By Mitch Silver

Before Monday’s Varsity Baseball game against Lakeland at Disbrow Park, Assistant Rye Baseball Coach Chad Charney was asked how his team was shaping up. “We’re 10-0, so I think the answer is fine. Lakeland is a good team, so we should know more after today.”

Coach Charney and Head Coach Mike Bruno know the Garnets are now 11-0 after digging themselves out of an early hole to thump the Hornets, 10-4. Shep Griffiths won his third game of the year, but not without a little early trouble. After getting two outs to start the game, he gave up a walk and promptly threw two wild pitches in the cold weather, walking a second batter before closing out the frame with a strikeout.

The second inning was even tougher. Griffiths got a strikeout before junior Tyler Winderman bobbled a grounder at short. Lakeland’s number eight hitter singled to right field and the next batter hit an RBI double to right center. A sacrifice fly to right scored a second runner before another strikeout looking called a halt to the inning.

Down 2-0, Winderman flew out to right. Junior catcher Julian Pasquale drew a walk, senior Tillman Ball flew out to left, and sophomore Dillon Schmidt hit a slow bouncer to third that he beat out. A wild pitch moved both runners up before senior Ryan Surhoff worked out a walk to load the bases.

Senior Derek Woods unloaded them with a huge drive to right that cleared the wall that has signage listing all the Garnets’ past championships. It was the first baseman’s first homer of the year. Three more bases on balls re-loaded the bases before Winderman, up for the second time in the inning, drew a walk to drive in Rye’s fifth run.

Griffiths kept the Hornets off the board for the next two innings, racking up six strikeouts, before eventually giving way to third baseman Surhoff, who pitched the final two scoreless innings. For the game, senior left fielder Jack Margiloff had two hits and scored three runs, Winderman had two RBIs, and pinch hitter Tyler Canna had an RBI double. Ball also hit a double.