Somers 8, Beacon 7 (8 innings)
June 2nd, 2009 by Rob DiAntonioI thought yesterday’s dramatic quarterfinal game between Yorktown and Fox Lane couldn’t be topped for a while. It took less than 24 hours to prove me wrong.
Somers trailed 7-5 in the bottom of the eighth, but Kyle Woltersdorf blasted a two-run home run on a 1-2 pitch to tie it up with one out. Beacon would then proceed to load the bases and Henry Ruhlandt came through with the game-winning RBI.
In the top half of the eighth, a rocket shot got by Woltersdorf, allowing two runs to score. It was only fitting that he answered at the plate. The power-hitting first baseman was also 0 for 4 going into his final at bat with three fly outs.
And talk about resiliency. The Tuskers just find ways to win. Early on the bats were silent as they trailed 4-0 after an Anthony Cervone grand slam in the third inning. Many teams would have laid down against a solid Beacon team, but not Somers.
The offense woke up in the fifth inning with a two-RBI double off the bat of Kevin Watson after Dan Zlotnick led off the inning with a single, followed by a Chase Levi double. James O’Hare then brought Watson home with an RBI single to make it 4-3.
Beacon would tack on a run in the top of the sixth, but the Tuskers answered right back in the bottom of the inning. Chase Levi laced a shot to right field with Zlotnick on first base. The right fielder came up with the ball and fired into the infield, but the ball sailed out of play, allowing both Zlotnick and Levi to score, tieing the game at 5-5.
Levi started on the hill, and went six innings, before giving way to Ruhlandt. Outside of the third inning, Levi was solid.
But what impressed me today about Levi was how much he raked at the plate. He went 4 for 5. He’s a contact hitter with speed, which is just what you want out of the two slot.
Coach Joe Wootten made a great call by bringing in the hard throwing right-hander Ruhlandt in the seventh to face Cervone. Levi was tiring and Cervone seemed to have the southpaw’s number. The switch worked, Ruhlandt struck out Cervone on what was quite the ugly swing. Ruhlandt would go the rest of the way.
Now the Tuskers advance to the Class A sectional finals where they will travel to No. 1 Lakeland for an opportunity to become three-time sectional champs.
Other results:
Lakeland 6, Ardsley 1
Kennedy Catholic 9, Rye Neck 4
I’ll be back later with predictions and thoughts on the championship game.
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