John Jay Falls 17-10 to Mahopac

On Tuesday April 23, John Jay celebrated their Passover day off on the baseball diamond, but did not get an even playing field versus visiting Mahopac. The continuation of last week’s game, the Wolves already trailed 6-0, and the deficit made the matchup an uphill climb all afternoon.

Mahopac got another run in the top of the second and eventually took the day by a score of 17-10.

So with a man on first to start the resumption, Tyler DeBrocky ripped a double to deep left, and after Nick Fassert got Robert Keller on strikes, Robert Dusovic singled home run seven. More damage seeming imminent, Fassert got DJ DeMatteo to ground out and then picked DeBrocky off third.

The John Jay offense still came to play, though. After Fassert got an infield hit to the right side, Gavin Bisignano went the other way. The catcher dropped a beautiful bunt down the third base line, and the Wolves had first and second with one out.

A walk to Troy Wood loading the bases, Jay stayed small. James Arbogast’s grounder to third scored the first run, and after Sam Rickel walked, he intentionally got in a run down to score the runner from third.

Unfortunately, John Jay could not hold serve in the field. Nick Russo entering the game on the mound, he got a ground ball to start the inning. But Jacob Storch did not handle the hop and Mahopac was in business again.

Nathan Mascoll followed with a walk, and Vince Cataldo’s one out single made it 8-2. Russo then hit Drew Lichtenberger, and singles by DeBrocky and Dusovic added three more.

Knocked out of the game in favor of Matt Denker, Russo still retired the side. On DeMatteo’s fly ball to left. Russo made the catch and threw DeBrocky out at the plate.

John Jay answered back nonetheless. Storch and Will Civetta both put the ball in play and reached on errors. A wild pitch moved the runners over, and more contact added another run. Russo went to the right side with a grounder, and John Jay got a run back.

An 11-4 game in the fourth, Mahopac kept the merry-go-round going. Denker hit Owen Ryan and Tyler Castrataro, and an infield single by Cataldo and a dropped popup by Nolan Rhodes brought in two more runs.

No reply from John Jay in the bottom and Connor Harty got a chance on the mound after Denker walked the first two batters in the fifth. He surrendered an RBI single to Ryan Tissier, but got Chris Sapienza to ground out and retired Owen Ryan on strikes.

An out to go, the reliever did not have fortune go his way. A little blooper by Nick Tardis dropped behind second, but Harty did get another strikeout to retire the side.

Undeterred, John Jay stepped up in the box again. Jackson Moreo led off with a walk and then the Wolves went old school. Moreo took off for second, and Storch hit the ball were the shortstop was.

A perfect hit and run put runners on the corners, and after Storch stole second, Civetta moved the runners up with a ground out to second. A run in, Rhodes fly ball to left was dropped, and Nick Russo’s fly out to deep center scored Rhodes from second for a 15-7 game.

Back to the mound for Harty, he only had one blemish in the top of the sixth. A hit batsman, Harty got a fly to right and two strikeouts to finally hold Mahopac.

John Jay was also silenced in the bottom, and Harty actually struck out the side in the seventh. Unfortunately, the defense committed three errors, and the lead went back to ten.

Plenty of sun left with the early start, John Jay made the most of the dimming light on the game. Civetta doubled to right, Rhodes tripled him in, and an infield hit by Arbogast tallied the final score.