Perfect Throw Signals Defeat for Cougars

After falling behind early to the Chiefs yesterday, the Kennedy baseball team came close but was ultimately blocked from tying the score late in the game, literally.

The Cougars couldn't sustain a rally in the sixth inning, and lost to the Chiefs at Massapequa High School, 6-5.

With Kennedy down 6-5 - two outs and runners on first and second courtesy of two singles - Jordan Leopold hit a line drive single of his own into left field. As Massapequa left fielder Paul Tarantino came up with the ball, pinch runner Evan Krohn was already around third base and trying to score the tying run.

Only a perfect throw would get him out, and that is exactly what Tarantino delivered. Krohn was called out as he slid into Chiefs catcher John Cerulli, who was able to block the plate.

"Two outs, base hit, and we sent him. The kid made a great throw, and a great block of the plate," Kennedy coach Eric Passman said. "That's what you've got to make them do, make a great play. And they did."

Had Krohn scored, the game would have been tied, and the sixth inning would have continued with runners on first and second. Needless to say, Massapequa coach Tom Sheedy was happy with that play's outcome.

"He hit the target, that's the whole thing. Our catcher is going to do what he can when he gets the chance, and he did his part," Sheedy said. "But the outfield putting the ball right on the base is the key to that play, and that's why we were able to get him out."

Robbie Stalzer, the Cougars starting pitcher, had a rough first few innings. After Kennedy started the game by putting two runs on the board in the top half of the first, the Chiefs came right back and scored four in the bottom of the inning.

"I think we came out with a nice response after they scored two. We hit the ball hard and went the other way," Sheedy said.  "We didn't try to do too much, put some hits together and put a four-spot on the board."

After the rough first inning, Stalzer only gave up two more runs in the third.  But in the other four innings he pitched, the Chiefs weren't able to get any more runs across home plate.

"He didn't have command of his curve ball, and they sat on his fastball," Passman said.  "It took him two or three innings to get the curve ball, and after that he shut them down."

The Cougars will have to move past the tough loss quickly as they host Calhoun this afternoon at 4:30 p.m.  Calhoun defeated Kennedy last week, 6-4.