, but the Spartans turned a 1-2-3 double play to get out of the inning and STAC would take the lead in the top of the 10th when Joe DePool (New City, N.Y.) scored on a suicide squeeze by Andrew Ahn for the go-ahead run.
The Pioneers could not complete the comeback in the bottom of the tenth as they settled for the doubleheader split.
Starter Ryan O'Kelly (New Hyde Park, N.Y.) threw three innings and scattered five hits, giving up three runs (one earned) and striking out one while walking two. Zach Badanes (Syosset, N.Y.) threw well in relief as he allowed no runs on three hits in three innings pitched. Graczyk took the hard-luck loss as the freshman tossed four innings and gave up just two hits and one earned run.
Gracyzk notched two hits and scored two runs in the nightcap, joined by Bonin's 3-for-5 effort and two hits apiece by senior Brian Anderson (Nesconset, N.Y.) and McKay.
The Pioneers close out their five-game series against St. Thomas Aquinas tomorrow, in Sparkill, N.Y., at 1 p.m.