Thursday, October 1, 2026
Earlier this year, South Side baseball coach Tom Smith told his players to think about the legacy they wanted to leave behind. At the end of an 11-5-1 regular season, the Cyclones had their answer: “One pitch at a time. One at-bat at a time. Make each play. Work together.”
“Sounds awesome,” Smith said. “Now we’ve gotta make it happen.”
Near the end of a grueling regular season, the stakes could not have been higher for the Cyclones entering a three-game set against Calhoun. The winner of the series earned second place in the division and a fourth-seed bye in the Nassau Class AA playoffs.
As he has all year, junior ace Stellan Zangari set the tone in the first game, throwing a complete-game shutout and striking out nine in a 10-0 victory. In 30 innings pitched, he has only walked six batters in an emphatic campaign.
Smith credited Zangari, a three-year varsity player, with effective leadership for rising pitchers as well. Fellow juniors Ryan Bernabeu and Matt Iannone both enjoyed successful seasons in limited appearances, working with Zangari to prepare for varsity at-bats.
“This fall, we needed captains and I left one spot open because I wanted to challenge Stellan,” Smith said. “I wanted him to mature and understand, and throughout winter work, he became the teacher, the mentor.”
Despite allowing no earned runs in the second game against Calhoun, senior pitcher Liam Conlon was still stuck with the hard-luck loss when the South Side bats went quiet. The Cyclones fell 6-0, setting the stage for an all-important series finale May 1.
Digging deep into his reserves, Smith eventually prepared a bullpen game. The floodgates opened for both sides, putting South Side in a position where the offense had to shine through. It delivered in a gritty 16-11 victory.
“It's the one thing that I preached to them all winter,” Smith said. “It was going to be their resiliency. How do you answer when when you get punched in a mouse? You’re going to make mistakes — how do we bounce back from those mistakes? And in this game three, they were awesome. They answered every punch right back and ultimately seized the moment.”
Senior outfielder Conor McNulty led the charge against Calhoun, going 4-for-4 with four RBIs and three runs scored. Sophomore Ethan Johnson and juniors Aaron Emberpet and Ryan Solomon all had three-hit games as well. Bernabeu was the winning pitcher, while two-way senior standout John Pericolosi shut the door with a two-inning save. He also went 2-for-5.
Senior catcher Charlie Lods, who went 2-for-3 against Calhoun and served as the opener in the bullpen game, has been another highly valuable piece in South Side’s offense.
Senior Josh Feigenbaum missed the Calhoun series but could be available in the playoffs. Left without much playing time in a crowded catcher's room, Feigenbaum slotted in as the designated hitter while learning to play outfield in his final year. He and junior AJ Magaraci both hit grand slams in an 11-3 win against New Hyde Park on April 21. In limited appearances, Feigenbaum is batting .462 with nine RBIs.
The Cyclones have consistently proven tough in the face of stiff competition in Nassau Class AA, earning their first-round bye and getting time to prepare for the road ahead.
