Rocks fall in finals

The baseball season came to a disappointing end for East Rockaway as it fell to Friends Academy, 11-4, in the third and deciding game of the best-of-three Nassau County Class C championship series at SUNY-Farmingdale on May 20. Ed McNelis threw a complete game five-hitter for the Quakers.

Rocks coach Dan Vito was disappointed with the outcome. “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t expect to win the series,” Vito said. “We didn’t have the pitching depth that we would have liked, but we battled. I thought coming in that we were the better team.” 

In the series opener, the Rocks took a 5-4 lead into the seventh inning, but couldn’t hold off Friends. A bases-loaded double by winning pitcher Sam Harrington highlighted a seven-run inning as the Quakers took the opening game. David Hobbs walked twice and tripled in a losing effort.

Game 2, a 10-6 victory for the orange-and-black, was one for the ages. With their backs against the wall, and their season on the brink, the Rocks sent Dylan Giliberti to the mound. The senior right hander, who pitched a complete game, yielding just two hits while fanning nine when the teams met during the regular season, was up for a battle.

From the first pitch, it was apparent that the Rocks’ ace didn’t have his best stuff, but Giliberti refused to be beaten. Despite failing behind early, 4-0, Giliberti held the Quakers at bay until East Rockaway made a monumental comeback. 

Trailing 5-1 in the top of the sixth inning, David McClure drove a single through the middle, his second hit of the game, to knock in Joe DelGais and cleanup hitter Brian Lantz. McClure and Andrew Bashford both scored when a hard hit ball by Mike Breidenbach was misplayed by the second baseman to tie it at 5-5.  

In the top of the seventh, after two quick outs, Lantz drew a walk. He stole second base to get into scoring position to set the stage for more dramatics by East Rockaway’s freshman right fielder. McClure drove hard-throwing senior Peter Kaplan’s 1-2 pitch deep into the gap in right center for a triple to score Lantz with the go-ahead run. Bashford and Giliberti kept the rally going with RBI singles as the Rocks pulled away.

Despite a season that fell short of expectations, the Rocks picked up some individual awards. Giliberti, who compiled a 6-2 record on the mound, earned All-County recognition. DelGais was an All-Conference recipient, and Hobbs picked up All-League honors. Vito also hit a milestone, becoming the winningest coach in the program’s history.  

Vito believes the future looks rosy. With four starters returning, and players moving up from a 14-3 JV team, the Rocks should be competitive in 2011. “We need get better at some of the key things like base running and situational hitting,” Vito said. “We’re going to get together soon to start working toward figuring out what it takes get better.”