Kennedy back in win column

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Kennedy snapped its four-game losing skid on the diamond with a decisive 12-3 victory over Manhasset in the opener of their three-game series last Monday. Junior Frankie Bruno played the role of streak buster on the mound, throwing six innings of no-hit baseball, while the offense exploded for its highest run total of the season, as senior Michael Schwartz and Vincent Petone each drove in three runs.

But as much of a feel-good story as the win was for Kennedy, it may be tough for the Cougars to have more emotion than they did in a 9-5 loss to Mepham at SUNY Farmingdale last Friday, a game in which the two teams raised more than $3,000 for the Hope for the Warriors Foundation. As part of the pre-game events, four former members of the military — two from the Army’s 82nd Airborne, one Navy Seal and one former Air Force airman — were invited out to throw the first pitch.

For the second consecutive season, the Cougars and Pirates (2-2 overall) met to raise both awareness and funds for the Hope for Warriors Foundation. “The district has a motto of one voice, one message,” Mepham coach Bill Murphy said. “So it’s nice to see competing schools come together on an event that unifies us. We’ve always tried to preach being part of something larger [than baseball].”

“There were no losers in this kind of event,” Kennedy coach Eric Passman said. “Right before the game, both teams spoke with the veterans. [The veterans] gave up their education, family, careers, to serve. They gave up a lot to serve their country.”

On the field, the PIrates used five pitchers, led by starter Nick Turaco, who pitched the first inning and was then followed by senior Sean Napier who pitched the second and third and was the winning pitcher of record in. Seniors Danny Dazzo and Zach Egland and Napier each had two hits in the game, while Mepham senior T.J. Rullo had a pair of walks and a run-scoring double. Matt Nilsen closed out the scoring in the bottom of the sixth with a pinch-hit home run. “The game was well-pitched,” Passman said. “We could not make plays and Mepham did.”

As the Cougars got back on the winning track in the opener against the Indians, they looked to put the four-game losing streak that included a sweep at the hands of Jericho, in the rearview mirror. “We had opportunities against Jericho in every game but we just could not get a timely hit,” Passman said. “We just have to make plays. We had runners on bases and the bases loaded a couple of times.

“Our starting pitchers [Bruno, Schwartz and junior Jason Couls] each gave us an opportunity to win games.”

In jumping out to a 3-0 start with a series sweep of Great Neck South over three straight days culminating with an 11-1 win on Mar. 31, Kennedy outscored the Indians by a combined 22-3 with senior George Savas delivering the biggest hit in the second game. His two-run, pinch-hit single helped push the Cougars to a 3-2 win, with senior Brett Pizzamenti getting the win in relief.