The classic Suffolk County Class B playoff matchup between Center Moriches and Mattituck proved to be an action-packed two-day battle. Center Moriches hosted the game, as they are the No. 1 seed, and took care of business, winning 7-4.
On Tuesday, the Red Devils and Tuckers only played two and a half innings. After a scoreless first the rain began to fall heavily. David Franchi started the game for the Red Devils.
Despite the rain, the right-hander allowed just one run in the top half of the third, where the rain was coming down hard enough for the umpires to call the game after the half inning concluded.
CM scored two runs in the second after third baseman David Falco led off the inning with a double over the center fielder’s head. He eventually came around to score after designated hitter Brad Sakellarides knocked a double of his own.
“It was definitely pretty weird to start in the third inning,” Center Moriches third baseman David Falco said. “But just like yesterday we came out swinging and put a lot of runs up on the board for our pitchers.”
Sakellarides advanced to third on a wild pitch and then scored on a throwing error. Just like that CM was up 2-0. Franchi used that momentum and struck out the first two batters that he faced in the third.
With two outs, however, Tyler F Olsen started a rally with a base hit. Bryce Grathwohl, the Mattituck starting pitcher, followed with a base hit as well. Franchi walked the next batter to load the bases. He then drilled Ryan Mohon in the back with a pitch that slipped to score a run.
Franchi dug deep and forced the next batter to ground out to the shortstop. This was the last play of the day for Tuesday. The game resumed this afternoon with Center Moriches hitting first in the bottom half of the third.
Once again it was Falco with the offensive production. After an error a sac bunt and a walk Falco found his pitch and left the yard for a three-run homerun to left field. He finished the day 2-for-2 with a walk, two runs scored and three RBIs.
“I was definitely struggling a bit at the end of the regular season,” Falco said. “So I came into this game wanting to take a lot of swings and just put the ball in play.”
This 5-1 lead was more than enough run support for Axcess Baseball League 8 MVP Liam Pulsipher. The lefty came out going right after Mattituck’s 7-8-9 hitters, striking out the side in order in the fourth.
The experienced ace for Center Moriches tossed three strong innings, fanning six batters, while walking none and allowing just two hits. The limited amount of pitches he threw puts him in position to start Friday’s Suffolk County Class B Championship, with CM needing just one win and either Babylon or Mattituck needing to win two.
“We’re really confident after that win because it proved that when we do everything right, no one can beat us.” Falco added.
CM went on to tack on two more insurance runs in the fifth and sixth innings to open up a 7-1 lead. This time it was the Red Devils’ pitchers producing the offense. Pulsipher drove a solo shot to right field in the fifth and Franchi drove in a run off a sac fly to left in the sixth.
Matt Alifano replaced Pulsipher in the seventh and struggled to find the strike zone. Luckily for Mattituck this was the perfect recipe for a rally with their eight and nine hitters leading off the inning. Tyler C Olsen worked a walk and Brett Mohon reached with a base hit.
Leadoff hitter Jason Scalia drove in a run with a base hit. A fielder’s choice and a tough first base to pitcher putout would follow, allowing Scalia and Tyler F Olsen to advance to second and third, setting the table for Sam Dickenson.
Dickenson stepped in and drove a two-run single to right field, cutting the deficit to three. Alifano settled down and forced a grounder, but in the hole between the first and second basemen. Dylan Bryant stretched out and fielded the ball and was able to throw out the runner thanks to an impressive stretch from Rob Copozzi at first base.
Mattituck is set to pick up play tomorrow at Babylon. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.
