Parents, Players Irked: Brewster Home Games Moved to Alt. Sites
So, the sun came out for a day or two, but it was merely a tease, or so it would seem; what with the dreary forecast on the docket this week. Rain and chilly temps will prevail once again as Mother Nature takes her sweet time ushering in spring-like days. As a result, Section 1 baseball managers will continue to shuffle the deck during this crapshoot campaign. Pitching depth will surely be tested in the days ahead with teams falling further and further behind, but that’s nothing compared to what they’re dealing with over in Brewster.
WALTER PANAS busted out the brooms and swept BREWSTER last week: The Panthers (4-2) won 11-3 at home last Wednesday and followed that up Friday with a 3-1 win at Volunteer Park in Brewster.
The issues at Brewster High, though, relate to its home fields, and, quite frankly, is both shameful and unacceptable. In case you didn’t know it, baseball teams traveling to Brewster this season will be playing at nearby Volunteer Park, not Brewster High School, which has had it baseball and softball fields deemed unfit for play by its own insurance company. All home softball games will be played at Markel Park.
The Brewster Central School District, which has done a ton of great stuff in and around its main stadium (there is no denying that), has disturbed too much space in recent years and cannot get the requisite DEP permits to do the necessary work on its baseball and softball facilities, which have needed some love and attention for quite some time.
Clearly, the poor planning on the part of the district has angered parents, coaches and players alike, who have the town to thank for coming to the rescue by providing its facilities as an alternative. Still, it’s not the best-case scenario for the seniors, who, whether the school facilities were in great shape or not, won’t get to play or practice on campus this season.
“The district has failed to address a problem that has existed for a considerable period of time,” said Joe Charbonneau, a former Brewster BOE member, the current Putnam County ADA and parent of a senior baseball player and a JV softball player. “Their failure to address the fields has led their insurance company to declare the fields unplayable. Sadly, the fields are in the same unplayable condition today as they have been for years. Nothing has changed and now the district has been forced to incur costs to shuttle their baseball and softball teams to town facilities with no definitive end in sight.”
That is some serious monkey business, y’all! Clearly, your kids deserve your immediate attention in the hopes of rectifying the situation. Kids come first: I shouldn’t have to remind folks, but every now and then we gotta hold some feet against the fire of my ire…
Diamond Notes: In the win over Brewster at Panas, Panther ace Jake Jempty threw a complete game, whiffing for the win. OF Tim Feliz (5 RBI this year) went yard for three runs and 1B Peter Andersen had two doubles and three RBI. CF John Young went 2 for 3 with a double and an RBI.
In Friday’s sweep, versatile Don Hopper clocked a solo homer and pitched 2-1/3rds innings of scoreless relief for the save in relief of winning P Paul DiPaterio, who fanned seven before leaving in the fifth.
“It’s crazy right now the way the season is going,” Panas Coach Anthony Fata said after the Panthers suffered a 3-1 loss at Beacon Saturday. “Nobody has enough pitching to keep up with the make-ups. I like to think that we’ll be able to qualify for the playoffs, and when we do we can be a dangerous club.”
SOMERS (5-2) took two of three last week, finishing off the week with a 9-5 triumph of Sleepy Hollow. Tuskers Chris Boncardo (2 for 4, HR, Triple, 3 RBI, 2 runs) had a monster game while Joe Marino (2 for 3, 2 RBI) and Nick Ruggiero (2 for 4, Triple, RBI) all supported winning P Austin Wainer, who did not allow an earned run over five innings. He allowed just two hits and set down seven on K’s with just one walk.
In Somers’ win over Poughkeepsie Boncardo (3 for 3, HR, 2 RBI, 3 runs), Ruggiero (3 for 4, HR, 2B, 5 RBI, 2 runs) and Marino (3 for 3, 3 RBI, 1 run) were at it again. Mario Caltabellotta chalked up the win with five strong innings (3 ER, 5 Hits, 5 K’s). Boncardo and Ruggiero each have five RBI for the year.
YORKTOWN split with Horace Greeley, taking an 8-7 win in extra innings with one of the premier pitchers in the section, Brandon Neeck, starting the game for the Quakers. Yorktown suffered an 8-1 setback in the series finale.
In the Yorktown win, Tyler McDonnell chalked up the win at Greeley where Luan Biberaj and Chris Sica each had two RBI for the Huskers (1-5) and Nick Farda had a hit, three walks, two runs and an RBI. Nick Campanaro had two hits and scored three runs. Anthony Fusco’s sac fly plated the winning run in extra innings. Neeck struck out nine and allowed two earned runs over five innings before getting pulled. We talked the struggling Huskers up in our pre-season notes, so let’s see if the real Yorktown shows up this week against a powerful Fox Lane outfit.
LAKELAND (2-3) split with John Jay, working a 3-2 home victory early in the week before getting gonged, 14-0, by the host Indians on Friday. In the Lakeland win, Hornet sophomore P Joe Vetrano doubled and scored the winning run when fellow soph Evan Berta (2 for 3) stroked a two-out, game-winning double for the late lead. Vetrano fired a complete game with 12 whiffs one earned run.
“Vetrano threw really well,” Lakeland boss Bill Casey said. “He only gave up three hits, and Berta played a solid center field. He hit the ball on the nose all three at-bats, which is nice to see against that kin of pitching (Jay ace Ryan Bryggman and closer Joe Biancone). The big moment of the game was bottom sixth when, tied at 2-2, and Jay had 2nd & 3rd with one out: Our catcher Zach Lerman picked off the runner at 3rd. Then Vetrano struck out the next batter to end the threat.”
RCK swept MAHOPAC, defeating the Indians 7-2 at Mahopac last Wednesday and taking a 2-1 decision from the host Indians on Thursday. The Mahopac bat were silenced by two RCK hurlers, who fired complete games and allowed just nine hits. On the bright side, Mahopac’s Billy Moeller was shoving it on Thursday, allowing just three hits and two earned runs over six frames. He fanned six and the junior looks the part of a legit hurler with 24 whiffs in 12 IP with a 1.17 ERA.
“Billy has done a great job for us,” Mahopac first-year Coach Myk Lugbauer said. “He worked hard this offseason and his work is paying off. He does a great job of locating his fastball to both sides of the plate and is able to keep guys off balance with his breaking ball. He is a bulldog on the mound and doesn’t get rattled when things aren’t going his way.”
Dylan Brehm and Joe Usewicz each have four RBI to lead the Indians (2-4), who are barely above .200 hitting as a team.
Panas also suffered a 14-7 loss to visiting CARMEL on Thursday when Ram Matt Vitro went out on fire, going 5 for 5 (two doubles) with four RBI and four runs. He did get hit some in relief but earned the win, allowing three runs on five hits. The RHP struck out five over four innings. Carmel (5-2) SS Sean McCarthy (8 RBI this year) added two hits and three RBI while Rams Joe Ciatto, Jon Minotti and Anthony Febo each had two RBI. Young (5 RBI this year) led Panas with three hits, including a laser homer. He finished with three RBI.
Carmel beat Somers on Tuesday, 8-6, in a non-league game. Ram Dan Castrovinci had two hits and three RBI while Vitro (6 RBI for the year) had a pair of hits and two ribs, and also earned the save. Tusker Logan Carriero had 3 hits for Somers.
PUTNAM VALLEY knocked off Hen Hud, 4-3, to advance to the finals of the Briarcliff Tournament where the host Bears sent the Tigers (2-2) packing in a 5-1 defeat. Junior righty TJ Brescia was selected to the All-Tourney team, chalking up the win over Hen Hud and lowering his team-best ERA to 1.97 in 11 IP. Junior RHP John Millicker has provided a steady No.2 hurler with 12 K’s in eight IP and a 2.62 ERA. Brian McBride leads the club with six RBI and a .444 BA. PV’s depth will be tested this week with five games in five days, including locals Croton and Mahopac.
HEN HUD is off to a 5-2 start and a third-place finish in the Briarcliff tourney after Saturday’s 7-6 thriller over Irvington. Rocco DiSisto and Nick Hiltsley pitched the team to victor while John Glashoff, Nick Caruso came up with some clutch RBI hits.
Monday defeated Peekskill 12-2
Sailor Sophomore Rocco DiSisto chucked his first varsity career win in a 12-2 rout of Peekskill with Trevor Dowling and Jack Kelly getting multiple hits. Hen Hud also defeated Harrison, 7-2, behind a complete game from senior Tom Pecchia. Matt Olstrom and Billy Reifenhauser had multiple hits for the Sailors.
“We showed great mental toughness against a very talented team,” Hen Hud skipper Van Vourliotis said of the Huskies. “Against Put Valley, we just ran into a really good pitcher in Brescia. Down 4-0 early, we fought back late and just came up short in the end.”
Ray has 33 years experience covering and photographing local sports in Westchester and Putnam counties, including everything from Little League/Travel Baseball to varsity high school prep sports and collegiate coverage. He has been a sports editor at Examiner Media since its inception in 2007.
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