Bulldogs pounce on Sewanhaka

Despite dropping its first two baseball games and failing to get out to the fast start coach Andy DeBernardo sought, Hewlett righted the ship quickly and is riding a hot streak of six wins in seven Conference A-II contests including four in a row.

“We’ve been getting a little bit of everything, especially timely hits,” DeBernardo said. “We’re in the thick of things and hoping to set ourselves up for the last six games against the top two teams. Anybody’s beatable.”

The Bulldogs (6-4 overall) completed a three-game sweep of Sewanhaka on April 10, winning 3-1 behind the pitching of senior Zach Benaharon, who tossed his second straight gem since returning from Tommy John surgery. Benaharon went the distance, allowing two hits while striking out 11, in what DeBernardo called the best outing of his career. “It was a great pitcher’s duel,” he said. “Their kid [Parascouda] threw hard and we didn’t get much of a read on him.

“It was a warmer day compared to what we’ve had around here, and Zach said he was feeling good,” he added. “It was a nip-and-tuck game, and his pitch count wasn’t high, so we rode him in all the way.”

A week earlier, in his first start since 2010, Benaharon went five innings and helped his own cause in an 8-6 win at Roslyn by driving in three runs. He allowed four hits and two walks and fanned eight. Junior David Bouzagalu went 2-for-3 with two RBIs. “Zach was pumped up and maybe overthrew a little in the first inning, but he settled down quickly,” DeBernardo said. “It’s great to see him back on the mound. He’s been borderline dominant so far.”

Like Benaharon, sophomore Aaron Kadosh has earned a pair of wins on the mound. In the series opener against Sewanhaka, he went the first four innings and allowed just two hits while striking out five in an 11-1 triumph in a game that began April 7 and was completed the following day. Freshman JJ Lantigua picked up the save. Benaharon drove in four runs and sophomore Mike Curiel homered for the fourth time this spring and had three RBIs to lead the offense, which produced a season-high 15 runs in the second game as the Bulldogs won by six.

Lantigua started the middle game of the series after finishing the opener and worked three innings. Senior Matt Brodsky worked the last four for the win, which saw Curiel (three) and senior Alex Messados combine for five RBIs.

After losing twice to Manhasset to start the campaign, Hewlett got in the win column for the first time in 2014 thanks to a fine performance on the hill by sophomore Andrew Genovese, who in his first varsity game pitched a four-hitter in a 5-3 decision. Senior Noah Schulman had a clutch two-run single.

The Bulldogs begin a three-game set with Plainedge on the road April 28. The series shifts to Hewlett Elementary School the following day and concludes with a bus trip May 1.