The Garnets, winners of only six games all last year, took their 22-4 record and their League, Section, and Regional titles to the Class A State Final Four played at Union Endicott High School in Binghamton June 14.

By Mitch Silver

 

— Photo courtesy of the DeGraw family

 

The Garnets, winners of only six games all last year, took their 22-4 record and their League, Section, and Regional titles to the Class A State Final Four played at Union Endicott High School in Binghamton June 14.

Before they could take on the team from Averill Park, a town east of Albany, in the semifinals, they had to endure a three-hour rain delay. Then they had to endure a three-hour cliffhanger against the team from Section 2.

The Warriors drew first blood with a walk and an RBI double off All-Section pitcher George Kirby in the top of the first. Rye got that and more right back in the home first when Conference Three Player of the Year Tim DeGraw led off with a single, stole second, and then made it to third on a grounder by leaping over the third baseman’s attempted tag. When AP’s shortstop booted a two-out ball, the Garnets scored two to take the lead.

Rye was still up 2-1 in the 4th when DeGraw made a great inning-ending dive and catch. But an inning later, two singles sandwiched around an errant pickoff play allowed the Warriors to knot it at 2-2.

With senior shortstop Griffin Tutun on second, Brendan Tripodi singled. Tutun slammed into AP’s catcher at the plate, unable to knock the ball free, and the game went to the 6th still tied.

A booming double by opposing pitcher Tyler Childrose was followed by a bunt that Kirby picked up and whipped to third. Safe. Then, with one out, came the break of the game when a suicide squeeze was popped in the air. Catcher Sam Lubeck grabbed it and fired to third before Childrose could get back.
Rye managed to get two men on in the bottom of the 6th, but they were stranded.

Kirby kept things scoreless in the 7th, throwing his 118th pitch to finish the frame, and the sophomore’s game. Because, when Rye didn’t score in the home 7th, Luke Meyerson replaced him for the extra innings.

Meyerson, winner of the 6-1 Regional semifinal against Section 9’s Walkill the week before, held the fort for the next three innings, allowing just a single hit. Then, with Long Island’s Bayport-Blue Point already a 2-1 winner in the other semi and the final set to start in just minutes, catcher Chase Pratt ended the agony with a walk-off single that drove in Lubeck and punched Rye’s ticket to the championship game.

Forty-five minutes later, the Garnets were up 2-0 against the defending Class A titlists from Suffolk County. All-Section Honorable Mention Griffin Tutun spanked an RBI single to drive in a run, and a two-out error scored another. That, however, was to be Rye’s last run.

The Phantoms would plate their first run off Meyerson in the bottom of the second, and three more in the third. By the time they were done, Bayport-Blue Point was the 13-2 victor and repeat champion of Class A baseball.

Coach Michael Bruno, who would later be named Coach of the Year for guiding Rye’s astonishing turnaround, gave all the credit to his players. “The senior leadership on this team was what made the difference.”

Asked to choose one word to sum up his squad, Bruno instantly replied, “unselfish.”  He continued, “Take Brian Gardner. He was our team’s unsung hero with at least 20 RBIs on the season. He batted over .300, and did everything we asked of him … a great example of the way our seniors pulled everyone together.”
With a couple of All-Section honorees returning in 2015, the Garnets have a lot more senior leadership to look forward to … next year.