Plainedge hangs on with a 3-2 victory over Merrick pic.twitter.com/2u4fJrL9Xh
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) August 12, 2020
by Jared Valluzzi
Unfortunately, there was no actual high school baseball season in 2020, but summer league is what these schools had left and when they got to the championship it didn’t disappoint. Plainedge High School was the location for this championship on a hot summer day as both Merrick and Plainedge came into the game red hot.
Entering this contest Merrick was scoring like no other during the playoffs. In the last 3 games the Colts scored 34 runs including a 13-1 victory over top seeded Garden City just a day ago. On the other hand, Plainedge’s pitching and defense is what got them to this point. Three out of their last five games they posted shutouts. It was a clear battle between shutdown defense and an elite offense.
In the top of the first inning it was Plainedge up to bat and they immediately got things going. After Anthony Labita flew out to start the game, It was Frank Whitenack getting a double from the number 2 hole for Plainedge. After Braden Clark was retired it was Zach Zarra up to bat with one man on and 2 out. Zarra absolutely crushed one and it was a big two-run homerun to Plainedge ahead by the score of 2-0.
Mike Schock was on the mound for Plainedge going against this elite Merrick batting lineup. Plainedge’s defense is a big reason why they were in the championship and it was the Joe Leone show in the bottom of the first. The shortstop for Plainedge made 3 great plays recording all the outs of the inning after some hard-hit grounders.
Merrick’s coach mentioned before the game that they will be using multiple pitchers throughout the afternoon and despite letting up the home run in the first, Brooks Montalbano went back to work in the top of the second. Montalbano recorded one strikeout in the inning as it was 3 up 3 down in the inning. As Schock for Plainedge had similar success in the second inning striking out two and keeping Merrick scoreless
In the third inning it was much of the same as the pitchers once again owned the inning. Montalbano and Schock both retired the first three batters they faced in the third inning. The fielding also really showed out for both squads.
Montalbano kept pace going in the top of the 4th as he kept on sitting down batters, the number got to 9 straight after the inning was done. His opposing pitcher Mike Schock kept on having the Merrick lineup guessing. It was a great job mixing up his pitches throughout this entire contest. This elite Colts offense who couldn’t be stopped yesterday was held without a hit until the 4th inning before the door was still shut and Plainedge maintained a 2-0 lead behind Schock and his defense.
Peter Rodgers took over on the mound for Merrick in the top of the fifth and it was much of the same keeping Plainedge at two runs. Mike Schock continued his tremendous performance on the mound until Zach Cohen got a hold of one sending it over the fence for a solo home run cutting the deficit in half. Schock would strike out the next batter and keep the lead at 2-1.
In the sixth, both teams on defense stood tall and kept the opposing team off the scoreboard. In the top of the seventh Plainedge got runners on and had some timely hits but Anthony Labita was thrown out at home which could’ve extended the lead. Plainedge still had the bases loaded with two outs for Joe Leone but he would fly out to right to end the inning.
In the bottom of the seventh it was the last chance for Merrick to force extra innings or take the lead in a contest where they have had a lot of trouble figuring out Mike Schock. With a man on third and two outs it was Tim Mack coming up with a clutch base hit down the line getting the crowd to crazy. It would bring in the tying run to even the score at 2. Despite the late rally and adversity Mike Schock still pulled through on the mound to get out of the inning. Schock said “When I was a junior I was the closer so I love when it gets loud, I love when it gets tight and all that energy it really fuels me up and keeps the adrenaline going”. So Schock would get out of the inning as we headed to extras.
In the top of the 8th Plainedge built off its hitting in the seventh and the big time hit here would come from Matt Wildeman who drove in Dom Tuozzo to give Plainedge a 3-2 lead. In the bottom of the eighth Merrick looked to tie it up once again but Mike Schock did what he did almost all afternoon and that was shutting down this tough Merrick lineup. He would strike out his final batter and Plainedge wins the Nassau Varsity division championship behind another great overall defensive performance.
Plainedge will now go onto the Long Island Championship which will be played against Suffolk County champion Bay Shore on Monday.
