By TONY BELLISSIMO
Junior Matt Harloff starred both offensively and defensively in the victory. He had three hits, including a pair of home runs, and knocked in eight runs, and also picked up the win on the mound by scattering four hits while striking out eight in four innings.
"We only played once but Matt had a monster game," South Coach Ken Ward said as the team prepared for this week's three-game series against Conference A-V rival West Hempstead. "I gave him the start because it kept him in line for his last two starts of the regular season and the playoff opener."
Harloff's memorable game came on the heels of Yankees' third baseman Alex Rodriguez's three-homer 10-RBI game against the Angels. Harloff is batting .409 with 23 RBI and is 3-2 on the hill with a 1.63 ERA.
Having won eight of its first 11 conference games, South has clinched a spot in the county Class A playoff tournament. It has a shot to win the conference and double-elimination status but must win five of its last six to do so. Clarke leads Conference A-V with a 9-2 mark.
"We'll probably need to sweep West Hempstead to keep pace with Clarke," Ward said. "That would put us in position to need to win two out of three against Clarke next week to win the conference. We'll very much be tested on both sides of the diamond."
The Falcons' bats have been red-hot and produced double digits in runs in each of the last five contests. Senior shortstop Julian Diaz is hitting .450 with 18 runs scored, sophomore outfielder Elvin Medina is at .421 and both junior catcher George Schreiner and junior outfielder James Rosenbaum are at .333. Sophomore Mike Grassano is tied with Harloff for the team lead in RBI.
"We've been getting pretty good wood on the ball," Ward said.
The Falcons scored 36 runs in a three-game sweep of struggling Roosevelt prior to the spring break. Eight of those came in the sixth inning of the finale, an 11-3 victory on April 19. Senior Cory Ciorcari's three-run homer capped the outburst and made a winner of relief pitcher Rick Cavello, who allowed no runs and one hit with five strikeouts in 2-and-one-third innings of work.
Medina got the win in relief in perhaps South's most impressive win of the season, a wild 17-11 come-from-behind decision over Jericho on April 13. The Falcons won 17-11 after trailing 9-0 and 10-2. Medina had a two-run homer and Harloff a two-run double in a seven-run fifth.
