Ryan Degnan struck out 14, allowing just one hit and one walk and Carey won on a walk-off infield single in the bottom of the 7th pic.twitter.com/bgpt0MdTQG
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) April 25, 2022
For six innings, there was virtually zero offense. And then the game really started.
Carey’s Ryan Degnan and Calhoun’s Brian Chin were locked in an epic pitcher’s duel that featured dueling no-hitters with a combined 21 strikeouts through six innings. Neither pitcher would blink.
Chin did it himself in the top of the seventh inning. He led off with a double to left field in which the throw by left fielder Jayden Gigante beat him, but he was able to slide under the tag to get himself into scoring position to start the inning. The next batter, Charlie Imhof, bunted him to third with one out. Degnan struck out the red-hot Alec Edwards for his 13th strikeout of the game, but then he tried to pick off Chin to end the inning and the throw got away from the third baseman for the game’s first run. It was a shocking moment considering how dominant he had been. He also struck out the next batter to put an exclamation point on his outing with 14 strikeouts, just one hit allowed and one walk that was issued in the sixth inning with two outs.
Chin, who had been removed with one out in the sixth inning with a no-hitter due to the pitch limit, was not in line for the win but he was outstanding. He struck out nine batters and walked three. He was dominant all game as well. The first two batters of the bottom of the seventh were retired and Carey was not only staring at the prospect of being no-hit but also losing their first game of the season.
That’s when Justin Babiak lined a clean single to right field for their first hit. The following batter walked and the next was hit by a pitch to load the bases with two outs.
Calhoun coach Art Canestro went to the bullpen, PJ Kakarios, and Carey’s coach Doug Robins put up pinch hitter Dom Romano. A balk was called to tie the game in the most improbable fashion. And then Romano dribbled one towards third base, and while the play would’ve been close, the throw scooted past the first baseman to allowed the winning run to score.
Bottom 7: A game-tying balk! 1-1 and Carey has 2nd & 3rd pic.twitter.com/rDveZndYxD
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) April 25, 2022
It’s the type of game that feels like it counted more than 1 game in the standing. Both teams were absolutely fired up and the offenses were completely neutralized by great starting pitching. Both teams felt they deserved to win the game, but ultimately Carey took the first game of this crucial Nassau Conference A-II series.
