North Shore falls just shy of playoffs

The North Shore baseball team went out in a winning way in its last series, capturing two games against Lynbrook and tying the third contest. 

But the Vikings needed help from Island Trees to sneak into the Nassau Class A playoffs and didn’t get it.

 With Island Trees failing to post a win in a three-game series against Plainedge, the Maroon failed to make the playoffs for a second straight season, finishing with a 7-10-1 record in rugged Conference 4.  

Still, this season had many positives -  including the sensational All-County campaign for senior ace pitcher Matt Nochowitz, who will continue his baseball career at Cortland. Responding brilliantly from an offseason elbow injury, Nochowitz finished 2-3 with a 1.61 ERA, striking out 44 batters in 39 innings. 

Still the lack of pitching in postseason in Nochowitz’s two seasons on varsity stung. “It’s kind of tough,’’ he said. “You work all winter. You finally get to the season and see it come together but it’s a very tough league. Every year, you have to play Clarke, Plainedge, Mineola and Wantagh and they’re all tough teams.’’

The toughest part for the Vikings in finishing fifth in a conference that admits the top four teams is the maroon will lose Nochowitz and eight other seniors. In all, five starters will graduate. 

“We were in every game,’’ coach Scott Lineman said. “Every game was close and we played a lot of good innings. But in our losses, we always had one bad inning.’’

Nochowitz’s record would’ve looked more sterling if he got run support. He lost two one-run games, including a 2-1 heartbreaker to Island Trees. Nochowitz allowed just two stolen bases all season. 

“He’s very athletic, just a good, tough baseball player,’’ Lineman said. “He pitched very well we couldn’t knock in runs for him.’’ 

North Shore’s ace also did his part at the plate, leading the team in RBIs with 13. 

All this after his major elbow issue that arose last summer. He suffered a partial tear of the UCL that didn’t get diagnosed until an MRI in October after he felt pain. He wasn’t allowed to throw a ball for four months as he rehabbed with physical therapy. 

“I wasn’t in full health - not even in the first game I started,’’ Nochowitz said. “But the rehabbing made everything else better with my pitching by working more on the lower half. It made my bottom half more stable and I threw strikes more often in the zone. It helped me.’’

Nochowitz throws a 84 mph fastball – which is good but not ferocious. “I don’t throw it too fast but I focus more on accuracy than velocity,’’ Nochowitz said. 

Next season the ace will be junior lefty Garret Gates, already committed to Adelphi. He is a dual threat and led the club with a .333 batting average, earning All-Conference honors. 

North Shore didn’t possess a high-octane offense, averaging just 4.5 runs. But sophomore Ryan Lau added pop, batting .327. His 18 hits led the team. Senior shortstop Jayden Rosario was a plus, batting.275. leading the way with 12 runs scored. 

While Matt Ryan was expert behind the plate, the junior knocked in 10 runs and blasted three homers but his batting average was .265. “He faced the best stuff because they knew he is such a hitter,’’ Lineman said. 

Pitching was North Shore’s staple. Third in the rotation was senior Gavin Butler, who went 3-3 with a 3.85 ERA, striking out 34 batters in 34 innings. 

But it will be another season on the sidelines for the Sea Cliff/Glen Head school as playoffs heat up around Long Island. “Hitting was a struggle all year,’ Lineman said. “Unfortunately, we’re in a tough league.  I liked how we continued to compete and gave effort to the last game.’’