All eyes are on the fly ball to left by Logan Ellison of Taconic Rangers North that Joe Salgado caught at the fence for the final out.
By Sean Reilly
As far as Joe Cavallo and his Long Island Crew teammates were concerned, the final inning of their Tuesday afternoon game against the Taconic Rangers North had a simple theme.
Whatever it takes.
The inning began with the score tied and Cavallo leading off. He reached on an error, and later scored the first of two runs for his team on a bases-loaded hit by pitch.
Cavallo was also the pitcher for the Crew in the bottom of the inning. The Rangers had one run in and runners on first and third when Logan Ellison stepped into the batter’s box with two out.
Ellison unloaded the hardest-hit ball of the game, but left-fielder Joseph Salgado caught it in front of the fence to conclude a 5-4 victory for the Crew at the Diamond Nation 17/18U Blue Chip Prospects tournament, Powered By Victus, in Flemington.
“As soon as he hit it, I was thinking ‘Oh no,’” said Cavallo.
But Salgado ranged back, and without much room to spare, made the catch to close out the win that moved the Crew to 2-1 in the tournament. The Crew followed with an 8-7 win immediately after over the Philadelphia Reds 17U to complete a very successful trip to ‘The Nation,’ after losing its opening game on Monday.
The score was 3-3 entering the sixth and final inning, as the 1:50 play clock expired during the frame.
Cavallo, who hits first in the order, hit a ground ball to shortstop, but was safe on an error. Anthony Giel was up next, and walked on four pitches.
The following batter struck out, but Joe Leo dropped a single into center field to load the bases. Giovani Rodriguez was up next, and with a 1-0 count, he was hit by a pitch that scored Cavallo with the go-ahead run.
John Harkins then hit a grounder to shortstop. The defense opted to try for a double play instead of throwing home for a possible force out. The Rangers got an out at second, but Harkins beat the throw to first for an RBI and 5-3 lead.
Roy Underwood led off the bottom of the sixth for the Rangers North by hitting a ball to right field that squirted past the outfielder for a triple.
Matthew Collins takes a big lead off first base for the Long Island Crew.
The next batter flew out to Jameson Riegel in center field, with the runner holding at third. Tyson Fernandez followed with an RBI single to right field that also put the tying run aboard.
Fernandez stole second, and moved to third on a ground out to shortstop. Wilson Conte walked on four pitches to place runners on the corners for Ellison.
He fouled off the first pitch, took the next for a ball and then walloped the next offering that was caught by Salgado to end the game.
“It was pretty rough in the last inning,” Cavallo said. “But you have to just keep doing what you are doing and not worry about what’s going to happen. I was scared when he made contact, but I knew my boy out there was going to catch it.”
The Rangers North scored three times in the third for a 3-0 lead.
The inning began with singles from Chase Rodriguez and Will Cruz. Andy Batkay followed with a walk that loaded the bases.
Ben Cappolino was safe on a fielder’s choice that scored Rodriguez and forced out Batkay at second. After a line out to third base and a walk to Mark Cretera, Fernandez (who ended 2-for-3 with three RBI) hit a two-run single to center.
The Crew rallied with three runs in the fourth to tie it. Cavallo led off with a single to center, Giel walked and Aidan Reilly ripped a two-run double past third base and into left field. After a ground out, Rodriguez hit a single to right which moved Reilly to third. Harkins walked to load the bases, and James Rugolo hit an RBI single to third base for the 3-3 score.
It was an active game for Cavallo, who started in center field before allowing three hits while pitching the final three innings.
“You have to leave it all on the field,” he said. “It was a close game the whole way. You just have to do anything you can to help your team win.”