Pleasantville’s Browne Strong in Return; Carmel Walks Off on Fox Lane

Hen Hud Reels off Six-Straight W’s; Briarcliff Continues to Produce

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

Just two weeks removed from appendix surgery, PLEASANTVILLE senior Thomas Browne took the hill in a league showdown against WESTLAKE, the defending Section 1 Class B champions last Thursday.

The Panthers fell to the Wildcats 10-0 just two days prior but Browne wasn’t about to let that happen again. The senior struck out 14 batters over six innings while allowing just four hits in a big 2-0 win.

“Thomas Browne is a class act,” Panthers Coach Dan Iorio said. “The reality is that setbacks in sports are inevitable at some point in everyone’s career. In Thomas’ case, he has aspirations of playing at the college level and proved that his hard work and resiliency will allow him to achieve that goal. Thomas is extremely consistent with his performance and his behaviors, and that’s what has helped him improve his game throughout the years. He always rises to the challenge.”

Joseph Reich pitched the seventh inning for Westlake to record the save. Browne beat out an infield single to score Will Lent to get the Wildcats out to a 1-0 lead in the third inning. The Panthers added an insurance run in the seventh.

“The first step was to coach our players to take responsibility for their performance,” Iorio said of the Panthers bouncing back from a lopsided loss in the first meeting with Westlake. “And this goes for every loss. It’s very easy, especially with a young team, to become comfortable with the feeling of defeat. The players did a great job bouncing back and not accepting the previous performance.”
Marc DeNunzio went 5.2 innings and struck out 14 for Westlake while allowing just one hit and one earned run.

The Panthers (4-4) fell to visiting HEN HUD 10-0 the next day but finished up their rollercoaster week by handing previously unbeaten and rival BRIARCLIFF its first loss, in a 12-5 victory. Pleasantville pounded out 13 hits and received home runs from Browne and Lent.

“Although we are a young team, we do have some strong senior leadership, especially in our only two returners, Matthew Satriale and Thomas Browne,” Iorio said. “Our players depend on and motivate each other no matter what. They work hard at doing things together for our community outside of just playing baseball. That is what makes this team so special—win or lose.”

Nick Mulvey pitched a five-inning no-hitter for Westlake in a 10-0 win over Pleasantville last Tuesday. DeNunzio, Justin Silva and Ray Lubrino led the Wildcats’ offense with a double and two RBI apiece.

Westlake crushed Bronxville 18-3 on Wednesday. Anthony Arrichiello went four innings for the win. Lubrino (2 hits, 4 RBI) and Tommy Giaccone (2 hits, 3 RBI) led the offense.

The Wildcats bounced back from the loss to Pleasantville with a 16-3 six-inning rout of Haldane on Friday. DeNunzio (home run, triple, 6 RBI, 2 runs) and Giaccone (2 hits, 4 RBI, 3 runs) led the offense. Silva struck out 11 over six innings for the win. Westlake lost to Rye Neck 5-3 on Saturday to see its record drop to 5-2.

Despite the loss to the rival Panthers, Briarcliff is still 7-1 and picked up a pair of wins over league foe Blind Brook earlier in the week.

In a 6-2 win over Blind Brook on Tuesday at home, Jackson Mauro went 2 for 3 with two RBI, three steals and three runs scored. He also scored on a pivotal suicide squeeze on a perfect bunt by Zack Diamond. Mauro, the Bears’ leadoff hitter, is batting close to .700 through seven games.

“He’s doing an excellent job table setting,” Briarcliff coach John Schrader said of Mauro. “He does a nice job in the outfield and gives us a nice spark at the plate.”

Chris Beard, Owen Healy and Max Haberman each had an RBI. Giulian Greco had two hits and a run scored. Tom Poggi pitched four innings and struck out eight while allowing no earned runs to pick up the win.

Jayden Amador had three RBI while Haberman had two RBI and a homer in a 9-0 win over Blind Brook on Thursday. Marc Milano added two RBI. Jack Manganello tossed five shutout innings of one-hit ball and struck out eight for the win.

“Believe it or not, usually at this time of the year we’ve been working out since December,” Schrader said. “Because of COVID, everybody’s been tied up. But I have to give them credit. All of the kids have worked out hard on their own safely. Everybody’s doing a nice job.”

Schrader said the team’s goal is to win the league and obtain a high seed in the Section 1 Class B tournament. The Bears were the Section 1 runner up to Westlake in 2019.

“A high seed would mean home games being we’re playing at the higher seed this year (for the championship game),” Schrader said. “Obviously, a section title (is another goal).”

HEN HUD (6-2) won for the sixth-straight time after starting 0-2. It’s all coming together for the Sailors, including timely hitting and tidy pitching. Sailor hurlers have allowed just one run over the last 28 innings. The team ERA during the current winning streak is 0.65.

“That has been the key to our success,” Sailor skipper Van Vourliotis said.

In a 2-0 win over Nanuet, P Noah Lipton earned the win while David Buscetto and Nick Kelly each drove home a run. In a surprising 6-0 win over Byram Hills, Donovan Burns fired a complete game shutout. In a 10-0 win over Pleasantville, Josh Shea hurled complete game shutout, followed by a 7-1 win over BREWSTER, in which Nick Hiltlsey went the route for the win with Josh Gillison delivering three RBI.

“The message was simple after Saturday’s game against Brewster; I’m proud of everyone but at the end of the day six wins doesn’t get us anywhere or accomplish anything,” Vourliotis said. “Six wins doesn’t win league, doesn’t win a playoff game, and doesn’t win a championship. Continue to compete, compete and compete at everything we do.”

SOMERS also handed Brewster a pair of losses, 7-0, and 8-3.

“The team at- bats were grinding to score all day,” Somers Coach Anthony Nappi said after the 7-0 win.
P Dan Turner notched the win with four solid innings (2 hits, 1 walk, 5 Ks). Reliever George Creighton also provided two strong innings with four strikeouts and nobody reaching base. The Tuskers started their current surge when Matt Kapica and Brandon Iorizzo both hit big two-run bombs in a 12-8 win over Beacon to open the week.

WALTER PANAS produced another solid week behind the big bat of sophomore Sammy Stafura, who is hitting over .500 through eight games. Panas defeated John Jay CR, 3-1. Jackson DiLorenzo got the win on the mound firing seven superb innings, He sent 12 batters down K-way, allowing one walk, two hits and one run. Danny Witters had two RBI and Stafura added another for support. Panther Travis Carlucci went 2 for 3.

The Panthers also defeated Brewster, 11-8. Jack Laughlin pitched 2 -2/3 innings allowing one run with 5K’s to earn the win. Anthony Caputo and Ben Feraca both went 2 for 3 and had 2 RBI each. Smooth-stroking Aidan Cohall went 2 for 3 with a pair of doubles. Panas also defeated Horace Greeley, 5-0, when Carlucci pitched a gem, allowing 2 hits and no runs with nine whiffs in the compete-game victory, Stafura went 3-4 with a triple while Witters went 2-4 with a RBI. Travis Carlucci also went 2-4 for the streaking Panthers.

BYRAM HILLS went 2-1 on the week to improve to 5-3 and capped it off with a thrilling 1-0 win over host Lakeland in an 11-inning marathon Friday. Bobby Chicoine’s solo home run proved to be the difference in the top of the 11th. Chicoine pitched the final two innings for the win while Jordan Baskind started the game and tossed nine scoreless innings.

The Bobcats began the week with a 13-2 blowout win over Harrison on Tuesday. Chicoine, Jared Cohen (3 for 4, 5 RBI), Brady Carp and Daniel Bernstein each hit a home run. Chicoine pitched four innings while allowing two hits and striking out five for the win. Byram was blanked by Hen Hud, 6-0, on Wednesday.

FOX LANE lost to Carmel (7-6) to open the week but bounced back with wins over Ossining (15-5) and New Rochelle (8-2) to improve to 5-2.

Nick Cutaia went 4 for 4 with a home run, triple and five RBI in the win over Ossining. Michael Lombardi got the win (3 innings, 6 Ks) on the hill and also went 2 for 3 with three RBI. Matt Antolino added three hits. Jack Williamson pitched the final three innings for the save.

Panos Sinis was 2 for 3 with a double and two RBI against New Rochelle. Michael Byrns fired three scoreless innings in relief to pick up the win. Cutaia and Logan Matson each had two hits and two RBI in the extra-inning loss to CARMEL when Ram C Anthony Febo (4 RBI) went deep for a three-run walk-off win. Ram Kevin Dall doubled to start the rally. Carmel is looking as strong as any team in Class AA right now while Febo is as hot as any hitter.

Carmel had 16 hits in a 17-5 win over LAKELAND. Rams Nick Montagna (4-4 HR, 2B, 4 RBI). Febo (3-4 3RBI), Jack Sullivan (3-3 2B, 3-run HR, 6 RBI), Ronni Shofi (3-run HR) all supported P Mark Yorio, who earned his first varsity win.

The surging Rams also swept rival MAHOPAC last week. In their 13-3 win over the Indians, the Rams pounded out 15 hits led by Febo (3-4, 3 RBI), Jonathan McIntyre, Sullivan, Matt Demme and Mason Compton each had two hits. Brendan Murphy, Compton, Demme and Sullivan each knocked in two runs.

Carmel ace Sullivan toed the rubber in the opener against Mahopac and notched a 7-0 win. Sullivan fired a complete game and fanned 15 Indians while two hits in a dominant performance. Montagna (2-4 2RBI). Ronni Shofi (2-run HR) and Febo (2 RBI) were clutch at the plate.

Nick Moeller hit two bombs for Mahopac in a 16-5 loss to RCK in the Ketcham tourney, which was followed by a tough 4-3 loss to Clarkstown South.

WHITE PLAINS went 3-1 on the week to improve to 6-2. The Tigers started it off with a 13-5 win over Port Chester behind Chris McGuire, who went 2 for 3 with a double, triple and four RBI. Nick Vendola, Declan Bruton and John Myers had two hits and two RBI each. Michael Grande pitched six innings to earn the win. He allowed three hits and struck out four.

In a 10-9 nine-inning loss to Clarkstown South on Wednesday, Bruton (3 for 3, double, triple, 3 RBI), Vendola (2 hits, RBI, 3 runs) and Myers (2 for 4, 2 RBI) sparked the offense.

Mark Kent tossed a complete game shutout in an impressive 2-0 win over North Rockland on Friday. He allowed just two hits, struck out eight and walked one. Myers had an RBI while McGuire doubled and scored a run.

The Tigers cruised past Mount Vernon 17-0 on Saturday. Jesse Alfalla (2 hits, 3 RBI), Leon Marrano (3 runs), Spencer Englert (2 RBI, 2 runs, winning pitcher), Jake Dorchak (2 doubles, 2 RBI), Jay Biondi (2 RBI, 2 runs), Myers (RBI double), Nathaniel Levin (RBI), Edgar Muniz (RBI, 2 runs) and Grande (2 hits, 2 RBI) led the offense.

VALHALLA suffered two league losses to Rye Neck (14-2, 3-0) and lost to YORKTOWN (12-4) but got back on track with a 9-1 league win over Blind Brook on Saturday. Marc Weeks hurled a complete game one-hitter with 14 punch-outs for the victory as the Vikings improved to 5-4. Coach CJ Riefenhauser has the Huskers playing as well as any team in Class A. The Huskers split with Beacon to take a rare 2-0 loss this season, but in the 9-0 win senior P Kevin Weitman (7IP, 0R, 1BB, 8K) stole the show with a no-hitter. Scott Weitman (5IP, 0ER, 5K) came up big in the win over Valhalla, as did IF Kyle Zaslaw (2-3, 3-run HR, 4 RBI). P Matt Alduino (5 1/3 IP, 2 ER, 9K) pitched effectively but was the hard-luck loser against Beacon.

PUTNAM VALLEY lost home to Sleepy Hollow 7-4. Antonio Truglio (2-3 1R),

Joe Maloney (1-4 1RBI), Ryan Moriarty (1-3 2RBI) and Bryson Fritz (1-3 1R 1RBI) all supported starter Maloney (5 IP 4H 2R 1ER 8K 1BB). The Tigers also beat Hastings, 4-3.

Maloney (1-3 1RBI), Fritz (1-4 1RBI), Dylan Watson (3-4 1R) and Moriarty (2-4 2RBI) contributed at the plate to back pitchers Watson (4 IP 3H 3R 3ER 6K 5BB) and closer Matt Jacobson (3 IP 1H 0R 7K 1BB).

PV then defeated Poughkeepsie 15-1 on Senior Day in the Valley. Maloney (2-3 2R), Jacobson (2-3 2R 3RBI), Matt Borchick (1-3 1R 1RBI), Watson (2-2 2R 1RBI), Moriarty (2-2 2R 1BB) and Mike Langdon (1-3 1R 1RBI) back pitcher Moriarty (5 IP 2H 1R 0ER 8K 3BB).

Baseball coaches are encouraged to email results and comments to raygallaghersports@gmail.com or robertdiantonio@yahoo.com for inclusion in our weekly Baseball Notebook.

ROB DIANTONIO / DAVID ZASLAW / JIMMY NGUYEN PHOTOS