NCN Girls’ Basketball/Baseball Blog

Freelancer Mike Sabini was on hand for Ossining’s 65-63 win over host Peekskill Feb. 9. Here are Mike’s thoughts on the game:

It was the final game of the regular season and fittingly the best game, at least around these parts.

Peekskill (15-3) was seemingly in control against Ossining (15-3) as it entered the fourth quarter with a 49-36 lead and with five minutes left had upped the lead to 17. It seemed Peekskill was going to clinch a share of the league crown with the visitors.

However, Ossining showed why it has such a great basketball tradition, storming back for a thrilling 65-63 victory that gave it sole possession of the league crown.

What Ossining Head Coach Dan Ricci thought was a key turning point was when with 4:11 left in the game, Hayley Awerdick was injured.

“I never give up on my kids, my kids work really hard,” Ricci said. “When Hayley got hurt, our players took offense to that because they felt she was pushed. They were pretty upset and started playing a little bit harder. We weren’t playing with intensity and I think that kind of woke us up.”

As for whether or not Awerdick will be able to play in the opening round of the sectionals Friday, that was not known.

“She has a torn ACL (suffered during the preseason), there’s really nothing else she can do with it, she’s in a lot of pain,” Ricci said. “If she’s not ready to go, we’ll sit her.”

Ready to go against Peekskill was Alex Venuto, who scored 17 of her game-high 33 points in the fourth quarter. Venuto made three 3-pointers in the final quarter, including a trey that pulled Ossining to within 61-60.

“Alex is a clutch kid,” Ricci said.

Saniya Chong, who tallied eight of her 15 points in the fourth stanza, then stole a Peekskill pass and fed Connie Andujar, who scored with 59 seconds left to put Ossining up 62-61 and they never trailed again.

Chong, Ossining’s freshman sensation, also garnered 11 rebounds, 11 steals and eight assists.

“I thought Saniya struggled but she really played well in the fourth quarter,” Ricci said.

Peekskill Head Coach Rodney Headley Jr., while disappointed about the loss, feels the effort against the potential No. 1 Class AA seed, can only bode well for his squad in the upcoming Class A tournament.

“If you can hang with a potential AA section winner, which Ossining is, you can do well in Class A,” Headley Jr. said. “They played their heart out. Asia got in foul trouble and that’s what killed us, losing her with five minutes to go in the game, that’s huge. The girls that came in, I give them credit, they held their own. We had a shot to send it into overtime (on a jumper that missed).“

Leading Peekskill was Jazmin Garcia with 23 points.

“Jazmin was the leading scorer in the last game at Ossining, so she has something to build on,” Headley Jr. said. “She just picked up where she left off.”

Peekskill’s Sheridan Taylor contributed 10 points, Kiana Letsinger and Jackson tallied nine each. Jackson’s points all came in the third quarter.

“I think they (his players) played with a lot of character,” Headley Jr. said. “Like I said, to play against the potential AA champion the way they did, means they got a lot of heart.”

Class A

No. 2 Somers at No. 1 Lakeland

The game we’ve all been waiting for. Lakeland will try to dethrone the two-time Class A sectional champions. The Tuskers most likely send Dan Zlotnick to the hill on two days rest after he shutout Eastchester in the quarterfinals Monday. Will he be able to go the whole way? I’m not sure. I was told he threw around 85 pitches Monday so asking him to go the distance could be a bit of a stretch.

Lakeland has also burned up its aces in Jon De Marte and Joe Arena. De Marte pitched Monday, but I’m guessing he comes back here. I’m betting you may see Lakeland’s Mike Schoen and Somers’ Henry Ruhlandt/Jack Pasalides in relief.

The Tuskers are coming off an emotional big-time comeback win over Beacon in the semifinals. That momentum will most certainly carry over. They’re a gritty team and they have players that have been here before.

Lakeland on the other hand doesn’t. The young squad, who only returns two starters, hasn’t experienced a big game like this. Last season they lost in the quarterfinals. So the experience edge goes to Somers.

If the game goes into the bullpen early on I think the edge goes to Somers because I feel they have a stronger lineup. But something tells me both Zlotnick and De Marte will go longer than many expect.

And with Zlotnick on the hill in a big game, it’s hard to bet against the Tuskers.

Prediction: Somers 4, Lakeland 2

Class B

No. 2 Dobbs Ferry at No. 1 Kennedy Catholic

Somehow Kennedy ace Nick Modico has only thrown two innings up to this point. But I think it was a smart move, although it almost came back to bite them against Pleasantville. Rich Lennox is basically like a 1A, and Kennedy Coach Bob Fletcher showed plenty of confidence in No. 3 Tom Baroni, who took down Rye Neck in the semifinals.

Now Modico is fresh for the finals. Translation: Dobbs is in trouble. The Ferry used up its ace Zach Avalos in the semis. No. 2 Sean LaFaye will get the call after going six innings Monday in their quarterfinal win over Albertus Magnus.

Will he be able to handle the stacked Kennedy lineup? I don’t think so. I actually think the Gaels lucked out by not having to face Nanuet’s Dan Diaz.

The game time has been moved up from 4:30 to 4 due to Kennedy’s prom. Why they scheduled the prom the same day as the sectional final is beyond me. Didn’t they expect to be here?

Kennedy will be partying the night away after they win their second straight sectional title.

Prediction: Kennedy 7, Dobbs Ferry 2

I 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.

We’re down to the nitty gritty now. Five North County teams were knocked off in the quarterfinals, and three are left standing. Here’s some quick predictions.

Class A

No. 1 Lakeland vs. No. 4 Ardsley

Rematch anyone? Ardsley pulled off a big upset over Lakeland in the quarterfinals last season in a 2-1 pitchers duel. Don’t think for a second this isn’t on the Hornets’ mind. Jon De Marte was a stud in Lakeland’s 4-2 quarterfinal win over Pearl River. He struck out 11  and socked two home runs. Joe Arena gets the ball in this one and he’s been just as unhittable as his sophomore counterpart. The Hornets get their revenge and move into the finals.

Prediction: Lakeland 3, Ardsley 2

No. 2 Somers vs. No. 6 Beacon

Dan Zlotnick went the distance in the Tuskers 5-0 quarterfinal win over Eastchester. Does Zlotnick really seem to turn up the dial come sectional time or what? I’m thinking Chase Levi gets the call here, although it could possibly be Henry Ruhlandt. Either way, I think the Tuskers pull this one out. Beacon isn’t nearly the same team without ace Anthony Cervone on the hill, who pitched in the win over Hen Hud. Then again, you could say the same about Somers and Zlotnick. But in the end, the team with the superior lineup and pitching depth takes it.

Prediction: Somers 7, Beacon 4

Class B

No. 1 Kennedy Catholic vs. No. 4 Rye Neck

I was shocked when I was told that Pleasantville gave the Gaels a scare. Kennedy trailed heading into their final two at bats. But the bats responded, capped off by a walkoff single by Mark Palmer. I don’t think the Gaels let something like this happen again. Not in the near future at least. And without Ryan Pennell on the hill, let’s face it, Rye Neck is just a middle of the road team.

Prediction: Kennedy 8, Rye Neck 2

Four hours, 11 innings, two coaches tirades, six pieces of paper, and 24 walks later, this one is finally in the books.

Hands down, it had to be one of the wildest, most exciting games I’ve ever seen.

It’s one of those games where it almost feels like both teams won the game, but obviously only one team can move on. Yorktown has improved dramatically, and that’s an understatement. From the first time I saw them back in the Sorrentino Game against Lakeland to now, is like night and day. They look like a completely new team. Plenty of credit has to be given to Head Coach Sean Kennedy for turning this team into a contender.

Anyway, I’ll be back later with more thoughts. Have to get some writing done.

Here’s the rest of the results from quite a day of baseball. I’ll throw up semifinal predictions next.

Class AA

Mamaroneck 9, John Jay 0

Arlington 12, Carmel 4

Ketcham 5, North Rockland 2

Class A

Lakeland 4, Pearl River 2

Somers 5, Eastchester 0

Beacon 8, Hen Hud 6

Ardsley 6, Brewster 5

Class B

Kennedy 5, Pleasantville 4 (I heard Kennedy trailed late in this one and won on a Mark Palmer walkoff hit)

Nanuet 5, Briarcliff 1

Rye Neck 3, Hastings 0

Dobbs Ferry 14, Albertus Magnus 0

Here’s some quick predictions for tomorrow’s quarterfinal games. If I have some time, I may be back with some reasoning behind the picks.

Class AA

No. 1 Mamaroneck 6, No. 8 John Jay 1                            

No. 4 Fox Lane 8, No. 12 Yorktown 5

No. 2 Arlington 8, No. 7 Carmel 6

Class A

No. 1 Lakeland 6, No. 8 Pearl River 1

No. 3 Hen Hud 5, No. 6 Beacon 3

No. 2 Somers 8, No. 7 Eastchester 4

Class B

No. 1 Kennedy 13, No. 8 Pleasantville 2

No. 3 Nanuet 6, No. 6 Briarcliff 4

All opening round games are slated for Saturday with 11 a.m. and 1.p.m. starts. Ossining and New Rochelle take part in the only out-bracket game on Friday at Ossining. Without further ado, let’s get to the predictions for the North County contests.

Class AA

Winner of No. 16 Ossining/No. 17 New Rochelle  at Mamaroneck

Ossining has achieved its goal of making sectionals and getting the squad back on the map. Coach Bill Casey has done quite a job, but if they get past New Ro’, the road ends against the state champs.

Prediction: Mamaroneck 16, Ossining 2

No. 12 Yorktown at No. 5 Saunders

Yorktown had to get the luckiest first round draw, as the five league champs get the 1-5 seeds regardless of record, hence Saunders lands a No. 5 seed after dominating a weak Yonkers league. The Huskers take advantage.

Prediction: Yorktown 7, Saunders 5

No. 9 Suffern at No. 8 John Jay

A rematch of last season’s semifinals in the first round? John Jay really got an unlucky draw. If they somehow get through this game, they’ve got Mamaroneck in the next round. Ouch. Could be Suffern ace Robbie Aviles against….Stephen Green? Is he healthy? He’ll need to be for the Indians to make a game of it — but I think Suffern takes it either way.

Prediction: Suffern 7, John Jay 3

No. 7 Carmel vs. No. 10 Horace Greeley

I think Carmel should roll here fairly easily to set up a date with League I-C foe Arlington. Will they save Mike Volpe for Arlington? I’d say it would be a wise decision. Zack Graczyk should be able to handle the Quakers.

Prediction: Carmel 8, Horace Greeley 3

Class A

No. 14 Tappan Zee at No. 3 Hen Hud

Hendrick Hudson won’t have Mike Tandy pitching and I’m guessing Chris Weiner gets the call. Still, the Sailors should be able to pull this out even without its ace. T.J. Olesczuk (leads the section in homers (9) and RBI (39) and Matt DeSilva stay hot at the plate and Hen Hud moves on.

Prediction: Hen Hud 8, Tappan Zee 4

No. 13 Panas at No. 4 Ardsley

I know Walter Panas has been sliding lately, but they got a favorable first round game with Ardsley, who plays a fairly weak schedule. I’m thinking the Panthers throw ace Ian Cole. Panas is a tough team to figure out. They’ve pulled out some big time wins, but other times they have some head scratcher losses. But I’m going with the rollercoaster ride known as Panas baseball.

Prediction: Walter Panas 7, Ardsley 5

Class B

No. 6 Briarcliff vs. No. 11 Bronxville

It should be smooth sailing for the Bears no matter who they throw. They may save Jordan Sacks for a quarterfinal date with Nanuet. James Lombardi shuts down the Broncos.

Prediction: Briarcliff 9, Bronxville 1

No. 10 Croton-Harmon at No. 7 Albertus Magnus

I think Croton has a chance, and they aren’t going to have the “just happy to be here” attitude. But in the end, the Falcons pull it out.

Prediction: Magnus 6, Croton 4

1) Kennedy Catholic (19-1) — The Gaels locked up the No. 1 seed in the Class B sectionals a long time ago and are primed to repeat as sectional champions.

But as Coach Bob Fletcher always says, baseball is a funny game and you can run into that one pitcher that shuts you down.

Can anyone stop this runaway freight train?

I don’t see it happening. Not even Rye Neck’s Ryan Pennell and his 0.14 ERA could shut them down.

The Gaels have had some close ones of late with two 4-2 wins over John Jay and Putnam Valley. The PV game is somewhat alarming, but I think the Tigers are much better than they have played this season.

2) Lakeland (18-1) — Last season Lakeland was the No. 1 seed and was upset by Ardsley in the quarterfinals. This season, they’re No. 1 again heading into the Class A sectionals.

Will it be déjà vu all over again?

“You don’t want to think about last year,” senior catcher Jon Cosenza said. “You just want to go out with a new set of people and have it end differently this year.”

“Last year is last year,” Coach Dennis Robinson added.

But will this year be different?

The team is almost completely different from last year outside of Cosenza, Joe Arena, and a few others. So that may benefit the team in that most of them didn’t experience last season’s heartbreak.

Robinson has been to the sectional finals 12 times in his long tenure. With dominant pitching in Arena and Jon Demarte, a stellar defense, and a capable lineup, he could be making it 13.

3) Carmel (14-6) — A big concern for Coach Bob Shilling is the long layoff between the end of the regular season and their first sectional game. The Rams closed out the season back on May 20, so it will be a week and a half wait before they play Saturday.

Carmel is looking at a seed probably around 7-9, which means they should get a home playoff game — a goal for the team.

With Mike Volpe on the hill, I like Carmel advancing to the quarterfinals. But how the rest of the staff responds will be the difference in how far the Rams will go.

In the opening round, they could be facing a team like…

4) John Jay (14-6) — Jay and Carmel have identical records, so it only makes sense that they could be facing each other Saturday. In my opinion, it would be the game of the first round — keep your fingers crossed.

The Indians are 3-4 in their last seven, including a surprising loss to Tappan Zee. While most teams want to be peaking right now, the Indians seem to be headed in another direction.

Stephen Green has not pitched since May 6. Is his shoulder acting up again?

“We’re just trying to get him ready for sectionals,” Coach Geoff Curtis said. “I probably expect him back on the mound shortly.”

Let’s hope for John Jay’s sake that the left-handed flamethrower is back ASAP, as in Saturday. Not to say John Jay doesn’t have other capable arms in Jared Hirschberg, Lou Ricci, and so on, but they obviously want their ace back for sectionals.

Without him last year, they advanced all the way to the Class AA semifinals. And with him? Time will tell.

5) Somers (15-4) — Dan Zlotnick tweaked his hamstring back on April 10 in a 7-6 loss to Walter Panas. It has taken him some time to get back into a groove and he said that it never hurt his swing, but running the bases has been difficult at times.

“I’ve felt good,” Zlotnick said. “I just take extra care, stretching before games and before every at bat I’ll stretch in the on deck circle.”

The Tuskers will need a fully healthy Zlotnick to make a deep run and have a chance to three-peat as sectional champs.
The Tuskers have changed around their batting order of late, moving James O’Hare from the No. 2 spot to the six hole. Coach Joe Wootten wants to give O’Hare more RBI opportunities with guys like Kyle Woltersdorf (.700 OBP) and Zack Bird (.500 OBP) getting on in front of him. Bird has been batting cleanup with Kevin Watson hitting fifth.

Woltersdorf said the two-time defending sectional champs treated the Mahopac game like it was the first round of sectionals and are carrying that mindset into their final game with Fox Lane on May 26. They have locked up the No. 2 seed and a first round bye.

“We just want one good win after another,” Woltersdorf said. “Hopefully our pitching staff will come through and our bats stay hot, and we’ll hopefully go for that three-peat.”

6) Hendrick Hudson (14-6) — The Sailors locked up the No. 3 seed after defeating Ossining on Tuesday.

But Coach Paul Natale isn’t too concerned with seeding.

“We still have to play and we still have to win,” Natale said.

And the way the Sailors put up runs against Yorktown this past week, I think they can make a deep run as long as their pitching does their part.

Senior Matt DeSilva also thinks they need the bottom of the batting order to contribute to make a deep run.

“We really need those guys to step up and hit the ball,” DeSilva said.

Outside looking in: Walter Panas (9-9) is much better than they’ve played of late. They could easily pull off an upset or two in sectionals. Briarcliff (13-7) has the type of pitching rotation, especially with Jordan Sacks at full strength, which can help them win the close games in sectionals and make a run.

— Mike Sabini contributed to these rankings.

Rank      Class AA      Record      Prev
=====     ====================     =====     =====
1.     Vestal-4     18-1     1.
2.     MacArthur-8     17-1-2     3.
3.     Arlington-1     15-2     5.
4.     Smithtown West-11     17-2     15.
5.     Webster Thomas-5     15-3     2.
6.     Kingston-9     17-3     9.
7.     Auburn-3     15-3     14.
8.     Suffern-1     12-3     18.
9.     Columbia-2     13-3     8.
10.     Connetquot-11     18-4     16.
11.     Mamaroneck-1     13-4-1     10.
12.     Liverpool-3     15-4     4.
13.     Ithaca-4     14-4     17.
14.     Frontier-6     12-4     11.
15.     Newburgh Free Academy-9     14-4     13.
16.     Hilton-5     14-4     NR
17.     Clarence-6     12-4     NR
18.     Commack-11     18-4     NR
19.     East Meadow-8     16-5     NR
20.     Shenendehowa-2     14-6     20.

Class A     Record
=====     ====================     =====     =====
1.     Lakeland-1     14-1     1.
2.     Pittsford Sutherland-5     17-2     3.
3.     Maine-Endwell-4     14-3     2.
4.     Lansingburgh-2     18-2     4.
5.     Clarke-8     15-2-1     5.
6.     Hauppauge-11     19-3     7.
7.     Albion-6     16-1     9.
8.     Cornwall-9     15-3     8.
9.     John Glenn-11     20-1     11.
10.     Island Trees-8     14-4-2     13.
11.     Syracuse CBA-3     12-4     NR
12.     Victor-5     15-5     NR
13.     Red Hook-9     13-3     12.
14.     Hendrick Hudson-1     11-5     14.
15.     Grand Island-6     12-5     NR
16.     Iroquois-6     13-5     17.
17.     Miller Place-11     16-4     18.
18.     Camden-3     12-3     NR
19.     Malone-10     8-4     NR
20.     Burnt Hills-2     8-13     NR

Class B     Record
=====     ====================     =====     =====
1.     Somers JFK-1     15-1     1.
2.     Chatham-2     21-1     3.
3.     Granville-2     17-1     2.
4.     Windsor-4     17-1     5.
5.     Cold Spring Harbor-8     17-2     4.
6.     Dunkirk-6     18-3     8.
7.     Wayland-Cohocton-5     13-3     12.
8.     Westhill-3     15-2     17.
9.     Ogdensburg-10     9-1     6.
10.     Plattsburgh-7     9-1     19.
11.     Southampton-11     15-6     10.
12.     Nanuet-1     13-2-1     11.
13.     East Aurora-6     15-2     16.
14.     Bath-5     12-2     NR
15.     Beekmantown-7     10-2     9.
16.     Holland Patent-3     14-5     14.
17.     Pine Plains9     12-4     13.
18.     Dobbs Ferry-1     13-1     NR
19.     Dryden-4     14-4     NR
20.     Southold/Greenport-11     15-6     NR

Class C     Record
=====     ====================     =====     =====
1.     Keio-1     12-1     1.
2.     Ticonderoga-7     11-0     3.
3.     Oakfield-Alabama-5     16-2     5.
4.     Fort Plain-2     17-2     6.
5.     Little Falls-3     15-2     2.
6.     Brushton-Moira-10     9-1     9.
7.     Elmira Heights Edison-4     17-2     4.
8.     Candor-4     14-2     7.
9.     Canisteo-Greenwood-5     13-1     11.
10.     Tuxedo-9     12-2     14.
11.     Frewsburg-6     14-4     8.
12.     Frankfort-Schuyler-3     16-4     10.
13.     Duanesburg-2     15-5     NR
14.     Newfield-4     16-3     16.
15.     Pierson/Bridgehampton-11     13-8     17.
16.     Blind Brook-1     9-4     13.
17.     Norwood-Norfolk-10     9-5     NR
18.     Cattaraugus-Little Valley-6     13-5     15.
19.     Oyster Bay-8     10-9     18.
20.     Port Jefferson-11     10-11     19.

Class D     Record
=====     ====================     =====     =====
1.     Bolivar-Richburg-5     14-1     1.
2.     Schroon Lake-7     11-0     5.
3.     South Kortright-4     12-0     9.
4.     Harrisville-10     13-2     4.
5.     Fort Ann-2     12-2     6.
6.     Indian Lake/Long Lake-7     9-0     7.
7.     Hamilton-3     14-3     3.
8.     S.S. Seward-9     15-5     10.
9.     Jefferson-4     12-1     NR
10.     Chateaugay-10     9-1     11.
11.     Arkport-5     11-1     14.
12.     North Collins-6     11-3     8.
13.     Hancock-4     13-4     NR
14.     Pine Valley-6     13-4     15.
15.     Afton-4     11-5     2.
16.     New York Mills-3     15-5     13.
17.     Geneva DeSales-5     15-5     NR
18.     Clifton-Fine-10     9-2     NR
19.     West Valley-6     11-4     NR
20.     Smithtown Christian-11     6-13     NR

Rankings as of noon, Tuesday

1) Kennedy Catholic (15-1) — Nothing new going on for the defending champs. The Gaels outscored the opposition 30-9 this past week.

On Saturday they defeated Brewster 10-4 in the Christopher Caiazzo Memorial Game behind Tom Baroni, who struck out six in a complete game effort.

Joe Smith has yet to return to the lineup, but J.T. Flanagan continues to rake with two more RBIs against Brewster.

Kennedy will receive a test and playoff tune-up when they take on John Jay Sunday at home.

2) Lakeland (15-1) — Having such a young team can be looked at as a positive and as a negative in ways come sectional time. They obviously lack that big game experience, but the youthful bunch has already proven that they can play and they’re not ranked No. 1 in the state for nothing.

“They’re just so young they don’t know what’s going on,” Coach Dennis Robinson said of the team’s mindset heading into sectionals.

And maybe that’s a good thing.

The Hornets should close out the rest of the season with three wins against the likes of Peekskill (twice) and Beacon.

After last season’s quarterfinal loss to Ardsley after receiving the No. 1 seed, the Hornets are most likely going to be the No. 1 seed again.

Senior catcher Jon Cosenza said the key to postseason success is just getting better every day.

“We want to make some noise in sectionals,” Cosenza said. “We have something special here, so we’re looking to capitalize on it.”

3) Carmel (13-6) — The last two seasons Carmel received a low seed and had to play an out-bracket game in the Class AA sectionals. Two years ago it didn’t matter that they had to play an extra game; they still went all the way to the sectional finals.

But Coach Bob Shilling doesn’t want to have to go through that again. He wants a home playoff game for his squad and he believes they’re in position to get a top 10 seed.

“We don’t want to go that route anymore,” Shilling said.

One thing that worries Shilling is a long layoff. After their final regular season game May 20 with Mount Vernon, they will have to wait at least a week for sectionals to begin.

“Baseball’s a game of momentum, so I’m a little concerned about that,” Shilling said of the layoff. “Hopefully we can just keep getting better.”

With sectionals looming, Graczyk believes the Rams just need to keep on playing like they’ve been playing.

“We’re just going to see how far the season can take us,” Graczyk said, “and keep on pitching, keep on playing good defense, and getting the timely hits.”

4) John Jay (12-4) — Alan Filauro had always pitched when he was younger. But when he got to the high school level he had to make a choice to be a pitcher or a catcher.

He obviously chose the latter and it’s worked out pretty well for him to say the least.

But lately the Indians have used Filauro to close out games. Filauro’s first game closing was May 6 when he recorded two Ks in an 8-5 win over Greeley. Coach Geoff Curtis estimates that his fastball is up around 90 mph.

“It’s a tremendous tool to be able to go get a guy that’s going to throw strikes, be able to hit spots, and bring the kind of velocity that he can,” Curtis said.

“He’s strong enough that he’s not put at too big of a disadvantage by catching six innings and pitching one,” he added. “Fortunately, the games get spread out enough that if he doesn’t have to do it every single game, so it’s something that we can utilize.”

With two games with Tappan Zee and a much anticipated showdown with Kennedy on Sunday, Curtis wants to make sure they finish strong and correct any bad habits at the plate or mechanics on the mound.

“I think we’ve established the kind of team that we can be and now it’s time to go about being that team,” Curtis said. “You want to make sure you finish strong and make sure you win the games you’re supposed to win. At this point, we’ve made the playoffs; it’s time for fine tuning and getting ready.”

5) Somers (10-4) — Somers defeated Nyack 16-5 Saturday. So you’re thinking, OK, so what? They committed an alarming six errors in the game.

Coach Joe Wootten kept saying they had to improve their defensive execution. If they haven’t done that by now, could it be an early exit in sectionals?

Kyle Woltersdorf continued his hot hitting against Nyack with a homer and two RBIs. James O’Hare had four RBIs and Dan Zlotnick added three.

6) Hendrick Hudson (11-6) — Hen Hud has put up plenty of runs this season, but they have had trouble in games against the oppositions’ ace. Joe Arena and Jon Demarte of Lakeland shut them down, and Panas’ ace Ian Cole shut them out.

“We’re not waiting on the ball,” Coach Paul Natale said of the problem at the plate. “They think these kids are throwing harder than they actually are and their hands are way out in front of their body and that’s what’s going on really.”

They’ll have to figure this issue out quickly. When you get to sectionals you’re obviously going to be up against an ace in every game.

The Sailors close out the season with two with Yorktown and one with Ossining.

Outside looking in: I’ve slept on a young Yorktown (10-7) squad this season. The Huskers will make plenty of noise next year and will get to prove how far they have come this season when they take on Hen Hud this week. After a red hot start Walter Panas (8-8) has been stuck in a rut of late. We’ll see if they can correct that before post-season play begins. Mahopac (6-10) needs to turn things around quickly if they want to be sectional bound.