Cyclones split playoff games

Two days after playing a large role in determining the Nassau Conference A-I final standings, South Side continued its momentum with a 14-2 victory over Great Neck North in a Class A first-round playoff game at Barasch Field last Saturday.

The ninth-seeded Cyclones, who spoiled Clarke’s conference-title hopes with an upset win in the regular-season finale behind the pitching of Evan Singer, were eliminated Monday when No. 8 Bethpage rallied with two runs in the bottom of the seventh to take a 4-3 decision.

"We split our last 10 games and were playing really well," South Side coach Keith Lessuk said. "It's a tough way to go out."

In the playoff opener, the Cyclones (6-15 overall) exploded for nine runs on six hits in the second inning to chase Blazers’ starting pitcher Simon Szuster. “We knew we can hit,” Lessuk said. “The pitching in Conference I is real tough. We struggled early and into the middle part of the season, but we started to hit down the stretch.”

Senior pitcher Kevin Mulcahy, who took the loss against Bethpage in relief of senior Brett Cohen, dominated Great Neck North after an unlucky first inning. Mulcahy retired the last nine batters he faced, striking out five and getting four fly outs. He fanned six in four innings and was lifted after 55 pitches.

"Kevin threw well all game," Lessuk said. "In the first inning they put the bat on the ball and found some holes. They couldn't touch him after that."

South Side scratched across the tying run in the bottom of the first when senior catcher Max Rosing (3-for-4, four RBI) brought home senior Will Bermel with a fielder's choice, then essentially put the game out of reach in the second. "Banging the ball around in the second inning settled everyone down," Lessuk said.

James Howard led off the second with a walk and advanced to third on Joe Geraci's double. Tim Coleman plated Howard with a single, giving South Side a 2-1 lead, and with one out Bermel walked to load the bases. Up 4-1, Rosing doubled home Bermel and Talbot, and Cohen followed with a single to score Mulcahy and Rosing. Howard doubled in Cohen and scored his second run of the inning on Tim Leck's single.

South Side tacked on two runs in the third and fourth innings for the final margin. Cohen and Howard had RBIs in the third, and Mulcahy and Rosing drove in runs in the fourth. Talbot pitched three innings in relief, allowing just an unearned run.

In Monday's heartbreaking loss, Cohen was lifted after six innings and more than 120 pitches. He struck out 10. The Cyclones led 3-0 after Bermel's team-leading sixth homer of the spring in the top of the third.