John Jay baseball ends season with thriller against Huskers

CROSS RIVER, N.Y. - After falling to Fox Lane on Saturday, May 24, John Jay dropped to the loser’s bracket and hoped to keep their season alive at Yorktown. 

So a 4-0 first-inning lead looked about as good as it could get. Unfortunately, the Huskers tied the score by the end of three, and there it stood for almost seven full innings. Two out and no one on in the bottom of the tenth, continuation proved elusive.

Jeffery Nunez tripled off Mitch Hammer, and Luke Esposito knocked him in to end the thrilling marathon.

A long time before, Jacob Storch innocently opened the game with a single. Nolan Rhodes followed with a double, and Will Civetta got his team on the board with another single.

First and third, John Jay made the most of the obligatory steal of second. Refusing to stand pat, the throw down brought Nolan home safely, and two were on the board.

More hitting was on the way but not with the John Jay bats. In between walks to Jackson Moreo and Ryan Valdes, Steve Carozo and Sam Rickel were both hit, and the Wolves led 4-0.

Not just a hitting hero, Esposito came in to get Storch on a fly ball, and the big lead had John Jay starter moved seamlessly to the mound. Three ground balls and three outs kept the Wolves grooving. 

On the other hand, Jay had no idea what they were getting into by forcing Esposito’s entrance. 115 pitches eventually thrown by the game winner, he eased into the second. Save a single and stolen base by Civetta, the multi-talent got a ground ball, fly out and a strikeout to set the tone.

Getting a fly ball and a ground ball to start the second appeared to reinforce Storch’s prominence too. Only an infield error opened the door with one out, and two hit batters later,  Yorktown was on the board.

The bases still loaded, Storch did what he had to. A ground ball to short, Rhodes got the force at home, and a pop to first ended the inning. 

4-1, Esposito kept John Jay under the ball. Jackson Moreo, Steve Carozo and Valdes all had too much lift, and the game moved to the bottom of the third on the fly ball outs.

Tie on the way, a walk and stolen base by Brian White opened the inning, and the lead was cut in half when Derek Patrissi doubled to left. Then just like the first inning, the bats didn’t have to do much.  Aiden Flynn and Lirim Biberaj walked, and Storch hit Gabe Iavarone to make it a 4-3 game.

In came Hammer, the reliever’s hands were full with the bases filled to the brim. A pop out calmed things, but Esposito continued his one-man storm. He singled to right to tie, and the lead was right around the corner. Not so fast, Arbogast threw Lirim Biberaj out at the plate, and the status quo was preserved.

Of course, Esposito remained hot, but he wasn’t alone. Over the next three half innings, Ten batters came to the plate, and nine were retired.

The bottom of the fifth had Hammer waiver, though. A walk, a one out single and a steal put runners on second and third. Even so, the senior refused to give in. An infield pop out and fly to left ended the threat, and three more half innings of pitching dominance followed. 

Hammer falling out again, he had help from his teammates. With Joesph Carlucci at third with one out, Iavarone’s ground ball to first had Will Rickel step on first, and throw the runner out at the plate. 

Still tied after seven, the pitchers breezed until the ninth. This time Esposito got himself into a little trouble. A two-out walk to Storch and an infield hit by Rhodes elevated matters, but the reliever got Valdes to ground to short.

Onto the bottom of the ninth, the Wolf defense continued to howl. Brian White on second after a single and a stolen base, he was headed home with the winning run on Flynn’s single. But Jackson Moreo put the celebration on hold.

Out at the plate, the final inning started, and John Jay was up in the air. Three fly outs in the top of the tenth, and that left Esposito to finish what he started.