Roosevelt captures MHAL crown
After early-season stumbles, Presidents capture title with win over Pine Plains
SAUGERTIES, N.Y. » Roosevelt High claimed its first Mid-Hudson Athletic League crown in the 10-year tenure of coach Kory VanZandt by defeating Pine Plains, 6-1, Tuesday evening at Cantine Field.
After a sloppy first and second inning in which the Presidents managed to escape with Pine Plains scoring only one run, Roosevelt starter Mitchell Oakley calmed down and shut down the Bombers. He struck out 10 and held Pine Plains scoreless the rest of the way for a complete-game victory, allowing five hits.
Oakley said he was able to settle in and credited his defense for its play.
“I was able to settle in, and my secondary pitches were able to take over the game,” Oakley said, admitting he couldn’t remember the exact number of batters he fanned.
“I can’t say enough about our team. They battled back and played a great baseball game,” he added. “We continued to fight the whole season, and finally we got one.”
Fighting back has been a common theme for the Presidents this season after they rebounded from a 3-6 start to the season.
“We rattled off, eight, nine in a row. We’re playing our best baseball right now” VanZandt said. “We played a great game against a great Marlboro team before, and then to get to this game and win it against a good Pine Plains team feels great.
“Mitchell didn’t have his best stuff early on, but he found a groove and we battled.”
The Presidents got off to a 1-0 lead in the first after Dan Dicarlo reached on a leadoff single and Brian Scheiner drove him in with a sacrifice fly.
Pine Plains got the run right back in the bottom of the frame with Derek Koch’s ground out driving in Henry Roemer, who’d reached on a leadoff single.
Owen Pacchia’s two-out single in the second drove in Connor Harris to give the Presidents a 2-1 lead.
But Pine Plains threatened in the bottom frame, with Tyler Funk belting a one-out double before Brandon Lahey failed to scoop up Dan DiCarlo’s throw on a routine ground ball from Evan Proper, putting runners on second and third.
But the Bombers’ rally sputtered when Adam Funk was called out for interference, resulting in a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.
In the third, Oakley’s one-out grounder to short drove in Brandon Lahey, who’d belted a leadoff double, giving Roosevelt a 3-1 lead.
Oakley proceeded to strike out the side in the bottom frame and he allowed just three more hits during the remainder of the contest.
The Presidents turned to small ball again in the sixth. Sam Capogna draw a leadoff walk, then, with Cody Carufe in as a pinch runner, Mike Santoro’s sac bunt helped set the table for Josh Imperati’s two-out RBI single that knocked in Carufe.
Two more singles by DiCarlo and Lahey would drive in Imperati, giving Roosevelt a 5-1 lead.
In the seventh, Derek Koch, who relieved starter Adam Funk in the fifth, hit Oakley to lead off the inning, then gave up a single to Brandon Kearns. Koch was called for a balk, allowing Oakley to reach third. Carufe then proceeded to hit a sac fly to right to give the Presidents a 6-1 advantage.
Funk suffered the loss, allowing three runs and eight hits over five innings.
Looking ahead to the Section 9 tournament, VanZandt said he’s hoping to avenge one-run losses to both Kingston and Monroe-Woodbury.
“We’re playing our best baseball right now, and we have a pitching staff that can get something done in sections,” VanZandt said. “It’s going to be a matter of playing solid baseball and putting it together when it all counts.