St. Joseph by the Sea is brimming with confidence, which only keeps growing with every win.
“We can take it all,” senior pitcher Frank Stavola said. “We have everything. We have confidence in ourselves. We feel like we are the team to beat.”
With one more win, the second-seeded Vikings will be.
They topped No. 3 St. Raymond, 10-3, in a CHSAA Class A intersectional winners bracket game at Fordham University’s Houlihan Park Thursday afternoon. Sea advances to play No. 8 Xavier in the semifinals Sunday at St. John’s University. It is the first time Sea has been in this position in five years.
“With the momentum right now we can definitely go all the way,” right fielder Nick Galli said.
St. Ray’s starter Kevin Juarbe wasn’t right from the start and Sea took full advantage. The senior issued four straight walks to force in two runs after Chris Ramanusksas led off the game with a triple to right-center. Anthony Battaglia followed with a sac fly and Joe Stabach plated a run with a ground out to quickly make it 5-0 before Stavola took the mound.
“With the lead it was easier for him,” Sea coach Gordon Rugg said. “It was much easier for him to throw strikes.”
Stavola made sure that lead was never in jeopardy. He allowed three runs on five hits and struck out six. Manny Rivera drove in the first St. Raymond run with a line drive single off Stavola’s glove in the third inning. The senior, who walked just two and had his curveball working, then responded by striking out Jonathan Crucey to leave the bases loaded and the score 5-1.
“I threw him a curveball in the dirt and he chased it,” Stavola said.
Sea (17-2) scored twice in the third on a walk and a wild pitch and two more times in the fourth on Galli’s inside-the-park home run to right field. Rivera made a late forward dive for the ball and watched it go under his glove and roll all the way to the wall allowing Pavia, who led off with inning with a single to also score. It opened up a 9-1 lead for Sea, which added a run in the sixth.
“I hit the ball hard. I was worried about getting thrown out at first,” Galli, who was 2-for-3 with a walk and three runs score,” said. “As soon as he dove and it got by him knew I was going all the way.”
The outfield mistake was just one example of an uncharacteristic performance for the Ravens, who pride themselves on pitching and defense. Juarbe, who was unbeaten coming in, walked five of the first nine batters he faced and was pulled after an inning of work. The Ravens (15-7), who play No. 4 Stepinac in an elimination game at St. John’s 4:30 p.m. Friday, walked 11 Vikings and hit a batter.
“The first kid tripled off [Juarbe] and then her lost complete control,” St. Ray’s coach Ron Patnosh said… “He just didn’t have his stuff.”
Luis Paniagua, the Ravens hero Wednesday night, had an RBI triple in the sixth to make it 9-2 and Chris Munoz plated the final run in the seventh. It was a performance Patnosh hopes his team puts behind them tomorrow with their season on the line. For Sea, it is a game it wants to continue to build off and keep in perspective.
“When we are in the winner’s bracket its easier,” Stavola said. “But its the playoffs, anything can happen.”
Iona Prep 8, Monsignor Farrell 5: Vinny DeMaria was 3-for-4, Brian Sullivan was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and Colin Moran was 2-for-3 with two RBIs for No. 7 Iona Prep (16-7), which broke open a close game with a four-run sixth inning to eliminate sixth-seeded Monsignor Farrell Thursday afternoon at Salesian HS in New Rochelle. The Gaels advance to face No. 4 Stepinac in a losers bracket game Friday night at Fordham University.
Nick Thorgersen was 2-for-3 with three RBIs and two runs scored, Nick Del Prete and Gary Boardman each had a pair of hits and Mike Viegas had an RBI for Farrell (13-7). Lions starter Matt Cascello gave up six runs, four earned, on six hits.
