by Andrew Connors
Here’s the final out and post-game celebration! pic.twitter.com/MPDxEPpRNM
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 20, 2021
Two Nassau powerhouses met at Island Trees’ High School on Thursday afternoon, both looking to continue their undefeated seasons. The Island Trees Bulldogs came into this game knowing that the Clarke Rams had a similar goal in mind, but Coach Joe D’Auria was confident in his squad, saying “we knew coming into the game that we’ve been getting away with sloppy play, but we’ve been gearing our guys up for this game and this series…we’ve had a lot of battles over the years and I’m looking forward to this one as well.”
The Bulldogs and Rams are usually a matchup to watch, as both coaches admitted that whenever they see each other on the schedule, they know a playoff-like game is sure to be the result. This was exactly the case today as since the opening pitch of the game, both dugouts were as lively as can be. The energy from the dugout seemed to infect the players on the field as well, as the players were loud with excitement between each half inning and even after some outs.
West Virginia-commit Tyler Cox was named the starting pitcher for the Clarke Rams, and he was their only pitcher as he would go on to throw a complete game. Cox did not allow a hit through the first 4 innings, but an outbreak of Bulldogs’ offense sprung up in the 5th and the Rams couldn’t claw their way back. Cox finished with 9 strikeouts while yielding no earned runs on three hits. Although he was the starting pitcher, Cox was the only one to put a run up on the board for the Rams as he hit a towering home run to right-center field in the top of the 4th inning. Despite his very strong efforts on both the mound and at the plate, the Rams fell short by a score of 3-1.
As for the Bulldogs, Vinny Giambona was the starting pitcher. He threw a complete game as well, allowing only one run on three hits. Giambona dominated the Rams lineup pretty much all day as he finished with 11 strikeouts. The only blemish on his stat line was the mistake in location that led to the Cox home run. On the offensive side of things for the Bulldogs, Michael Montevago scored the first run for the Bulldogs after reaching on an error in the bottom of the 5th inning. Nick Drew singled down the right field line, allowing Montevago to score from second in the next at-bat. Later on that inning, Antonio Ducatelli showed off his power with a go-ahead 2-run homer. This home run would prove to be the difference in the game, as the 3-1 lead that the Bulldogs took in the 5th would stay put for the rest of the game.
The Island Trees Bulldogs’ coach, Joe Diorio, shares with us his overall pride in his team’s performance today as well as the importance of taking the W over the Clarke Rams. pic.twitter.com/CdrtYXvik3
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 20, 2021
While both teams played clean games, there was definitely some tension between the two sides following the final out. The Bulldogs enjoyed their victory celebration on the field as if they had advanced in the playoffs, and the Rams just watched and took in the scene as they are sure to use it as motivation for when the two sides meet later in the season. The Rams and Bulldogs will face off one more time before playoffs, and will most likely see each other in the playoffs as well. This is definitely a matchup to keep close eyes on as both teams are very good clubs. For now, however, the Island Trees Bulldogs were victorious, and they will be the ones to continue on with their magical undefeated season.
