John Jay Wins Defeats Eastchester and Pelham to Move into the Semis

Coach Ted Lawrence didn’t have any doubts about beginning the sectionals with Nick Fassert, and a less than stellar won-loss record still gave him no pause. “We didn’t score any runs for him,” lamented Lawrence. On the other hand, a 4-1 lead in the fifth seemed to break the hex. Not to be, a few tough hops and a misplayed fly ball negated the prosperity. Now, the dramatic turn of events required a hero, but for Scott Esposito, coming to the rescue was simply business as usual.

"No matter the situation, all I want to do is hit the ball hard,” said the catcher, and his 8th inning two run homer paved the way for an exciting 8-4 victory at Eastchester.

Esposito obviously finishing strong, he didn’t wait to get started either. The three hitter strode in and doubled Marco Maiuolo to third.

Unable to push the run across, Fassert struck out the side anyway, and just because John Jay got back up, doesn’t mean the pitching staff was done. Jacob Storch led off and stroked an opposite field single. Then Mike Aiello followed suit by punching one right, and Storch came around when Jason Ugalde threw wide on Will Civetta’s sacrifice bunt.

The small margin for error didn’t last, though. After Aidan Schultz got to second on an error at short by Storch, Fassert looked like he would get out of the second. The freshman struck out Tristen Fucci and then welcomed some help from his defense.

On Matt Porcello's high bouncer, Brendan Willingham ranged into right field, and Maiuolo finished the job. The first baseman scooped the throw to record the out and keep Schultz at third. Jaden Bruner singled to right nonetheless, and the game was tied.

So John Jay’s other pitcher took over again. With Andrew Lombardi on after drawing a walk, Storch had the read on Ugalde. “The last 3-1 count, he threw me a fastball. So I was expecting another, and I said to myself, I’m just going to try to be on time,” said the freshman.

The clock struck, and the ball sailing over the wall wasn’t the only thing that countered typical light hitting shortstop narrative. “He uses his lower half, that’s why he’s able to drive the baseball,” Lawrence boasted.

A 3-1 game, Fassert would have a small brush fire to put out in the third. After he struck out Kieran McCloskey, Nate Lam hit a hot shot to Civetta. The third baseman making the snare, he lost the ball on the transfer.

So safe at first, AJ DiBenedetto’s slow roller had McCloskey beat the throw to second. But Storch was still able to get the out at first, and Fassert got Ugalde to fly out.

Staying up two, Jay’s pitchers would not go away on offense. Even though Fassert wasn’t able to move Willingham over on the sacrifice bunt, the leadoff hitter made due by stealing second, and Esposito did the rest. He singled in his pitcher, and John Jay led 4-1.

Unable to extend after a two out double by Willingham in the fifth, the prospects still looked good, and Ryan Stern’s softly hit hump back to short seemed to reiterate. Unfortunately, Storch didn’t get a great read, and the odd bounce got past him.

McCloskey’s grounder didn’t give Storch a break either. A high hop at the last second, Storch still stood in, and despite getting clipped, so did his sense of humor. “I’ll need a few stitches but I’ll be fine,” he joked.

Then at third, Civetta gobbled up Lam’s grounder, and the out at second looked like Fassert would laugh off another jam. DiBenedetto had other ideas, and his shot to right had Eastchester dropping the mic.

Mike Aiello first broke in, and seeing the ball sail, he fell down. Everyone off to the races, two runs scored, and the tying run was at third.

So the infield in, the move paid off. Maiuolo made the play on Ugalde’s one bouncer, and DiBenedetto was out in the rundown. Even so, Ugalde got to second, and Schultz knocked him in on a single to center.

John Jay almost answered in the sixth. But on Aiello’s grounder with runners on the corners, Porcello scooped Schultz’s throw from short and ended the inning.

That left Fassert his only option. “I knew I had to get the job done,” he said, and after doing some calming breath work between innings, the pitcher struck out the side.

Of course, Eastchester was up to the task, and a 3-6-3 double play by Porcello really rubbed it in. That said, Lawrence had no concern about how deep he could tap the Fassert well. “I’m going with Nick as long as we can,” he assured.

The coach was rewarded with a fly out and a strikeout, but again, the ball would bounce. DiBenedetto pulled Fassert hard to the right side, and Willingham playing deep, the ball took a wicked hop.

A two out single didn’t look so bad until it got passed Aiello too. DiBenedetto was now at third with the winning run.

Much ado, Fassert got Porcello to fly out, and Esposito took the baton. “I was looking for a fastball,” he said, and the smash set off a celebration at home plate.

Then Eastchester had their own troubles in the field. Bruner was unable to squeeze Nick Russo’s tailing line to right, and Schultz couldn’t throw out Aiello on a grounder deep up the middle. Finally, the shortstop misplayed Willingham’s bouncer, and the Wolves took a four run lead into the bottom.

All Fassert again, he got two quick strikes on Schultz, and next there was a thud. Hit on the hand, the umpire ruled that the batter leaned into the pitch. “He definitely did,” said Fassert, and there were two outs to go.

Storch got the out number two on a ground ball, and ouch again. This time the umpire sent Porcello to first on the hit by pitch, but call just prolonged the inevitable. Bruner flied to center, and the bounce in the team’s celebration was a collective one, according to Lawrence. “This was a total team victory,” he concluded.

It didn't end there either. After a Esposito ground out got John Jay on the board in the first at Pelham on Wednesday, the boys took a 4-0 lead in the fourth on RBI singles by Nick Fassert and Marco Maiuolo. Even so, a five run fourth gave Pelham a 5-4 lead lead, but the Wolves took the onslaught in stride. Maiuolo, Fassert, Andrew Lombardi, Will Civetta, and Jacob Storch all registered a multiple hit game in the comeback and Will Matthews retired 10 in a row for the 8-5 win.