John Jay Moves to Semis with Win Over Clarkstown South

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John Jay Crowd and Sideline Photos

On Wednesday May 22, 6th seeded John Jay traveled the bridge to face 3rd seeded Clarkstown South, and the Wolves were obviously hoping to break the bracket. Quarterfinals in the afternoon, sundown had both teams facing the darkness in the bottom of the seventh. Bases loaded with one out and a 3-1 lead to preserve, Eliot Arbogast got the call after six and a third innings of Jacob Storch mastery. A hefty ask, the reliever didn’t waiver and had answers John Jay needed.

A fly ball and a groundout saved the day, and the Wolves advanced to the semis with a 3-2 victory.

The game began on the mound with Kyle Sperring, though. The Viking faced three batters and got three types of outs. Storch grounded out to short, Nolan Rhodes struck out, and Will Civetta flew to center.

Onto the bottom, Storch was slightly less efficient. After getting John Olivieri on strikes and retiring Nick Speckenbach on a grounder to second, Justin Amodeo’s single went nowhere when Ken Johnston struck out next.

The pitchers weren’t done dealing either. Arbogast and Will Rickel flew to center. and Sperring stayed home on Jackson Moreo. The Viking registered his second strike, and Storch was up next.

Johnston in the box, the catcher worked a 3-2 count but still lost the battle. Storch’s second strikeout, the starter then kept Will Rickel busy by inducing a pair of ground balls and keeping the scoreboard unblemished after two.

So was the John Jay scoresheet in the top of the third. Two fly balls and a strikeout tallied nine in a row for Sperring.

Storch’s turn, an error by Rhodes in the bottom added another runner to the Wolf’s plate but not a run. The junior got Olivieri on strikes and then made Clarkstown pay to start the fourth.

In an 0-2 hole, Storch worked the count back and launched a home run to get on the board. John Jay wasn’t done either. On the next pitch Rhodes went deep to center for a double and the bases were soon loaded on a Civetta walk and a Will Rickel single.

Small ball did the trick from there. Jackson Moreo and Carozo kept the ball on the ground and an error at second and force play made it a 3-0 game.

Hoping to answer back, Clarkstown was yet to figure out Storch. A one out walk aside, the John Jay Wolf continued to wag his tail through four.

But horns it was for the Viking on the mound in the top of the fifth. Three batters and three outs, Sperring provided a lead in for his offense in the bottom. Jake. Lipson walked with one out, stole second and reached third on an error. A fly ball needed, Derek Sweeney gave his team one, and it was a two run game.

John Jay mostly obliged in the sixth, and the remaining margin had Storch giving his team a little uncertainty in the bottom. After getting the first two batters, Storch walked two but got back on point by retiring the side on a ground ball to first.

Three outs to go, Storch quickly made it two by getting Trevor Reim on strikes. Even so Clarkstown refused to go quietly. Lipson singled to center and Sweeney and Braden Gershoff walked to load the bases.

The rest was Arbogast and Fox Lane now waits.

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