[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYSZ_dbO8uM]
Just about the only thing that could stop the offense of Hills East today was a rabbit that caused a brief delay in the game.
Aside from that, however, the Thunderbirds smacked the baseball in their 11-2 victory over Sachem East in the single-elimination round.
“Each member of our team contributes equally to our success,” said sophomore Mike Palazzolo. “Age is really not a factor for us,” he added. “We’re playing like it’s game seven of the World Series, becasue we never know what game will be our last as a team.”
The T-Birds wasted no time getting the bats going in the first inning. Palazzolo, already committed to playing at Stony Brook, began the game with a double into deep right field. After freshman Matt Hogan flew out to center, Rich Villa hit a grounder to first base which was converted into an out when the pitcher covered.With the catcher drifting towards the first base line, Palazzola made a dash for the plate and he dove in safely to get his team on the board.
In the bottom of the first, starter Patch Dooley got into trouble when he allowed consecutive singles to Anthony Scheller and Anthony Siroka. After a strikeout of Hofstra-bound Nick Tedesco and Lafayette-bound Tim Quinn, he walked the next batter to load the bases.
He escaped the jam unscathed with a strikeout of NYIT-bound Matt Bartnik on a high fastball.
The T-Birds added to their lead in the top of the second of Sachem East’s starter Chris Mott. Spencer Stein began the inning with a single to center field and Jordan Milo drew a walk. The next hitter dropped down a perfect sac bunt that Motte ended up throwing into the runner and allowed Stein to score.
After an intentional walk to Palazolla, the ninth grader Hogan made it hurt with a sac fly to left
field.
Two frames later, the Thunderbirds looked to be having a quiet inning until Palazzolo smoked a high fastball to the exact spot as the first inning–except this ball cleared the wall for a home run to extend the lead to 4-1. Despite the next two batters reaching, Louis LoPiccolo struck out Tom Oliveri to retire the side.
In the bottom of the fourth, Dooley ran into trouble by allowing a lead off double to Bartnik and hitting the next batter but he settled in and induced a bunt pop up and infield pop up for the next two outs. He walked Scheller to load the bases, but retired Siroka on a ground out to the first baseman–although on the pitch before he ripped one down the line that appeared fair to the naked eye but was called foul by the first base ump.
The game was broken open in the fifth when the T-Bird scored five runs to extend the lead to 11-1. Stein smacked his third hit of the game–a hard-hit double to left center field and he advanced on Milo’s single to right. After a sac fly and a walk, Palazzolo ripped an RBI hit to right field to make the score 6-1. Hogan followed suit with a two-run single to left to make it 8-1. The next two runs came in on walks with the bases loaded to put the icing on the cake.
The victory allowed Hills East to advance in the tournament and improve to 15-7, while Sachem East has their season end at 14-7.
Hills East will travel to Connetquot on Thursday to face the No. 1 seed.
