Rye Country Day Baseball
By Mitch Silver
When is a defeat really a victory? An example comes to mind: Almost a month ago, the Rye Country Day team ran into a buzz saw called the Brunswick School. Even though the Wildcats had won their first two games under new Coach Ryan Quinn, they were no match for the Bruins, falling 11-0.
Since then, the boys in blue had been itching for a rematch. First, though, they had to take on Fairchester foes St. Luke’s, Hopkins Grammar, and King. Three games, three wins. Scores were 13-5, 8-0, and 2-1, that last one a beauty of a mound duel that saw Owen Coady allow just one run on three hits with eight strikeouts over the first five innings before Enzo Stefanoni came on to close things out and earn his fifth win of the season. Forbes Crowley went 2 for 3 with two runs scored and Harrison Kadish and Billy O’Meara each had an RBI for the Wildcats.
The team turned to New York opposition and hosted Berkeley Carroll April 27. Michael DiCaprio started and took a 4-1 lead into the 4th, thanks to a few key hits and a couple of Berkeley bobbles. Cole Price, leading off the home third with the team behind 1-0, spanked a single down the left-field line and came home when Troy Kesselmark split the outfielders with a huge triple to right-center. After Kadish and Coady walked to load the bases, the pitcher dropped the ball while toeing the rubber, balking home a run Aldo Stefanoni walked to re-load the bags before Joe Burns hit a possible double-play grounder that the shortstop booted, allowing the third and fourth runs to score.
When DiCaprio gave up a run and began to tire, Enzo’s younger brother Aldo came on to throw 4 1/3 scoreless innings of one-hit relief for the 5-2 win.
Thus did the Wildcats win their way to the rematch with Brunswick. Coach Quinn takes it from here. “Owen Coady threw a great game, only giving up to 2 hits and really battling to keep us in the game against a very strong Brunswick team that mercied us the first time. In that earlier game, he struggled with his command. Today, he was very impressive — no walks and seven strikeouts.”
Still, when the sun went down, the scoreboard read Brunswick 3, Rye Country Day 2. But Coach Quinn was upbeat. “We will hopefully see them in the playoffs and have a different outcome.”
So, can a defeat really be a victory? The Wildcats believe they’re on a roll, and their 16-2 hammering of Hamden Hall, followed by a 16-0 trashing of St. Luke’s suggests they’re right. In addition to the fusillade of hits in the two games, Enzo Stefanoni notched the 38th and 39th wins of his high school career, tying the New York State record.
Rye Country Day faces Greens Farms at home today at 4:30, and Fieldston tomorrow at 3:30. Be there or be square — the Wildcats, like the weather, are heating up.
Harrison Kadish steals second against Berkeley Carroll.
Lefty Michael DiCaprio took the mound for the Wildcats.
Enzo Stefanoni stole both 2nd and 3rd in the first inning.
