Rocks settle for runner-up status

East Rockaway’s bid for a county baseball title fell short as Oyster Bay (21-1) swept the best-of-three championship series at University Field on the campus of Hofstra University.

In the clincher, Chris Kelly pitched a complete game, scattering just five hits, as the Baymen won their fifth straight Nassau County Class B title. Junior Sean Bohan, who picked up All-League honors, had four hits in the series for the Rocks.

East Rockaway coach Dan Vito gave Oyster Bay its props. “They have a winning tradition and play with a lot of confidence,” Vito said. “They went undefeated in our conference, but had to win a lot of close games. What it comes down is that they expect to win.” 

The Rocks advanced with a thrilling road victory over Locust Valley in the final game of the semifinal series. Two outs away from seeing their season come to an end, senior David Hobbs launched a three-run homer to left center in the top of the seventh to give the Rocks an 8-6 win. Luke Burggraf went the distance for the win.

After losing the series opener, East Rockaway came out and dominated the Falcons. Hobbs picked up his sixth win of the season with a three-hit, 10-strikeout effort as the Rocks won 14-0. Hobbs, Billy Humes, and Anthony Tesoriero, an All-Conference honoree, each had three RBI.

The third game was all East Rockaway in the early going. Aided by a Tesoriero homer, and clutch hitting and fielding by Mikey Lores, the Rocks raced to a 5-0 lead. 

Locust Valley, which bested East Rockaway twice during the regular season, fought back. After cutting the deficit to 5-2, fifth-inning home runs by Tom McNamara and Joe Sorbara gave the Falcons a 6-5 lead, setting the stage for the dramatic finish.

Junior Tommy Dolan beat out an infield hit to get the seventh started. Sophomore David McClure drove the next pitch off the fence in right center for a double. After Dolan was tagged out trying to score on a grounder by Burggraf, Hobbs came to the plate and crushed a 1-1 pitch over the fence.

Things got dicey for the Rocks in the bottom of the seventh as the Falcons put the tying runs in scoring position. Burggraf bore down and induced a lazy fly to Lores to end the game.

In the opening round, the orange-and-black soundly defeated Wheatley, 15-1, to advance. Hobbs, who earned All-County recognition, went the distance to earn the win, and went 3-for-4 with four RBI. Junior Danny McClure hit a three-run home run in the fourth inning.

Hobbs, who hit .530 in the regular season, will head off to Mount Saint Mary College in September. He left his mark on the diamond .

“He had a terrific career,” Vito said. “The last month showed how tough he is. Pitching on short rest to beat Locust Valley, and then hitting that home run; you can’t get much more clutch than that.”