Down by three runs and on the brink of elimination, the Rye baseball team scored seven times in their final three innings at the plate to win 9-5 Wednesday. The Garnets advance to the Section 1 Class A championship Saturday against Panas.
Because Rye lost to Panas on Tuesday, it will need to beat the team twice — once on Saturday and again on Sunday at SUNY Purchase — to claim the section tournament title. But midway through Wednesday’s game, it appeared the Garnets’ stellar season might come to an end without a shot at revenge against the Panthers.
Rye, which had won 15 straight games before the 9-3 loss to Panas, trailed Nanuet 4-2 after the first inning and 5-2 after the third. The Garnets haven’t spent much time playing from behind, but with the season on the line, they were up to the challenge.
“This team as a whole has been really focused and relaxed no matter the situation,” said Rye coach Mike Bruno. “Being down four right at the start relaxed us even more. It felt like the pressure was off just to go out and play.”
Junior Nolan Hutson, who went 3-for-4 Wednesday, doubled in a run in the bottom of the fourth, then came around to score on a single by junior Jamie Morris, cutting the deficit to 5-4.
Hutson drove in two more runs in the fifth to give Rye its first lead, 7-5. In the seventh, senior Harry Ellis doubled to drive in a run, and sophomore Luke Ontaneda later scored on a wild pitch to make it 9-5.
Senior Jack Sheridan started the game for Rye and allowed four first-inning runs (three earned) on four hits. He was relieved by junior Peter Davies, who allowed one run in four-plus innings. Senior Charlie Rupp picked up the win, allowing just one hit while getting the final eight outs.
“Peter Davies saved the season,” Bruno said. “Coming in down 4-0 with runners on second and third and no outs, and giving up no runs, really put us in a position to come back.”
Rye has an uphill battle, needing to defeat Panas in back-to-back games this weekend, but eliminating Nanuet, the defending Class A champions, provides more reason for optimism.
“Another huge hurdle with Panas this weekend,” Bruno said. “We have to beat them twice, so a huge challenge for the boys.”
