By Al Belbol
The Curé of Ars Knights won their third straight Nassau County Catholic Youth Organization baseball title last week. It was the first time the team had won three consecutive county titles.
The Knights comprise sixth- and seventh-graders, primarily from Merrick and Bellmore. Five of the boys attend St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Regional School in Bellmore. Rich Bianco was the squad's new assistant coach.
The squad finished the regular season with a 9-3 record, which was good enough for second place in their division. In the semifinal round of the playoffs, the team faced a tough St. Kilian team from Farmingdale. The Knights led 1-0 in the fourth inning when Connor Donnelly singled. After Donnelly stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch, Anthony Belbol drove him in with a clutch hit. Timmy Murphy put the Knights up 4-0 with a two-run single in the fifth, as he continued to get the big hits in big spots.
Brian Karp, the team's ace, was at his best on the mound, throwing six shutout innings with 10 strikeouts while allowing only three hits and one walk. The defense supported Karp well, with two great plays turned in by Tommy Bianco and James Elliott. Then, after consecutive singles by Karp, Donnelly and Belbol, Danny Stern drove in a run with a long drive to center, and the Knights added insurance runs for a convincing 9-0 victory.
The championship game was against St. Dominic's of Oyster Bay, which finished first in the division. The Knights were patient in the first inning, with Murphy and Kevin Podell drawing walks. Karp drove in the team's first run with a solid single to right, and Belbol walked to keep the rally going. Elliott drove in the second run, and Tommy Bianco had a two-run single to put the Knights up 4-0.
Karp got his second run-scoring single in the second inning, and Donnelly followed with a long double to knock in two more runs for a 7-3 lead. Kieran Ryan led off the third inning with a single, and was exciting on the bases as he stole second, third and then home. Bianco walked, Dan Connelly drove him home, and Murphy drove Connelly in for a 10-3 lead. St. Dominic's came back with two more runs before Elliott singled and scored after stealing his second and third bases of the day.
Murphy led off the sixth with a single, reaching base for the fourth straight time, and Podell followed with another walk. Donnelly had another big hit, driving in two and finishing the scoring at 15-5. Karp raised his playoff record to 6-0, and Ryan came in to shut the door with a dominant 2 1/3 innings of relief. The defense was once again stellar, with Zack Haefling, Ben Canarick and Connelly anchoring a strong outfield. Podell turned a spectacular double play, catching a looping shot over his head before turning and firing to Murphy at first to end a rally.
The Knights have one main requirement to join the team -- character. They are not a team of local all-stars, but rather a group of young men who love to play baseball and have the right attitude. Winning is important, but playing with sportsmanship, pride, class and hustle are even more important. Over the last three years, the Knights have kept most of the team together, and each season they have a few new players who make a great team even better. The Knights are proud of their championships, but they are even more proud of how they carry themselves on and off the field.
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