Hard to Ignore Yorktown, Unbeaten Huskers Handle Byram Hills

Carmel Blanks Ossining, Briarcliff Remains Undefeated

By Ray Gallagher, Examiner Sports Editor @Directrays
& Rob DiAntonio @RJD_Photos

It’s hard to argue that winning a Section 1 Class A baseball title is as tough as it gets; given the very nature of baseball and the absurd number of strong teams scattered throughout the section. The Class AA, B and C champions are scheduled to be crowned on June 12, but because of the huge size of the Class A bracket, those teams will be split into two different divisions and the winners of the two divisional finals on June 12 will meet on June 13 to determine the overall Section 1 champ. The cream will rise to the top come mid-June, but here’s a look back at early May and the start of the 2021 season.

CLASS A

It’s also hard to ignore YORKTOWN right now, even though the Huskers have but one sectional title in school history (1995). Not only are the Cornhusker boys lacrosse and girls softball teams undefeated, but first-year baseball Coach CJ Riefenhauser, he of former Mahopac and Major League Baseball fame, has the 5-0 Cornhuskers off to a roaring start, having scored 10 or more runs in every game.

“I give a ton of credit to my team and this coaching staff,” Coach Rief said. “They have all really bought in and are having fun. We feel like we have the ability to be in every game. We’re getting contributions from everyone. No one is being selfish. Everybody is stepping up and really buying into what we are trying to do.”

Yorktown continued that trend in a 13-6 win over host HORACE GREELEY last Friday, jumping out to an 8-0 lead behind starter Jon Sica. Yorktown senior SS Brett Warden clocked a three-run yard bomb and junior Nick Cortino hit a two-run HR to lead the offense.

Yorktown also went to town on highly-regarded BYRAM HILLS earlier in the week in a 13-3 rout of the Bobcats, blowing open a close game with nine runs in the fifth and sixth combined.

Husker Jon Munoz had three hits and three RBI, including a pair of doubles while Jon Sica (2 hits) doubled, drove home two and scored twice. Stephen Haglund (2-for-3) added a double, RBI and two runs while Swaroop Pujari doubled home a run and scored to support junior starter Matt Alduino, who worked five innings of two-hit ball, whiffing seven Bobcats to earn the win. Aldunio, a rangey lefty, his high-80s gas, and is one of several Yorktown starters with big-time stuff in his repertoire.

BYRAM HILLS (3-2) went 2-2 on the week and saw things start out with a bang with Jack Leary blasting a fourth-inning two run homer and fifth inning grand slam to propel the Bobcats to a 12-2 six-inning rout of Somers last Tuesday. What’s even more amazing is that those were Leary’s first two varsity hits.

Jared Cohen went 3 for 3 with two runs scored and an RBI. Michael Ascanio tossed 4.2 innings for the win.

The offensive onslaught continued the next day when the Bobcats routed Pelham 14-3 behind Bobby Chicoine (3 for 5, double, home run, 4 RBI), Daniel Bernstein (3 for 3, double, triple, 3 RBI) and Dom Miano (2 for 4, 3 runs).

The Bobcats suffered their first two losses against an unbeaten Yorktown squad (13-3, 6 innings) on Thursday and a perennially tough Ketcham squad (6-1 setback) on Saturday. Against Yorktown, Cohen socked a solo homer while Chicoine had an RBI double. Ascanio homered against Ketcham.

WALTER PANAS, according to Carmel Coach Joe Hackert, has a big-time lineup, and Coach Anthony Fata’s Panthers proved that and then some in a 12-3 win over Beacon Friday. Panas P Jackson DiLorenzo got the W, scattering just three hits while allowing one earned run. His eight whiffs through five frames were a career high. Panas SS Sammy Stafura went 2-4 with an RBI double and Danny Witters did so as well.

“So far, so good,” Panas Coach Anthony Fata said. “I really love coaching these kids. It’s great to be back on the field with them. We need to take one game at a time and learn from each game and get better. I’m very excited to see how this group can finish.”

HEN HUD got a walk-off, game-winning hit by Michael Gagliardi to give the Sailors an 8-7 11-inning come-from-behind win over visiting SOMERS Saturday. Senior Shayne Naley hit a lead-off double and scored the winning run. Josh Shea was the winning pitcher, firing five innings of relief.

“Josh really allowed us to continue to fight back each inning,” Hen Hud Coach Van Vourliotis said. “After starting 0-2 in a very uncharacteristic way that our program does not accept or is used to, we had a great week of practice and the message was simple, just compete: Compete in every drill, in every situation, in water breaks, it didn’t matter, just compete. Our team over the last week has embraced our identity as being that scrappy team that won’t back down or go away. It may not be pretty all the time, but we know we are capable of winning in multiple ways and every player is willing to do whatever it takes.

Against Somers, literally every player on our 14-man roster had a role in our comeback win and that’s how it will be going forward. It’s an absolute pleasure coaching this group of young men.”

The previously winless Sailors got in the win column earlier in the week by defeating Lourdes 11-0 behind Donovan Burns’ complete game shutout.

Two-time reigning Class A champion LAKELAND has struggled with bouts of inconsistency early on, including a 4-1 loss to Lourdes Saturday, in which Hornet Frank Kowal went 2 for 3 but not much else for Lakeland. The Hornets got off to a nice start last week, taking out Horace Greeley 7-2 when Kowal tripled and drove home two. Joe Torres (1-for-2) drove home two on an inside-the-park homer and Anthony Zeccola doubled home a run.

BREWSTER squandered a 4-1 lead in a 6-5 walk-off loss to John Jay CR, wasting six strong innings from starter John Gerfen, who set down nine on strikes. Connor Brooks knocked in two runs in the loss. The Bears also allowed nine runs in the final two innings of a 13-3 loss to visiting Beacon, which punched out 17 hits.

CLASS AA

CARMEL made short work of OSSINING in a 7-0 Rams victory last Friday when P Matt Demme fired a two-hitter, whiffing seven along the way, but he does need to limit the walks (7), which could get him in trouble down the line. Carmel C Mason Compton went 3-of-3 with a double and three RBI to support the cause. Carmel SS/P Jack Sullivan (2-for-3, double, triple, 2 RBI), among the most valuable players in the section, continued to rake at a pace the Rams (3-1) have not seen in quite some time. Senior Anthony Febo added an RBI for the Rams. Hard-luck Ossining hurler Dan Galef struck out six over five frames and was the victim of four Pride errors.

“We made adjustments the second time through,” Carmel Coach Joe Hackert said. “We couldn’t keep letting (Galef) get ahead early in count. Demme battled on the hill for us, but he’s got to eliminate the walks.”

Earlier in the week, the Rams easily dispatched WALTER PANAS, 8-1, behind a commanding pitching performance from Sullivan (1 RBI). The RHP worked six innings and sent 14 Panas batters in search of pine via K-way. Demme drove home three and Nick Montaga drove home two for the Rams.

“Sullivan was very impressive,” Panas boss Anthony Fata said. “The kid had command of three pitches and is legit.”

Panas may have lost the battle but sophomores DiLorenzo, Stafura and C Dan Witters had quality at-bats against one of the section’s best hurlers, but six Panthers errors were their own undoing.

Carmel has ducked nobody so far, splitting with Dutchess powers RCK (5-4 loss to open the season) and John Jay EF, who the Rams crushed, 11-1, behind a career performance from P Montagna, who worked five innings, whiffed four and allowed three hits. At the plate, Montagna had three hits and three RBI while Kevin Dall and Demme each knocked in a pair.

The Rams were set to continue their tough schedule last night against Fox Lane before a home-and-home set with Mahopac (Wednesday & Friday) and a Saturday visit from Lakeland (11 a.m.).

It was the Michael Lombardi show again last week. The FOX LANE junior posted monster games in wins over Roy C. Ketcham and MAHOPAC as the Foxes (3-1) bounced back from a loss to Arlington earlier in the week.

In a 7-0 win over host Ketcham on Thursday, Lombardi tossed six innings while striking out six and allowing just three hits to earn the win. He added an RBI double at the plate.

“Our game plan going in was to attack hitters right from the start with the fastball,” Lombardi said of his success on the hill.

“Pitching off the heater allowed each of my off-speed pitches to be that much tougher to square up. I had good command of my breaking ball throughout the game. The fastball and curveball played really nicely off one another, which kept their lineup off balance.”

Jack Williamson (2 doubles, 2 steals), Bruno Spadafora (2 hits, RBI), Matt Antolino (RBI double), Chris Giamo (RBI) and Nick Cutaia (RBI) all contributed at the dish.

Lombardi blasted two home runs including a walkoff solo shot in a 6-5 extra-inning win over visiting Mahopac on Saturday. The junior slugger, who was 2 for 4 with three RBI and two runs scored, crushed a 1-0 pitch to left center in the ninth inning, tossed his helmet after rounding third and the celebration commenced at home plate.

Aidan Hicks and Williamson (2 RBI) each had clutch RBI singles for the Foxes. Logan Matson had a huge outfield assist, gunning out a runner at the plate in the eighth inning to keep the game tied.

The Foxes fell behind 2-0 but put up a five-spot in the fifth before Mahopac rallied for three runs in the seventh to force extras. Ryan Caraher led Mahopac with two RBI while Kevin McKeon added an RBI. Steven Perrone stole four bags.

Fox Lane’s Mike Byrns pitched 5.1 innings, allowed one earned run and struck out six in a 3-2 loss to Arlington. Williamson went 2 for 3 with a homer.

MAHOPAC has not gotten off to a good start, falling to perennial powers RCK, 12-0, Arlington, 9-2, and FOX LANE, 6-5, in extra innings. Say what you want about the sluggish start, but Coach Myk Lugbauer’s Indians aren’t ducking anyone.

Ryan Caraher drove home two runs in the loss to Fox Lane and P Chris McKeon struck out six over four innings of relief.

There were 10 errors in all between the two normally steady defensive programs, Mahopac had six defensive miscues and has some stuff to clean up before being considered legit challengers in a super competitive Class AA field.

WHITE PLAINS kicked off its season in style, winning three out of four games last week. The Tigers defeated Mahopac (9-3), Ardsley (11-6) and Eastchester (10-0) while falling to John Jay-East Fishkill (5-4).

Mark Kent (complete game, 3 earned runs, 6 Ks), Chris McGuire (grand slam), John Myers (2 for 4, 3 RBI, double), Declan Bruton (2 hits, run), Nick Vendola (double, 3 runs) and Jake Dorchak (2 runs) paced the Tigers in their season-opening win over Mahopac. Nick Angeloni was 3 for 4 for the Indians while Nicky Moeller and Vin Mariella had two hits and an RBI apiece.

In a comeback win over Ardsley last Thursday, White Plains’ Spencer Englert picked up the win in relief, striking out three over two innings. Vendola (2 for 3, triple, RBI), McGuire (2 for 3, 2 doubles, RBI) and Teddy Hauser (2 for 3) paced the offense.

Derek Diaz (6 innings, 1 earned, 4 Ks, 4 hits) was the hard-luck loser in a 5-4 defeat to John Jay-EF on Friday. McGuire (RBI double), Hauser (2 for 4, run) and Bruton (RBI) led the Tigers at the plate.

White Plains bounced back against Eastchester on Saturday with Kent (4 innings, 3 Ks, 1 hit) and Englert combining on a one-hitter. Myers (2 for 2, 2 RBI, 3 runs), McGuire (3 RBI), Diaz (2 for 2, 2 RBI), Joe Salerno (RBI), Mason Lang (double), Bruton (2 runs) and Vendola (2 runs) led the offense.

CLASS B/C

BRIARCLIFF won four games last week to improve its unbeaten record to 5-0, defeating Croton-Harmon (6-0), Putnam Valley (12-1), North Salem (11-5) and Pawling (15-4).

Jack Manganello (5 innings, 7 Ks, 4 hits) and Zack Diamond (2 innings, 5 Ks, 0 hits) combined on the shutout against Croton last Monday. Jayden Amador had a double, two RBI and a run scored while Marc Milano (3 hits), Giulian Greco and Max Haberman (3 hits) had an RBI apiece. Tom Poggi scored twice. Jackson Mauro had three hits including a triple.

Poggi struck out 12 over six innings while allowing two hits and no earned runs in the win over Put Valley on Thursday. He also tallied three hits and had two RBI and two runs scored. Mauro had four hits, three runs and two RBI. Ben Raphael scored four times and had two RBI. Haberman added three RBI.

Milano had four RBI against North Salem while Haberman (2 hits) and Poggi added two RBI apiece. Manganello struck out eight in five innings of relief and allowed two hits to earn the win.

Milano, Greco, Chris Beard, Mauro, Haberman and Poggi each had two RBI in the victory over Pawling. Raphael earned the win, striking out eight over three innings. Diamond had five Ks over the final two innings.

PUTNAM VALLEY (2-3) lost to Valhalla, 8-3, Saturday and travels to Hastings on Monday in the hopes of reaching .500. Earlier in the week, first-year Coach Ken Santoianni’s Tigers knocked off Blind Brook, 8-4, turning to sophomore P Ryan Moriarty, who chucked five strong innings and fanned seven while allowing two runs on five hits. Senior Matt Jacobson led the Tiger offense, going 2-3 with a rib-eye and a walk.

The youthful Tigers have just two seniors and do not have what it takes to contend for a title in 2021, but they can be viewed as the team that challenged in 2022 and helped establish a foundation for what could be a rich future in the years ahead in what has become a baseball-crazed town at the current 9-13U levels.

VALHALLA won three out of four games last week to improve to 4-1. The Vikings began the week with an 11-1 five-inning win over Haldane. Leo Dragone struck out nine over five innings to pick up the win. Jason Rodriguez (2 for 4, 4 RBI) and Jake Sekinski (3 for 3, 2 RBI) sparked them at the plate.

Michael Dawson roped the game-winning RBI double as the Vikings earned a 3-2 win over North Salem last Thursday. Sekinski hurled a complete game with nine Ks and one earned run to pick up the win. He also went 2 for 2.

The Vikings bounced back from a 4-2 eight-inning loss to Bronxville on Friday with an 8-3 victory over Putnam Valley on Saturday. Rodriguez (3 for 3, homer, double, 2 RBI) led the offense while Dragone struck out five in four scoreless innings of relief and also went 2 for 3.

WESTLAKE began its season with a 5-4 win over Putnam Valley last Monday. Marc DeNunzio led the way at the plate (3 for 4, 4 RBI) and on the hill (3 innings of scoreless relief, 2 hits, 5 Ks).

DeNunzio went 3 for 4 with five RBI and two runs scored as the Wildcats routed Sleepy Hollow 15-5 on Friday afternoon. Tommy Giaccone (2 hits, 3 RBI, 4 runs), Anthony Arrichiello (2 hits, 2 RBI, 2 runs), Nick Mulvey (2 hits, 2 RBI), Nino Mastracchio (2 hits, 2 runs), Josh Gelman (2 runs, RBI) and Justin Silva (2 hits, run) helped fill up the stat sheet as the Wildcats pounded 14 hits.

PLEASANTVILLE (2-2) won two out of three games last week with victories over Dobbs Ferry (7-2) and Haldane (11-0) along with a 7-0 loss to Harrison.

In the Panthers’ home opener, Matt Satriale (12 strikeouts) and Charlie Bateman (3 RBI) led the team to the win. The duo also combined on the shutout against Haldane. Anthony Palma (2 hits, 3 RBI) and Joseph Reich (2 hits, RBI) paced the Panthers at the plate against the Blue Devils.

Examiner-area coaches (you know who you are) are encouraged to contact raygallaghersports@gmail.com (N.West & Putnam teams) or Rob DiAntonio robertdiantonio@yahoo.com for inclusion in our weekly Baseball Notebook with game-by-game results or a weekly recap due Sundays by 6 p.m.