Carey concludes 15-win campaign

Based on the seeds, Carey appeared to be an overwhelming favorite to knock off the Manhasset Indians and advance to the semifinal round of the Nassau Class A baseball playoffs. But when it comes to elimination games, as they say, anything can happen.

Rob Giovanelli crushed a grand slam in the third inning, and then came on to pitch two innings in relief to earn the save, to lead No. 15 Manhasset to a 5-2 road victory over the No. 2 Seahawks in the final game of the quarterfinal round on May 19. Carey finished with an overall record of 15-8. The Indians advanced to the semifinals, where they were defeated by Garden City.

The loss capped off a week that saw the Seahawks play four games over a five-day period. Carey fell to Manhasset, but staved off elimination with clutch wins over Clarke and North Shore to earn a rematch with the Indians.

Despite the loss, the journey wasn’t lost on head coach Mike Farina. “It was a tough loss against a good team,” Farina said. “It’s not easy to seed teams in Class A. They’re not a No. 15 seed. I’m proud of my guys and happy that they got to have this experience. After losing big in the first game, to regroup and beat two top programs was impressive. These guys had a special bond. Overall, it was a great experience for them.”

Just 24 hours after his team was humbled 12-2 by Manhasset, A.J. Vincenzi tossed a gem to lead Carey to a 7-0 win over visiting North Shore. Vincenzi went the distance, yielding just four hits while striking out eight. Sophomore Matt Cosgrove homered and knocked in three runs, and Dan Conte was 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI.

Next up was perennial power Clarke. Farina handed the ball to Dom Rutigliano on short rest and the junior righthander was superb. Rutigliano pitched into the sixth inning, allowing a pair of hits while fanning eight as the Seahawks took the contest by a score of 4-0. Mike Jones struck out four batters to earn the save. Conte had two hits, scored a run, and knocked in one to lead the offense.

Carey, which won Conference A-II with a league record of 13-3 had seven players recognized with honors. Tyler DeMeo, Rutigliano, and Vincenzi all earned All-County recognition. Cosgrove and junior Christopher Tile were All-Conference recipients. Seniors Zach Dente and Anthony Giacalone picked up All-League honors.

Farina will miss his seniors, but is optimistic about the future. “The guys who are graduating were great leaders for the program,” Farina said. “They will be missed. We basically have our entire infield returning, some solid pitchers, and our junior varsity had a great season. This playoff run was great for the younger guys to get a feel for the postseason. You never know what’s going to happen, but we should be right there in the mix again next season.”