Baseball Playoffs: Yorktown Loses to Cortlandt A

Yorktown (13-7-1), ranked 3rd, and Cortlandt A (11-10), ranked 6th, went up against each other in a first-round playoff contest in the 18-and-under division of the Westchester Putnam Baseball Association on August 10 at Yorktown High School.

Although through the five innings it was an even game, Cortlandt A though broke through with four runs in the top of the sixth to break a 4-4 tie and secure a 8-4 win, which ended Yorktown's season.

Cortlandt A grabbed an early 4-0 lead in the top of the third inning. Three of those runs came home on a homer to right center field from one of the top hitters in the WPBA, Nick Ritornato.

Yorktown answered when it trimmed the visitors' lead to one with three runs in its half of the third. Steve Kultzow started the rally with a walk.

Anthony Bambach reached base on a one-out error before Chris Mosca walked to load the bases. Joe Frederick and Scott Spiridigliozzi followed with back-to-back singles to cut Cortlandt A's lead in half.

Yorktown got to within one when Mike D'Onghia followed by driving in a run with a bases-loaded walk.

"Our guys all year recognized that we were a pretty good offensive club," Yorktown coach Sean Kennedy said. "We knew we were going to have opportunities. Our guys had good at bats, they didn't try to do too much. We were able to scratch back and get into it."

Darren McAuliffe tied the game in the fourth frame when he hit a bomb over the fence in right-center field.

"It was a good at bat for Darren," Kennedy said. "For him to go the other way and to hit a ball to right center, it just showed that he was in the zone and that he wasn't trying to do too much. It was a heck of an at bat."

Cortlandt A regained the lead in the sixth inning when Ritornato flexed his muscles again. This time he hit a solo homer to left-center field to put his team up 5-4.

"When you coach younger guys, the home run to make it 5-4 was mentally deflating, even though it wasn't a huge deal because we had gotten on a lot of base runners," Kennedy said. "And I was confident we could come back and scratch out one. We lost a little focus and booted a couple of balls after that. That was the key to the game. If we make a play or two after the home run, we're right back in the dugout down just 5-4 and confident that we are going to pull it out."

Cortlandt A added to its lead when it scored three more runs in the inning to go up 8-4 and knock out Yorktown starter Mike Moskowitz, who pitched better than the runs given up indicate. Two of those runs came home on an error and a third run on an RBI double.

"Once you get down 8-4, it changes the game a little bit, it changes your strategy as a coach," Kennedy said. "Instead of trying to manufacture one run, you have to play for a big inning."

Kennedy added that he was pleased with the effort that Moskowitz gave him.

"Mike had given us exactly what he has all year long in this game," Kennedy said. "He went out, battled. He made a mistake here or there, but he battled all game long. That's the kind of kid he is. He is a maximum effort kid. We got exactly what we thought we would get out of him."