Misiaszek leads sizzling Cyclones

Despite not allowing an extra-base hit, posting a 1.10 ERA and striking out 62 batters in 37 innings, Andrew Misiaszek’s lights-out performance on the mound for South Side last year was slightly overshadowed by Diamond Award winner Adam Heindenfelder of MacArthur.

So far in 2015, nothing has stood in Misiaszek’s way as he pushes for Nassau County’s top pitching honors and tries to lead the Cyclones back to the Class A playoffs after they fell short a year ago. In consecutive starts over a span of eight days, the senior southpaw set a school record for strikeouts in a game with 19 in a one-hit, 9-0 win over Great Neck North on March 30, and threw a no-hitter with 18 strikeouts in a 4-0 victory over Hewlett on April 6.

“I threw a no-hitter as a freshman on JV, and I was hoping to do it at the varsity level,” said Misiaszek, who mixes a devastating slider and change-up with a fastball consistently clocked in the upper 80s. “I tried not to think about it too much, but everyone went from being loud most of the game to silence before the last out so that made it a little nerve-wracking.”

The Northeastern University bound Misiaszek, who went 4-1 last season, has added more gaudy numbers through three starts this spring. He’s won all three decisions while allowing two runs with 47 strikeouts and two walks in 18 innings. “He’s been in a zone since last season,” South Side coach Tom Smith said. “He’s worked tremendously hard and began a throwing program in January.

“He’s dominating,” Smith added. “We have a lot of respect for Hewlett. For him to no-hit a quality team like that is an amazing accomplishment.”

Only a couple of errors, one in the top of the fifth and another in the seventh, kept Misiaszek from a perfect game. He struck out the side four times and got all the offensive support he’d need from junior Harrison Kravis’ sacrifice fly in the first. Senior catcher Paul Barrett provided two insurance runs in the sixth when he tripled home senior Andy Pena and then scored on junior Kyle Shutkind’s single.

Misiaszek whiffed eight consecutive Great Neck North hitters in his previous outing and allowed the Blazers their only hit in the top of the first. He struck out the side five times.

Junior T.J. Avgerinos followed Misiaszek’s no-no with a gem of his own against Hewlett on April 7. In his first varsity start, Avgerinos scattered four hits and struck out 10 in a 4-0 victory. “T.J. kept his pitch count down by attacking the plate,” Smith said. “He didn’t walk anyone, which was great.”

Shutkind, who is swinging a hot bat (.425) after missing last season with an injury, drove in a pair of runs, and Pena added a run-scoring double.

South Side (6-1 overall, 5-1 in Conference A-II) completed a three-game sweep of the Bulldogs with a 4-1 win at Barasch Field on April 9. Junior Brendan Condon pitched a gem, scattering four hits and three walks while striking out six. Avgerinos and Kravis had run-scoring hits in the sixth to lead the offense.

“We’re playing some really good ball,” Smith said.