Cyclones vault to conference lead

Thrilling back-to-back one-run victories over a perennial Nassau baseball power has South Side in the driver’s seat for the Conference A-II title and double-elimination status for the Class A playoff tournament.

The Cyclones haven’t lost a conference series all spring after taking two of three games against Division last week, including a pivotal 4-3 triumph in the finale on May 5. Senior relief pitcher Griffin Wagner shut the door on the Dragons by striking out the side in the bottom of the seventh with the tying run in scoring position. He saved it for senior Andrew Talbot, who gave up six hits and struck out four in six innings. 

“The conference is ours to win or lose,” South Side coach Keith Lessuk said after his club improved to 11-4 in conference play and stayed a game ahead of Division with a no-hit victory over Hewlett last Monday. “Beating Division twice is no easy task,” he added. “We’re excited, but we still have to go out and win one more series.”  

Junior Christian Colletti and Wagner combined to no-hit the Bulldogs, pulling the Cyclones closer to the crown.

Against Division, all four South Side runs in the rubber game came in the fifth. Senior James Howard had a two-run single and capped the rally by racing all the way around from first to score on a bloop single by sophomore Lou Matarazzo. “It was great hustle by Howard,” Lessuk said. “It turned out to be the winning run.”

Wagner, who has thrown in four straight games, gave up an infield single with one out but didn’t allow the runner to advance. “Griffin’s developed some confidence and is throwing strikes,” Lessuk said. “He’s got a live fastball and a sneaky curve.”

Wagner saved the middle game of the Division series after the Cyclones blew a five-run lead in the bottom of the seventh May 3. They prevailed, 7-6, when sophomore David Hawley drew a bases-loaded walk in the top of the eighth to force Talbot home and make a winner of sophomore Eddie Tammaro in relief. Talbot advanced to third on a double by junior Casey Cameron, and junior Matt Leach was intentionally walked to fill the sacks.

Senior pitcher Evan Singer was bidding for his third win of 2011 and had a no-hitter through 5 1/3 innings. A couple of throwing errors contributed to the Dragons’ rally, and Tammaro recorded the final out of the seventh with the bases loaded.

“After letting a big lead get away, we regrouped and showed some guts,” Lessuk said. “The guys were frustrated, but found a way.”

Division took May 2 series opener, 4-3, on Matt Santorufo’s RBI-double in the fifth inning. Colletti had a solid outing in defeat, striking out six and allowing only two earned runs. Talbot, one of five Cyclones hitting .350 or better, knocked in two runs.

South Side averaged nine runs per game heading into the Hewlett series. Matarazzo is batting .458 with 19 RBI, Talbot and Howard (team-high 24 RBI) are both hitting .396, senior catcher Matt Sollin has a .386 average, three homers and 21 runs scored, and senior Tom Kane is hitting .358 with 19 runs.