Spartans split first four games

Consistency and clutch hitting are two things Valley Stream North will look to accomplish as the baseball season unfolds, coach Wally Bachman said after Monday’s 7-5 loss to Conference A-II rival Lynbrook.

“We had one big inning where we strung a bunch of hits together,” Bachman said. “We have a talented team and need to do that more often.”

Emergency starting pitcher Will Norris went five innings and shortstop Vin Sharkey homered, tripled and drove in three runs to help Lynbrook complete a two-game sweep of the Spartans, who fell to 2-2.  

Norris, who got the nod on the mound because fellow junior Dan Grossi experienced tightness in his throwing shoulder, allowed four runs—two earned—on seven hits over five innings. Junior Spencer Kirsch worked the last two innings to save it for the Owls, who upped their conference record to 3-0-1. 

“Will didn’t know he was pitching until about 30 minutes before the game, but I knew it wouldn’t matter to him,” Lynbrook coach Al Marrazzo said of Norris, who threw 106 pitches. “He gave us a gutty performance.”

Valley Stream North starting pitcher Greg Gonzalez also had a gallant effort. He shrugged off two line drives off his leg in the first inning, including one off the bat of Brian Bilello that bounced out of play for a run-scoring double. Gonzalez, a senior, kept the Spartans in the game after they dug a 5-0 deficit by blanking Lynbrook in the third and fourth.

“Greg has tremendous heart,” Bachman said. “He got whacked with two line drives and was out of rhythm early, but he didn’t give up.” 

The Spartans’ offense broke out with four runs in the top of the third to get within one. Kyle Sicarella singled with one out and scored on an error to get them on the board. Freshman Anthony Martelli, who hits fourth in the lineup, laced a two-run double and scored on a double by junior Nick Baratto.

North squandered an opportunity in the sixth. Norris was lifted after walking pinch-hitter Tino Muscatelli to open the inning, and Michael Dern greeted Kirsch with a single. But Kirsch retired seniors Sicarella, Ryan Garcia and Ricky Gerbino to end the threat. The Spartans got the tying run to the plate in the seventh, but Kirsch—the winning pitcher in last Saturday’s 6-5 series opener—got senior Ryan Kenny on a fly to Andrew Marks in center to end it.

Kenny pitched five innings of shutout ball in the first game of the series, but Lynbrook scored five runs in the sixth and got the winner in the seventh on a two-out single by Chris McGrane. 

“We’re OK,” Bachman said. “We just have to be a little more consistent.”

The Spartans swept a pair of games from West Hempstead to open the season. Garcia was stellar in relief (no hits, 10 strikeouts in four innings) in a 7-2 win in the opener, and homers by Martelli and Gerbino highlighted an 11-2 victory in the second game.

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