Fox Lane Beats Scarsdale 7-5 in Baseball Playoffs

It was déjà vu for the Scarsdale Raiders in the first round of the baseball sectionals against the Fox Lane Foxes.

With shortstop Jesse Hunt going 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored and left handed reliever Chris Mast pitching four innings out of the bullpen, Fox Lane defeated Scarsdale 7-5 in first round of the Class AA Section I Playoffs. It was the second straight year Fox Lane knocked Scarsdale out of the playoffs.

Fox Lane advanced to the quarterfinals on Saturday and play at number one seed R.C. Ketcham at 1 p.m.

The pitching matchup of Colin Markel for Scarsdale and Brandon Serio for Fox Lane had the makings of a pitchers' duel. But both teams got going on offense in the first inning.

With two out and nobody on in the top of the first, Lee Francisco reached on an error. Hunt then hit an RBI double and Kyle Colesanti followed with an RBI triple.

After a walk to Timmy Muller, John Albanese drove in the final run of the inning with a single.

"We knew he had an above average fastball and a really good curveball, so we were just trying to sit fastballs all day on him and we were fortunate enough to do that early in the game," Fox Lane head coach Matt Hillis said about his team's fast start.

Scarsdale was able to even the game when it came up to bat in the bottom of the first. Anthony Cugini led off with a single, Henry Hirsch followed with a double and T.J. Kawamura had an RBI single.

With still nobody out in the inning, Fox Lane's Serio, settled down getting three of the next four hitters.

In the top of the third inning, Fox Lane jumped out ahead for good behind the same guys who got them going in the first inning. Singles by Francisco and Hunt and a walk to Colesanti loaded the bases with nobody out.

Timmy Muller then helped to clean the bases with a single, coupled with a bobble, allowing all three runners to score. Catcher Chad Stroud would cap the scoring for Fox Lane in the game with a single that drove in Muller from second base.

"We had a lot of momentum after we got those three runs, then once they got three runs, its back to 0-0," Hunt said. "That's the mentality we took. Once you get back to that point, tie game 3-3, you've got to get some more runs."

A scary injury would take place at the beginning of the fourth inning for Fox Lane. A hard bouncing ball back to the mound off the bat of Ethan Shenberg would hit the pitcher Serio in the face and force him to leave the game.

Lefthander Chris Mast entered the game and pitched four innings out of the bullpen, giving up two runs on six hits and getting the win for his team. His effort coming out of the bullpen helped his team out of a jam and impressed Hillis.

"We go to a kid who obviously doesn't throw real hard, but he spots his pitches beautifully. He has a lot of guts and he just did an awesome job for us," he said.