South Side races to 5-1 start

It took five innings, but South Side finally got the bats going and turned the tide on Lynbrook to win a Conference A-II/A-IV baseball crossover game, 9-5, at Marion Street School on April 11.

The Cyclones, who trailed 5-0 after four innings, scored once in the top of the fifth, exploded for seven runs in the sixth, and added an insurance run in the seventh to taste victory for the fifth time in six games. Senior Ed Tammaro’s three-run double in the sixth cut the Owls’ lead to one, and J.P. Cattaro and Shawn Klier followed with singles to plate the tying and go-ahead runs, respectively.

“It was an exciting win,” South Side assistant coach Bill Busch said. “Lynbrook’s a fundamentally solid team. It was a good test for our guys, especially because we haven’t been in a situation where we trailed by five.”

The Owls (2-4) came out swinging against Cyclones senior pitcher Ed Farington and scored twice in the first and three times in the third to build a comfortable lead. Farington settled down thereafter and went the distance to earn his second victory of 2013. “Ed went to his curve and change-up more,” Busch said. “He did a good job keeping them off-balance over the last four innings.”

Lynbrook starter Paul Papandrew did the same and carried a shutout through the fourth. South Side got on the board in the fifth and then loaded the bases in the sixth to set the table for Tammaro’s momentum-changing at-bat. His gapper plated David Hawley, Farington and Ben Hoefer to cut the deficit to 5-4. Cattaro drove home Jeremy Ramirez to tie it and came around to score on Klier’s hit. Farington touched the plate in the seventh for good measure.

It was South Side’s second come-from-behind victory against a crossover opponent. It trailed Manhasset by two runs after five innings on April 1 before rallying for a 4-3 win. Harrison Park knocked in Tammaro with the winning run in the sixth, and junior Dan Iavarone picked up the W in relief after tossing two scoreless innings.

“We’ve got a lot of arms,” Busch said of a deep pitching staff that includes sophomore starters Andrew Misiaszek and Sal Miranda. 

Miranda won the non-league opener, 6-1 over East Rockaway on March 28, and Misiaszek earned his first varsity win less than a week later, 14-7 over Valley Stream North. Miranda features a powerful fastball, while Misiaszek is a crafty lefty with accuracy and a strong knuckle-drop.

Sparked by Hawley (10-for-20, seven steals) in the leadoff spot, the offense averaged nearly nine runs through the first six games. No. 3 hitter Louis Matarazzo has rarely been challenged by opposing pitchers, drawing 13 walks in 19 plate appearances, but he’s 4-for-6 and leads the team with eight RBIs. Hoefer, who homered in a win over Lawrence, and Tammaro, are off to big starts with the bat as well, Busch said.

The Cyclones open a three-game set against Division on the road next Monday at 4:30 p.m.