Carey falls short in quarterfinals

Coming off its best game of the season, a 9-2 victory in the first-round of the Nassau County Class AA baseball playoffs on May 14, seventh-seeded Carey (10-12 overall), the defending Long Island Champions, appeared primed to make another deep run in the postseason.

But the Seahawks fell behind by three runs in the first game of their best-of-three quarterfinal round matchup with No. 3 Kennedy and never recovered, dropping each of the first two games.

“We couldn’t get the hit,” coach Marc Hedquist said. “We had been searching for the clutch hit the entire season and it never came.”

Carey dropped the second game, 10-0, on May 17, one day after the Cougars held on for a 4-2 victory in the series opener. Despite what appears to be a lopsided score in the season-finale, the Seahawks trailed by just two runs entering the sixth inning thanks to the strong pitching of sophomore Andrew Ris. “He deserved a better fate that day,” Hedquist said of Ris, who had previously come up on the short end of two other close losses down the stretch.

Kennedy chipped away for three runs in the first inning of the first game thanks with baserunners getting on via a bloop single over shortstop, a hit by pitch and a walk.

“It was our best game of the year and I thought it would be a springboard for us,” Hedquist said. “[The offense] was pretty well spread out and I was hoping it would carry over.”

Smith was an anchor in the lineup with a .417 batting average, but his growth on the mound may have been more noticeable. “What he did this year was command the curveball,” Hedquist said of Smith, a three-year starter in the rotation. “With a fastball in the mid-to-upper 80s, that was big.”

Senior Eddie Eymold, who had never pitched at the varsity level, was a pleasant surprise on the mound and also chipped in with a .403 average at the plate. Senior designated hitter Nick Safuto hit at a .348 clip. “We can’t thank [the team] enough for their hard work,” Hedquist said, noting the daily efforts he and assistant Mike Farina watched. “They really worked hard.”

In trying to defend their Nassau and Long Island crowns, Carey, which finished 8-7 in Conference AA-III, was matched up with some of the top teams in any county. Two opponents, Calhoun and Kennedy, earned berths in the semifinals. Herricks featured one of the top pitchers around, while Mepham and Long Beach were tough outs in their own right. “Without hesitation [I can say] we were definitely in the toughest conference,” Hedquist said.