Raiders Lose First Round 6-4 to Sachem North

The Patchogue-Medford Raiders squandered an early three-run lead Saturday and dropped a 6-4 decision to Sachem North High School in the Suffolk County Class A Playoffs.  

The Raiders on Tuesday will take on the loser of Monday's Bellport-Smithtown East game.

The Raiders took an early lead when Kyle Wilson and Thomas Rubinstein each notched first inning RBI singles. Tyler Moston knocked in two runs in the second inning, though he was thrown out on the play trying to stretch his hit into a triple.

As the game progressed, the Red Raiders swerved off course. After leaving the bases loaded without scoring a run in the top of the third inning, Brian Cioffi, Vogel and Tyler Moston each hit ground outs to the pitcher to end the visitor half of the fourth inning.  Fielding errors in the next half inning compounded Patchogue-Medford's struggles.  Vogel let slip through his legs two possible double-play balls; the second such error allowed two runs to score.  A diving Rubinstein missed a single along the first base line, which yielded the tying run. 

Sachem North capitalized on another mistake-riddled inning in the fifth.  A wild pitch by Schwartz, who would become the losing pitcher of record, allowed two Flaming Arrow runners to advance to second and third.  Brian Hennelly promptly singled the next pitch to right, past an outstretched Brian Cioffi.  This two-run single proved to be the fatal blow. 

"We've got to make the plays, said Raiders manager Tony Frascogna after the game.  "The team gave up three extra outs and they scored three extra runs.  So, we lose—that's basically how it goes." 

The loss—while it propelled Sachem North to a Tuesday showdown with second-seeded Longwood—further complicates matters for the Raiders.  Patchogue-Medford must wait to play the loser of Smithtown East, who beat West Babylon 3-2, and Bellport, who defeated Smithtown West 3-2. 

 "Some of the guys can't even figure out how the brackets work," Frascogna said of the double-elimination tournament's format, with a wry smile.  "A lot of times, the kids come day-to-day.  They always come to play.  They're just here to play today and worry about tomorrow, tomorrow."

Saturday's game marked a chance for the Raiders to avenge a 5-2 loss at the start of the season to the Flaming Arrows. That didn't happen.