John Jay Wins 5-4 Thriller at Somers

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On Tuesday May 5, John Jay came across town and resumed their rivalry with Somers. The matchup didn’t fail to live up either.

With the tying run on third and the winning on second, Jackson Moreo completed a 5-4 complete game victory by getting Matteo Goulart looking.

The game began the same way. Only Somers starter Gavin Kelly struck out the side with the bats on the shoulders of Aidan Chernick, Ben Kalish and Amogha Bhat.

A little less smooth, Jackson Moreo still matched Kelly’s donut. After Ryan McAuley led off with a double, the Wolf retired Lorenzo D’Ambrosio, Tyler Venturini and Jake Hopper through the air.

Onto the second, Kelly found himself in two out jam. Luke Fisch led off with a single up the middle, and after Luca Maiuolo and Eli Tubbs struck out, Nate Summer loaded up the bases with an infield hit into the shortstop hole. Unfortunately, Chernick grounded to the third, and the put out ended the threat.

Even so, Moreo didn’t blink. Three balls in the air and the pitcher’s duel moved to the third, where Kelly mostly stayed on point. A Bhat walk and Fisch single aside, Kelly registered two more strikeouts and a pop out.

That was all for the pitching perfection, though. James Radding led off with a line drive single up the middle, and Matteo Goulart followed with a hot shot to right. Fortunately, David Storch made a sliding catch and limited the later damage.

Still, Moreo looked in control after McAuley flew to right. But D’Ambrosio singled in the first run, Venturini kept the inning going with a single to center, and Hopper went to right for a 2-0 lead.

Kelly struck out to end the third, and John Jay didn’t let him forget. Tubbs took one on the shoulder, Storch added a runner with a single to left, and after Chernick struck out, Moreo’s double hit the left field line.

All tied, John Jay wasn’t done. Kalish followed with an infield hit, and following the first and third obligatory steal of second, Bhat placed an opposite field, two run single to right.

Fisch struck out to end the inning so Moreo got back to the grind in the fourth. In between a walk and a hit batter, Moreo ate up the elephants with three more fly outs.

In response, Kelly remained grounded. The Tusker struck out the side again, and Moreo took his turn in the bottom of the fifth. Not as neatly packaged, Moreo put aside an infield hit and got one on the ground, one in the air and plenty of wind speed on a strikeout swinging.

Six outs to go for John Jay, the offense obviously hoped to lighten the load for their pitcher, and Chernick didn’t waste any time. The center fielder led off with a triple, and with one out, Kalish doubled his fellow canine in for a 5-2 lead.

No more insurance, John Jay appeared that they may have not paid their premium in the bottom of the sixth. Giudice reached on an infield hit and Radding’s bouncer back to the mound had Moreo short-hopping the throw to second. Both runners safe, McAuley’s walk loaded the bases with two out. However, D’Ambrosio grounder to Fisch at second preserved the three run margin.

Radding got John Jay in order in the seventh, and the Tuskers readied the hammer for the final frame. A one out infield single by Hopper got things started, but Summer snagged Kelly’s humpback liner at short.

Leaping high, the Wolves were one out away, and a slow ground ball back to the shortstop looked like the end. A close play either way, Summer let the ball go under his glove, and the tying run was on.

Giudice followed with a single to right to inch within two, and a wild pitch narrowed the margin to one. Radding then grounded hard to third, but Bhat made a diving stop. Still good for an infield hit and loading the bases, Moreo didn’t wince. He got Goulart on the outside corner for strike three, and John Jay held on.

Unfortunately, John Jay could not sweep the home and home and lost to Somers on Thursday by a score of 7-3

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