St. Joseph by the Sea already got a signature win this week against one of the area’s best pitchers. On Saturday, the Vikings added another.
Brian Russell outdueled highly touted junior Andrew Zapata as Sea defeated Poly Prep, 3-2, in non-league baseball in Huguenot. The Vikings senior gave up two runs on five hits, walked four and struck out five. Russell threw 108 pitches – assistant coach Ken Rigatti joked that he would have to had drag the hard-throwing righthander off the field.
“It didn’t look like he wanted to lose that game for us,” said Rigatti, who was running the team in place of vacationing head man Gordon Rugg.
On Tuesday, Sea beat Iona Prep and Temple-bound righty Tim McCarthy. Zapata, a Staten Island native who has a myriad of high Division I offers, gave up two earned runs on four hits and struck out six for Poly, ranked No. 1 in The Post’s NYC baseball rankings, on Saturday.
“He’s the real deal that kid,” Rigatti said.
Frank Sconzo singled and came home from third on a grounder by Matt Bowers to short that went for an error. Joe Santigate, who reached on a walk, came home on another error. In the third, Nick Gonchar drove in Santigate with a single.
“We got some good swings,” Rigatti said. “The kids put the bat on the ball.”
NON-LEAGUE
Berkeley Carroll 12, Hackley 2: Ian Miller fanned 12 and walked one in a complete-game performance, Anthony Spina had two hits and three RBIs and Richie Palacios, Chris Baumann and Chris Harper each had two hits and two RBIs for Berkeley Carroll (8-0), which erupted for six runs in the fourth inning. The Lions meet Browning on Monday at 3:30 p.m. on Randall’s Island. Hackley hosts Fieldston Monday at 4:30 p.m.
Fieldston 17, King (Conn.) 3: Matt Guzman had four hits and five RBIs, Jacob Hochberger had three hits and two RBIs, Stefan Torberg fanned four in four innings and Alonzo Cee allowed one hit in three innings for Fieldston (4-0), which meets Hackley Monday at 4:30 p.m.
ACIS
Staten Island Academy 6, Packer Collegiate 5: Alex Morisano had three hits, two runs scored and two RBIs, James Morisano had two hits and two RBIs, Matt Smarsch notched two hits and an RBI and Alex Morisano went 5-2/3, struck out seven and allowed two earned runs for Staten Island Academy (2-2, 1-1). Lucas Slevin drove in three runs, Fletcher Sherrod had two hits and two RBIs and Nick Morton scored twice for Packer (5-2, 0-2), which visits Long Island Lutheran Monday at 4:15 p.m.
OTHER SCORES
Xaverian 6, Holy Cross 0
