Croton-Harmon was down to its final nine outs on Saturday in the Section 1 Class B Baseball championship. And they were up against a pitcher they had only managed a couple of baserunners against through the first four innings.
But as the Tigers have done all postseason, the Tigers found a way in the clutch and got another strong late-inning pitching performance to deliver an unlikely title.
Croton-Harmon rallied for three runs to tie in the fifth and two more in the seventh to pull out a 5-3 victory over No. 1 seed Rye Neck at Purchase College, bringing home the program’s first sectional title since 1981.
TOURNAMENT BRACKET: Croton-Harmon wins Class B
Game Broadcast: Watch on LocalLive
SEASON RESULTS: Croton-Harmon | Rye Neck
HIGHLIGHTS: via the LocalLive.tv broadcast of the Section 1 Class B Championship:
Trailing 3-0 in the fifth inning against Rye Neck ace George Kastaros, Korey DeBeer doubled in two runs in the fifth and scored the tying run on a Sam Levine RBI triple. Tied in the seventh, Andrew Sur doubled and scored on Levine’s single, making it 4-3. Croton added another on a bases loaded walk.
Levine had four hits to earn MVP honors. Sur scored twice and DeBeer reached base three times.
Mekhi Smithwick was terrific in relief of starter Andrew Kim. Smithwick pitched 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief for the victory, retiring the final eight Rye Neck hitters in order.
Evan Janowitz had two hits, an RBI and a run scored for Rye Neck, which got out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning. The Panthers’ had the first two batters reach in the first inning, both scoring runs. Dan Zyngier walked to score the first and Daniel Stone hit a sac-fly to bring in the second.
Katsaros struck out seven for Rye Neck.
Croton-Harmon (18-5) won the title by defeating defending champ, and tournament favorite, Albertus Magnus in the semis and knocking off the top seeded Panthers in the final.
The Tigers advance to the NYSPHSAA Tournament, taking on the Section 9 champion on Thursday at Cantine Field in Saugerties at noon.
