John Jay Heads to Loser’s Bracket after 7-0 Defeat at Fox Lane

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After beating Clarkstown last week 3-2 in the quarterfinals, John Jay reached the final four, and on Saturday, May 24, Fox Lane stood in the way of the double elimination portion of the tournament. An exciting 1-0 pitcher’s duel, the game broke open on a controversial ground ball up the middle, and John Jay ended up on the wrong end.

Jacob Storch fielded on the first base side of second, the runner’s collision pried the ball loose, and the force averted made a five run fifth. “The umps had to decide whether Storch had the ball or didn’t have the ball,” said Coach Lawrence, and no possession, according to the ruling, meant a safe call.

Storch did get the call to start the game, though. He worked a walk, stole second and the Wolves had two chances to push across the first run. Not quite, Will Civetta flew to right, Will Rickel struck out, and Storch was put in the middle of it for the first time.

After Andrew Diaz got hit on the first pitch and stole second, a slow, one out roller by Will Rudolph went under the glove of Storch, and the first run in had Lawrence questioning the play. “The runner was very close,” said Lawrence. “I thought he might have made contact.”

The umpire said no, and a walk to PJ Stonsby didn’t alleviate matters much. Neither did a laser down third by Logan Provost. But Civetta made a backhanded pick, stepped on third, and Will Rickel had the scoop for the double play at first.

Unfortunately, defense did not turn into offense. Jackson Moreo and Steve Carozo went down on strikes, and Ryan Valdes grounded out to short.

No problem, John Jay answered with more defense. Following Sean Singleton’s strikeout, Cooper Furst got a free pass and quickly returned the favor. One pitch, Jack Garneau caught the runner trying to get in an extra step. “Fox Lane does this jumping, timing thing. So I was watching, and I called for the pickoff,” said Lawrence.

The perilousness on the base paths wasn’t over for the Foxes either. John Czernyk’s walk had the shortstop trying to advance when the next pitch looked like it was getting away from Carozo. Instead, the John Jay catcher scooped the short hop on the backhand and easily threw out the runner.

Still no offense in the top of the third, the offensive anemia didn’t affect the play in the field. Save Danny Spolansky’s grounder getting under the glove of Nolan Rhodes, the senior would make up for the miscue in spades.

But first Carozo was on the case behind the plate. Andrew Diaz’s bunt went up instead of down and the catcher’s pounce was as fast as his decision making. Without hesitating, he fired to second, and the Wolves had the lead runner.

Rhodes, on the other hand, had no time to think on Logan Mammola sinking line drive to the right side. The second baseman went horizontal, made the diving play in the air and doubled up Diaz at first.

Up in a ruckus, Will Rudolph remained tone deaf on the mound. A strikeout, pop out and a groundout sent Garneau out to measure up, and despite a bit more congestion, he did so.

Greeted by Rudolph, the pitcher led off with a single, and after stealing second, a one out ground ball up the middle by Provost looked like run number two. Rhodes again, his diving stop stayed in the infield and held the pitcher at third.

A walk to Singleton loaded the bases, so Garneau repaid his second baseman’s good work. Three and two, the pitcher caught Furst looking on the outside corner, and Czernyk’s groundout to short had Lawrence heaping praise. Hammer out for being ejected the previous game, Lawrence didn’t stress over the decision. “We felt he was the right guy today,” said the coach, and the jams the junior worked out proved the point.

Unfortunately, the fifth put John Jay at the well once too often. Spolansky led off with a walk, and that brought CJ Simone in to bunt. Two times failing, he was forced to swing away, and his low liner up the middle turned the action into a long conversation. “We didn’t get the call,” lamented Lawrence.

Garneau followed with a walk, and Eliot Arbogast took over. A long fly to right at least looked like the first out, but the sun and wind weren’t kind. The ball dropped, and Fox Lane didn’t stop. Three more runs came in with a hit by pitch, a single and a ground out to third.

John Jay then went quietly in the sixth and seventh, and the loss has Yorktown awaiting in the loser’s bracket on Tuesday.