Fox Lane Needs Power to Complement Defense

Coming into the season, Fox Lane coach Matt Hillis knew his team would play strong defense. The question marks was about who would be able to supply the power in the middle of the lineup.

The Foxes' first game, a 4-1 win over New Rochelle, played out exactly as the coach imagined.

Ace Brandon Serio gave up just six hits and one run, striking out four and walking none in a complete game. And on defense the team committed just one error and played superbly up the middle, led by first baseman Lee Francisco, shortstop Jesse Hunt and second baseman Kyle Colesanti.

But the Foxes also got just four hits — and three were by one player, junior Donny Castaldo -- who was 3 for 3 with a double and a stolen base.

"Brandon threw strikes and the defense was pretty much spot-on," Hillis said.  "The offense is not even close to where I hoped it would be. Who can pick up slack in the RBI and power department still remains to be seen."

Castaldo and Colesanti take the top two spots in the batting order for the second straight year. Francisco has moved from 6th to 3rd and Hunt from 5th to 4th. The biggest power threat is senior Tim Muller, a part-time starter last year who was fantastic during the team's annual preseason trip to Florida.

The pitching staff is led by Serio, a righty who will play for the University of Rhode Island. He has above-average velocity, and along with a curve and changeup throws three pitches for strikes.

"When you get that in high school, that's a formula for success," Hillis said.

But like the batting order, there's also uncertainty as you go down the rotation. Senior Zach Marine, who spent all of last year on the disabled list, will start the team's second game against Rye. He won't overpower anyone but can spot his fastball and has an above-average curve.

Despite all the question marks, Hillis is looking forward to seeing what the team can accomplish this season.

"One thing I like about this year, it's going to be a constant work in progress," Hillis said. "It's just a matter of making adjustments on the fly, making adjustments every day, and that keeps giving the team something to strive for. We're just hoping to get better every day."