BASEBALL
No. 4 seed Haldane won the first game of a best-of-three playoff against No. 1 Leffell on Tuesday (May 16) at Leffell but lost the second on Thursday at home, 3-2. The Section I, Class C series will be decided on Saturday at Leffell.
In the first game, Haldane broke a 6-6 tie in the sixth inning before blowing it open with a 12-run seventh to win, 19-6.
Julian Ambrose got the win on the mound in relief of Milo Pearsall. Jeremy Hall went 2-for-3 with a grand slam and four RBIs; John Kisslinger was 3-for-5 with three RBIs; Jake Hotaling was 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs; and Pearsall drove in three runs and scored twice.
“Trajan McCarthy and Ryan Eng-Wong were major catalysts for our offense,” said Coach Simon Dudar. “Between the two of them, they managed to get on base six times and score five runs and steal two bags.
“The team has incredible chemistry right now, and everyone looks to contribute anyway they can, one through 17,” he said. “Even the guys on the bench are looking for pitcher tendencies and tells, charting what opposing batters swung at or took, cheering loudly, picking up guys when they strike out or make an error, and coming through with pinch-running and pinch-hitting opportunities in big spots.”
Ryan Smith jumps to avoid a Monroe-Woodbury runner sliding into second.
Beacon, after picking up wins over Port Jervis and Chester last week, came up on the short end of a 12-7 decision against Monroe-Woodbury on Wednesday at home to end its regular season at 14-6.
The Bulldogs, seeded No. 5 in the Section IX, Class A tournament, will travel to No. 4 New Paltz on Monday (May 22) for a 4 p.m. start. The winner will advance to play No. 1 Wallkill on Wednesday.
In Wednesday’s loss to Monroe-Woodbury, the Bulldogs went with younger pitchers because of the uncertainty about the playoff opener and found themselves in a 7-0 hole after the Crusaders had batted twice.
“We got it back to 7-5, but then we gave it back,” Coach Bob Atwell said.
Ronnie Anzovino had two RBIs for Beacon, and Mercer Jordan, Derrick Heaton, Joey Vollaro and Liam Murphy each had one. Mateo Alvarado, Anthony Borromeo, Zach Schetter, Jackson Atwell, Anzovino and Ryan Smith all pitched.
On May 12 at Heritage Financial Park (Dutchess Stadium), the Bulldogs honored their seniors before a game against Chester that had what Atwell called “as exciting a finish as you could have.”
Beacon trailed 6-4 with two out in the bottom of the seventh when Mikey Fontaine hit a two-run, inside-the-park home run to send the game into extra innings. In the bottom of the eighth, Anzovino smacked a one-out double and scored when Murphy put the ball in play and Chester made a throwing error.
Fontaine earned the win on the mound and went 3-for-4 with three RBIs. Anzovino, Ryan Smith and Heaton each finished with two hits.
The night before at Heritage, the Bulldogs defeated Port Jervis, 13-6, with Borromeo earning the win in relief of starter Julian Brown. Murphy went 2-for-5 with a double and a triple, Atwell was 2-for-3 with three stolen bases, Smith went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, Vollaro tripled in a run and stole three bases, and Jack Antalek went 2-for-3.
Henry Reinke (5) at the Loucks Games (Photo provided)
TRACK & FIELD
Beacon’s Henry Reinke ran the 800 meters in 1:56.37 — the second-fastest time in school history — on May 12 at the Loucks Games in White Plains.
On May 13, the team ran in the Middletown Invitational, where Rubio Castagna finished third in the 400 hurdles in 59.89 and Reinke won the 400 meters in 49.07, another second-fastest time for the school and the best time this year in Section IX.
For the girls, Isabella Migliore was second in the 800 in a season-best 2:29.03.
“I was impressed by Reinke’s weekend,” said Coach Jim Henry. “The school records in the 400 and the 800 are in serious danger.”
Beacon will compete in the regional championships in Goshen on Saturday (May 20).
SOFTBALL
Beacon fell to Lourdes, 14-2, on May 12, and to Wallkill, 12-1, on Monday (May 15). But on Saturday, the Bulldogs scored five runs in the seventh inning to scratch out a 12-11 win over Monticello.
Bella White started the game on the mound and had a rough second inning, said Coach Catie Oriani. “Mikayla [Sheehan] came on in the third and gave the performance of her career,” with six strike-outs, the coach said.
Sheehan, who will play next year for Western Connecticut State, went 4-for-4 with five RBIs. Kat Ruffy was 3-for-3 with a double, a triple and three RBIs; Bryana Kelliher had two RBIs; Hope Cleveringa went 3-for-3 with three runs scored; and Ivianna Dickens had two RBIs.
“This was a game where I saw the team come together,” Oriani said. “Even when our pitcher was struggling, our hitters rallied behind her to keep us in the game.”
The Putnam Valley/Haldane team (14-6) received the No. 6 seed in the Section I, Class B tournament and hosts No. 11 Pleasantville today (May 19). The winner advances to the quarterfinals on Monday.
GIRLS’ LACROSSE
Haldane, the No. 7 seed in the Section I, Class D playoffs, was upset at home on Tuesday (May 16) by No. 10 Westlake, 20-10. The Blue Devils finished 10-7.
Mairead O’Hara had four goals and an assist for Haldane, Kayla Ruggiero had a hat-trick and an assist, Caroline Nelson and Carmela Cofini each had a goal and assist, and Ellen O’Hara had a goal. Lola Mahoney stopped 14 shots on goal.
BOYS’ LACROSSE
Haldane (12-4), the No. 2 seed in the Section I, Class D tournament, will play on Tuesday (May 23). The Blue Devils will host the winner of a Saturday game between No. 7 Albertus Magnus and No. 10 Irvington.
BOYS’ TENNIS
Beacon played its last match of the season on May 11, defeating Lourdes, 6-1, to finish 11-5. Beckett Anderson at third singles and the first doubles team of Scott Bunker and Charlie Klein each finished at 15-1.
“The boys surprised a lot of teams who took us lightly,” said Coach David Ryley.
On Wednesday (May 17), Bunker and Klein played in the Orange County tournament, winning matches against Kingston and Monroe-Woodbury before falling in the quarterfinals to Cornwall, 3-6, 6-1, 7-5. By finishing in the top eight, they qualified for sectionals on Wednesday (May 24).
