Fox Lane Tops Mahopac, 4-3, in Heavyweight AA Battle

Surging Brewster Flashing Aces; Panas off to Hot Start

By Ray Gallagher, Examiner Sports Editor @Directrays

While early April hasn’t exactly produced all that much ‘Baseball Weather’ in our neck of the woods, some of our local diamonds did dry out enough over the weekend after the mid-week storms that rolled through. Despite nearly three inches of rain between Tuesday and late Thursday, ground crews were hard at work, dumping tons of drying agents into the clay in an effort to “Play Ball”.

And we had a doozy of an affair at FOX LANE Saturday afternoon where Coach Matt Hillis’ Foxes hosted Coach Anthony Nappi’s MAHOPAC Wolf Pac. Fox Lane snuck up on some of the more ignorant baseball fans in the region last year because one can never count out a Matt Hillis-coached team, and the Fox manager had his youthful club playing typical Fox Lane ball by the start of the 2023 playoffs after an arduous start that landed them the No.12 seed.

Fox Lane hoped to pick up where it left off in Saturday’s visit from Mahopac where a pair of Section 1’s top chuckers – the Wolf Pac’s Tyler Castrataro and Fox Tyler Renz – locked horns.

Renz had already fanned 10 of the 16 batters he faced over 4.2 innings in a season-opening 5-2 win over Carmel, and Castrataro fanned nine and fired four shutout frames while allowing two hits in Mahopac’s 6-0 season-opening shutout of Clarkstown North.

So the stage was set for an epic Mahopac vs. Fox Lane clash when the St. John’s-bound Renz hosted the Hofstra-bound Castrataro, who highlights a rejuvenated buzz about the former Indians that has been missing for portions of the last decade.

It was Castrataro who greeted Renz rudely with a leadoff home run and a third-inning triple, leading to a 3-0 Mahopac lead before Renz settled in and the Foxes staged a pair of late-inning rallies to eke out a 4-3 win.

Logan Provost walked the Foxes off with a seventh-inning sac fly after Zach Goldman turned on a Castrataro fastball for a two-run double in the fourth.

“I was feeling a bit anxious in that situation as anyone would be, so I stepped out and regrouped mentally after swinging at a bad pitch,” Provost said after fouling off a pitch nearly over his head. “I put all my focus on having a solid team at-bat and just wanted to put a barrel on something and drive it to the outfield so Spolansky could tag up and score from third.”

Hillis, among the best hitting coaches in the state, liked what he saw.

“Provo was up there looking to be really aggressive,” Coach Hillis said. “It was nice that their right fielder (Tyler DeBrocky, 2 hits) had to dive down to get the ball because he has a hose, so that probably helped us out.”

The Foxes, whether they know it or not, are part of one of the finest baseball programs in New York State. They are starting to come to terms with that.

“This was a great win over a great Mahopac program, and it was really good for us as we look to make our mark in Section 1,” said Fox IF John Czernyk, who stroked a sac fly to bite into what was a 3-0 Mahopac lead. “We look to show Section 1 who Fox Lane is and hope to walk away hanging a banner this year.”

Renz (4.2, 7 K’s 2 ER) was relieved by Brady Hopkins, who secured his first varsity win with an impressive 2.1 innings and four whiffs.

If anything, the heavyweight bout between the two programs proved to each other that they belong.

“Two great pitchers, two outstanding teams,” Hillis said. “We knew we had to bring our A-game today. A couple of little mistakes here and there that need to be tightened up. We’re 100% ready, 100%! We had a great Florida trip, and everything we preach is really starting to creep in and you can definitely see the carryover from last year. We’re excited about this group and the way they work. Hopefully, big things to come.”

Mahopac had some additional opportunities to extend on a 3-0 lead, including a one-out, seventh inning double by DeBrocky, but were unable to cash in.

“We left a couple of chances out there to extend the lead,” Mahopac Coach Anthony Nappi said. “I think the biggest chance we had was when Drew (Lichtenberger) was up with men on and he just smoked a line drive, which was directly at the center fielder, but that’s baseball. That’s the way it goes sometimes, sometimes you score on a dribbler and sometimes you line out. That’s how baseball goes, but we definitely left a couple out there and had some opportunities against one of the best pitchers in Section 1. We had some really good at-bats, but we just didn’t finish it today. We’ve got 17 more games to play and hopefully we see them again at some point. That would be fun.”

Mahopac, which has a pack of sophomores in the starting lineup, is taking its cue from the veteran Castrataro.

“That was quite the game we just played, I’m extremely happy with the way my guys played today,” said Castrataro, who fanned six batters over six frames of work. “One through nine we had a great game. Great defense. Great approaches at the plate. A lot can be said about both teams. Both are special. We’re looking forward to showing what Mahopac baseball is really about.”

The Wolf Pac’s Vince Cataldo went 1-for-3 with an RBI while Rob Keller was 2-for-3. The Wolf Pac stole eight bases.

The Wolf Pac also bested Hen Hud, 7-2, Friday behind a stellar outing from RHP Robert Keller, who went six deep without allowing a run at Sunset Park’s Kenneth A. Byrnes Field in Montrose. Mahopac got on the board first in the top of the fourth on a sac fly and an RBI groundout by Castrataro. Keller (2 for 3, 3 RBI), the Nichols College commit, then blasted a two-run double to support his own cause. He added an RBI groundout. After giving up his first hit of the game in the fifth, Keller (11 K’s in all) whiffed the side for his ninth strikeout of the game before yielding to talented reliever Chris Sapienza. DeBrocky (3 for 4, 2B), Casey Brandstetter (2 for 4, double, RBI), Drew Lichtenberger (2 for 4, 2B), Robert Dusovic (1 for 2, 2 runs scored, BB) and  Castrataro (RBI) all delivered at the dish.

Hen Hud’s Jack Hiltsley busted up the shutout in the bottom of the seventh, plating a pair of runs.

Against Clarkstown North, Wolf Pac C Lichtenberger, a budding sophomore, notched his first varsity dinger, a two-run blast. Junior lefty Jovani Segarra (6 K’s, 1 hit) looked silky smooth in a tantalizing relief effort while OF Brandstetter and MIF Cataldo each added a pair of RBI.

A solid Class AA YORKTOWN club provided itself with a strong non-conference foe when Coach CJ Riefenhauser’s Huskers paid a visit to Class AAA heavyweight Arlington last week where the Admirals took a 4-2 decision despite strong showings from Huskers Derek Patrissi (3 for 4),  Cole Haddock (2 for 2, 2B) and AJ Solla (3B).

Yorktown then defeated Tappan Zee, 7-1, when P Ryan Dinapoli (5 IP, 0 R 1H, 6K) fired a gem on Friday. Haddock (2-run HR, 3 RBI) was blasting yet again, as was Liram Biberaj (1-3, 2 RBI) and  Solla (2-4, RBI).

Yorktown is just one of eight Examiner-area teams among the field of 19 Class AA challengers, including 2023 semifinalists FOX LANE, upstart MAHOPAC, BREWSTER, HORACE GREELEY, CARMEL, SOMERS and PEEKSKILL.

Greeley will be favored to win just about any time Virgina-bound sophomore Ben Schulman takes the mound. Fordham-bound Somers junior Andrew Kapica (SS/OF/P) is hoping to return to the sectional finals after helping the Tuskers take the Class A title in 2022 as a fresh-faced freshman.

Brewster has a pair of aces in seniors George Handal, a Rice-bound, and Keene State-bound Colin Krebs. The duo should keep the Bears in most games if the lineup can function effectively and score some runs.

Krebs did so in a 17-0 win over Sleepy Hollow, who couldn’t put a bat on ball in a five-inning no-hitter for the Bears. Steve Arena (2 hits, RBI), Andrew Velardo (2 hits, RBI) and

Chase Prohaszka (3 hits, RBI) all did damage for the Bears.

Handal did his part in a 3-2 one-hit win over host Carmel Friday, sending 14 Rams down K-way. The RHP allowed one earned run, making the Bears a tough club to score on: They’ve allowed just four earned runs during a 3-1 start, including a pair of shutouts.

Brewster P Aiden Rosario fired a complete game (5 IP mercy rule) with nine whiffs in a 12-0 win over Gorton. Bear Carter Dineen (3 for 3, 2 3B, 2 RBI) paced the attack after breaking up the no-hitter in the Bears’ 3-0 opening-day loss to Nyack.

Carmel’s Jagger Scaperotti (2 for 4, 2 RBI) and Nick Kreatsoulas (1-3, double, RBI, 2 walks, 2 runs) did all they could in a 10-5 loss to Clarkstown North Saturday.

First-time defending Class A champion WALTER PANAS leads a cast of five Examiner-area teams, including BYRAM HILLS, LAKELAND, BRIARCLIFF, PLEASANTVILLE and HEN HUD against a field of 20 teams. The NYSPHSAA runner-up Panthers lost a ton to graduation, including MLB draftee SS Sammy Safura (Cincinnati Reds) and three DI players in Jackson DiLorenzo (ECU), Danny Witters (Stetson) and Tony Humphries (BC). That said, the cupboard still has three solid arms in junior RHP Nick DiMaso and seniors RHP Ryan Chenard and Alex Enea, plus slugging senior OF Randy Wiesner (JUCO Georgia Highlands-bound).

Enea, who was out last season with an arm injury, stroked a one-out single up the middle and scored on a walk-off double off the bat of sophomore Matt Garcia, who goes 6’2” 220, in the Panthers’ 4-3 win over visiting Somers Friday when Anea took the bump and earned the win.

“It was great having Enea back in the middle of it all,” Panas Coach Anthony Fata said. “He pitched very well for us, too, and Garcia is going to be fun to watch the next few years.”

Panther Dean Sewall was credited with the win after three Panas pitchers contributed to the win.

Panas then went out Saturday and posted a 3-1 win over a very good Rye club, doing so behind a sterling pitching effort from Garcia.

Byram Hills (1-2) notched a 12-6 win over Nyack when M Bellantoni had two hits with three RBI. A. Schissler came in relief and ended the game with a strike out with the bases loaded

Briarcliff took a 12-2 decision from North Salem 2 behind P James Mulligan (5 IP, 0 earned runs allowed, 3 for 4, 2 RBI), Jon Iwai (HR, 4 RBI) and Lucas Golovcsenko (3 hits).

Bear Luke Diamond went 4 for 5 with two doubles and three RBI in Saturday’s 10-9 loss to Hastings.

Defending Class AA NYSPHSAA champion RCK, now in AAA with the new classification structure to add yet another class in the mix, will need to fend off 11 additional challengers this spring, including Examiner-area teams like WHITE PLAINS and OSSINING (1-1), which took powerhouse John Jay EF to the wire in a 3-2 loss Sunday. The Pride certainly looked like a team that might harbor Final 4 aspirations. Pride’s Brian Hoffman was 1-3 with a RBI. Mike Lebenson, Joey Acampora and Chase Kaplan each picked up a hit.

“It was a really good game,” Ossining Coach Scott Deliso said, noting the pitching performance of starter Owen Brennan. “We have a lot of talent this year, so I am hoping we surprise a lot of people.”

Tigers P (1-2) Gavin Townsend went 4.1 innings in White Plains’ 5-1 loss to Mamaroneck Friday, allowing three earned runs while whiffing six. He also doubled and scored.

But the Tigers lost, 3-2, to Horace Greeley Saturday when Quaker P Cole Stein (4 IP, 2 runs, 0 earned, 2 hits allowed, 3 K) pitched Greeley (1-1) to the contention before Zach Bond (3 IP, 0 runs, 2 hits allowed, 5 K) picked up the win behind RBI from Mason Schwartz and Spencer Walden. The Quakers challenged themselves again by taking on Arlginton but were no match in an 11-1 loss.

Sam Mendez (6 IP, 2 earned runs, 3 hits allowed, 5 K, 2 BB) pitched well in defeat for the Tigers.

After a solid 2023 season, Class B finalist CROTON-HARMON remains squarely in the mix of legitimate challengers in 2024. Of the nine teams in Class B this spring, Croton will face challenges from Examiner-area teams like WESTLAKE, VALHALLA and a PUTNAM VALLEY (1-1-1) club that opened some eyes last Monday in a 2-1 upset of highly regarded Blind Brook and its ace Andrew Rogovic.

They are doing more than talking the talk over at Croton this season. The Tigers are walking the walk, too; a 3-2 win over Bronxville Friday and a 10-0 win over Irvington Saturday shows the Tigers with a crisp 4-0 start to the 2024 campaign.

In Croton’s 10-0 win over Irvington P Oren Rouas chalked up seven K’s for the win. Offensive support came from Mekhi Smithwick (2 for 3 2 RBI), Eric Min (2 for 2 RBI), Sam Levine (1 for 2 RBI) and Matt Anfiteatro (1 for 2 2 RBI).

Against Bronxville, P Andrew Kim (5-1/3 IP, 2 ER 3 K’s) and winning reliever Aidan Callahan (1-⅔ ) combined on the bump before Matt Anfiteatro stroked a clutch two-out, run-scoring single to give the Tigers the lead in the bottom of the sixth.

The Tigers concluded their trip to sunny Fla. with a 12-10 win over Pleasantville at Fort Pierce. Sam Levine (4 for 5 3RBI), Owen Mintzer (2-4 RBI), Korey DeBeer (1-2 2 RBI), Aidan Callahan (1-3 RBI, 2 runs, 4IP 5K for the win) and Mekhi Smithwick (3 IP 2K’s, save) all delivered for a Croton club with its eyes on the prize under Manager Eric Rosen and right-hand man Jay Tomasulo.

“Aidan Callahan got the start for us and he faced off against (P’Ville ace) Charlie Batemen,” Rosen said. “The bats came alive and we pounded out 13 hits including a 4 for 5 night from SS Sam Levine, who also produced four RBI. No Croton vs. Pleasantville game is ever that easy. The Panthers stormed back and plated four runs in the bottom of the third on a Supranowitz bases- clearing triple. We have not played a perfect game yet. We were sloppy in the field and had some untimely walks but our offense kept pounding away and we were able to overcome some defensive miscues”

Westlake’s Jake Nargi chucked a one-hit complete-game shutout in a 2-0 win over Hastings. Javier Moronta (2 for 3, triple, RBI) and Mark Mastracchio each drove home a run.

Valhalla (0-3-1) is still searching for its first win.

In Class C/D, HALDANE (0-1) is one of five teams taking aim at prohibitive favorite Tuckahoe.

(Coaches please tag @Directrays on X, email raygallaghersports@gmail.com or text game-by-game results for inclusion in our weekly Baseball Notebook #SnoozeYouLose)

 

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