Huskies Crush Dutchmen in Playoff Game

The now streaking Harrison baseball team knocked off Tappan Zee in a Section 1 playoff matchup Saturday afternoon in Harrison.

Harrison came into the game as the eighth seed and Tappan Zee as the sixteenth, regardless of seeding the game was easy enough to understand - winner goes to the final four of sections and the loser goes home.

The Huskies sent senior Goh Ogura to the mound and he found himself in trouble early. After getting the first batter of the game to ground out, Tappan Zee's T.J. Clifford laced a ball down the left field line for a double. The next batter, Andrew Trozzo, blooped a single in front of the centerfielder and the Dutchmen had runners on first and third with only one out.

The next Tappan Zee batter was Cody Woodford. Woodford hit a hard line drive that looked like it was destined for left-centerfield. However, Harrison shortstop Michael Jacobson leapt up and snagged the ball from the sky. Jacobson then quickly fired the ball to first base to complete the double play, ending the threat.

"Our defense has really picked it up in the post season," said Harrison Head Coach Marco DiRuocco. "We have been getting better all year on all aspects of the game."

After the Jacobson play, Harrison's defense stepped up and continued to help Ogura. The Husky pitcher didn't find himself in a jam for the rest of the game as he cruised to victory.  At the end of the day Ogura pitched the complete seven innings, only allowing four hits and two walks. Ogura only had one strikeout in the victory but thanks to the fundamentally sound infield the team was never in danger of losing.

"I feel like I pitched really well today," said Ogura. "I was able to keep the ball down in the zone and induce a lot of ground balls, I got great help from my fielders and they did a great job of picking me up."

"He is only two and two for the season but that is not indicative of what he has meant to the team," said DiRuocco. "He has been very effective, and he may not have a lot of speed but he always hits his spots and trusts his fielders to make the plays behind him."

On the other hand the Dutchmen had a very fundamentally unsound day. Not only did the team's infield make several errors but the squad's starting pitcher, Dakota Kenny proved to be no match for the Harrison offense. Kenny only lasted 1 1/3 innings and gave up six hits, one walk and six runs.

Peter Viscogliosi led the offensive charge for Harrison. The junior left fielder went 2-for-3 with three RBI, two runs and a very long home run into left field.

"I felt confident at the plate today," said Viscogliosi. "I didn't have a great season offensively so for me to do that in a sectional game it was just a load off my back."

The Harrison baseball team will play on a neutral field on Tuesday at 4:30 for the right to go the section championship game.