Carey looking to improve

Carey baseball coach Marc Hedquist was a little uncertain as to what he should expect from the Seahawks in 2014. However, despite holes in the batting order, and a lot of youth in the lineup, he didn’t foresee his team struggling as much as it has in the early going.

After a 5-0 loss to Wantagh, the Seahawks are 5-3-1 in Conference A-1. Will O’Brien kept Carey off balance, limiting the Seahawks to just four hits over six innings. Carey was 1-1-1 in the three-game set with the Warriors. One game was stopped due to weather conditions with the score tied.

Hedquist is looking for more from the offense. “Other than a few games against Jericho, we haven’t hit the ball much at all,” Hedquist said. “We need to get the bats going, and raise our level of play. I’m hoping that the seniors will lead us in the right direction, and we will right the ship. I definitely believe we can turn things around.”

Senior Andrew Ris will return to the lineup after missing the first nine games with an injury. Hedquist will put Ris in the third spot in the order, and hopes that his talent and presence will have an impact on the entire lineup. 

Frank Licciardi has been as good as advertised at the front of Carey’s rotation. The senior right-hander is 2-0 with a no-decision and has an earned run average of 1.40. Licciardi has struck out 19 batters in just 20 innings of work. The team has been victorious in all three of his starts.

In a 4-2 opening day win over Bellmore JFK, Licciardi didn’t allow an earned run while going the distance. Junior Rob Kelly’s two-out, two-run double in the bottom of the third inning knocked in a pair of runs to give Carey a lead it would not relinquish. Kelly went 2-for-3 with a homer and three RBI on the day. 

In a 4-3 win over Wantagh, Kelly again helped Licciardi earn a complete-game win. His two-run double in the bottom of the sixth proved to be the difference as the Seahawks took the series opener.

One player who has been a pleasant surprise is John Cimilluca. The junior second baseman is reaching base at a .483 clip with a batting average of .417. Cimillica leads the team with 10 hits and has four stolen bases.

Mike Catanese is batting .296 with an on base percentage of .457. The sophomore shortstop has been successful on the base paths, swiping 10 bags in 11 attempts. He’s also tied for the team lead with eight runs scored. 

The Seahawks haven’t shown much power at the plate, however senior John Heyer has a pair of homers and eight RBI. In a 12-2 victory over Jericho, Heyer’s grand slam backed up the pitching of Mike Rutigliano. The junior hurler struck out six batters over four innings to pick up the win.

The Seahawks will be back at home Monday, April 28, at 4:30 p.m. when Garden City comes to town.