Rocks start to hit stride

When the 2010 baseball season began, expectations were high for East Rockaway. If things were to the break the right way, there was reason to believe the Rocks could challenge Oyster Bay and Locust Valley for the Conference B/C title.

However, a lack of consistency has the Rocks among the middle of the pack with a 6-7 conference record. Despite an up-and-down season, coach Dan Vito still believes there are good things ahead. “We need to shore up our defense and do the little things better,” Vito said. “We’re getting there, but we have to find a way to be more consistent, especially with the playoffs coming up.”

After an early five-game losing streak, East Rockaway has turned things around by winning three of its last four games. Things began to turn for the Rocks on April 16 when junior Andrew Bashford pitched a complete game to lead the way in a 6-2 non-league win over Great Neck North. 

Pitcher Dylan Giliberti has been outstanding on the mound. Giliberti was brilliant in pitching the Rocks to a 6-1 victory over rival Friends Academy on April 19. The senior right hander held the Quakers to two hits, while fanning nine and walking none. Giliberti has won five of seven decisions on the season.

Losing junior second baseman/pitcher Luke Burggraf to injury has been tough for the Rocks to overcome. With a dearth of pitching depth, senior Mike Breidenbach has been called upon often to get tough outs out of the pen.

During the team’s recent surge, senior Joe Delgais has been a tough out. Delgais went deep in three consecutive league contests. His three-run bomb opened the game up in a 15-7 rout of Carle Place on April 29. Junior David Hobbs, who has also heated up at the plate since moving to the leadoff slot, picked up his second victory of the season in the win over the Frogs.

Three seniors have had a big hand in the recent turnaround. Joe Todero, David Blessington and Brian Lantz have all played integral roles in righting the ship for the Rocks. Todero, who hit a long home run in a loss to Wheatley, and Blessington, who plays nearly every position, have been solid at the plate and in the field. Lantz went 3-for-4 with an RBI in a 4-2 victory over Wheatley. 

Freshman David McClure has been a big spark as well. He has hit nearly .400 with a pair of homers since being called up from JV midway through the season. He was 6-for-8 in the two-game sweep of Carle Place.

Vito hopes the Rocks will continue to improve, and be playoff-ready when the postseason begins next week. “We’re working on little things like base running and holding runners on,” Vito said. “Those are the small things that make a difference when it comes to winning a title. It would be a disappointment if we didn’t win the Class C championship.”