Island Trees to Face Division in County Finals

All season long the Garden City baseball team has been a gritty, never-say-never squad.

This was never more evident than on Thursday, when they attempted to come back from a near impossible deficit, but ultimately fell 5-4 to Island Trees, and were eliminated from the playoffs.

The Trojans entered the seventh inning down 5-1, but Scott Conetta, James Cauchi each had RBIs and Dan Muller scored on an error to make it 5-4 before Matt Focella flew out to center to end the potential game-tying rally for Garden City.

Trojans head coach Rich Smith knows that if a few balls bounced his team’s way that the outcome of this game could have been different, and his team could be playing for the Nassau County championship next week.

“It was a gutsy attempt to come back, and if you look at how it played out, if we make a few plays we’re on top of this,” he said. “We gave up some runs and we didn’t get runs when we needed them.”

Matt Bowen, who pitched the Bulldogs into the semifinals once again, showed his flair for the dramatic with his starting performance. The Bulldogs’ most clutch pitcher went 6 2/3 innings and held the Trojans to just eight hits, while striking out four. Chris Cutrone, who replaced him with one out to go, walked in a run before getting Focella to fly out for the deciding out.

“Bowen has been our playoff MVP, easily,” Island Trees coach Joe D’Auria said after the game. “And Cutrone coming in and getting that last out was huge for us.”

Bowen was helped along by his offense, who broke out for 11 hits, including Cutrone who was 2-4 with two runs, and Ryan McDonald, who had three hits, including his first homerun, three runs, an RBI and a stolen base to back his pitcher.

“That was his first home run of the season, and it came at a great time,” D’Auria said. “He saw the ball best against Cordio, and he hit the ball right over that scoreboard in right.”

The Trojans had a chance to tie the game late. After Brandon Samardich singled to right, Dan Sparacino and Dan Muller followed with singles to load the bases. After a run scoring error by Mike Manganiello at third and a pop up to first by Mike Borges, James Cauchi – Garden City’s best hitter – came to the plate with the tying run on first base.

“Cauchi has been the best hitter we faced all season,” D’Auria said. “I went to the mound and told [Bowen] that he deserved to be on the mound and to hit his corners.”

Cauchi still managed a single, to which D’Auria replied, “It’s sad when you’re happy giving up an RBI single, but he’s that good of a hitter.”

Conetta then walked a run in, before Focella flew out to center to give the Bulldogs the spot in the finals.

“It’s a disappointing end of the season to be sure, especially knowing things could have been different,” Smith said. “I want the team to realize that they can’t look at this one game and think of failure, they need to think of all of the things they did accomplish this year.”

The Bulldogs will face their cross-town rivals from Division Avenue High School in the county finals on Monday at SUNY Farmingdale.