LL NYS All-Star 12s baseball: South Shore wins wild one to advance to Saturday’s semifinals

Winning pitcher

South Shore right-hander Anthony Catalano and his teammates advanced to Saturday's NYS semifinals. (Courtesy of Annie De Biase)

PENFIELD, N.Y. — It was do-or-die for South Shore Little League’s 12-year-old baseball team Friday afternoon at the state tournament, and the Tottenville loop didn’t disappoint as it posted an 8-6, seesaw triumph over St. James Smithtown in its final pool-play game.

The win left manager Vin Nichilo’s troops with a 2-1 record and in second place in the B pool and vaulted them into Saturday’s semifinal against unbeaten A-pool victor Haverstraw (3-0) at noon. The top two teams from each of the two, four-team pools advance to the semis. The winner will advance to Sunday’s 1 p.m. championship game.

“We didn’t want to go home,” said Nichilo of his team’s scenario. “It was a crazy one. We were a little nervous, but we had a practice before the game and the kids were loose after that. They played very confident.”

South Shore needed some clutch relief pitching from Nick Zarski to advance to the semis. Zarski, who is normally South Shore’s closer, was called upon with two outs in the second inning and hurled the rest of the way, allowing only two runs.

We stretched him a lot today,” said Nichilo. “He’s a hard thrower. When he has good control he’s a good pitcher. Actually, it was his birthday today. We had a cake for him before the game.

Leading 8-6, the birthday boy loaded the bases with one out in the home sixth, but pitched out of the jam. He picked up the last two outs via strikeout and a game-ending grounder to short.

The only drawback for using Zarski for some many innings is that he can’t pitch for the rest of the tournament.

“We had to win the game to get to tomorrow so I had to stay with him,” explained Nichilo.

The game was halted for about 30 minutes after four innings because of thunder in the area with SSLL leading 7-6.

Tied at 5 after three innings, SSLL took the lead for good with two runs in the top of the fourth thanks to Gerard Molinaro’s two-run double. Molinaro finished with three RBI on the day.

The losing team pulled within 7-6 in the bottom of the inning, but that would be as close as they would get.

SSLL scored an insurance run it would not need in the top of the sixth as Anthony Catalano faked a bunt with runners at first and second, and hit a chopper over the charging third baseman’s head down the left-field line, plating a run.

Nichilo’s club took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, but Smithtown scored three times in the home first off SSLL starter Catalano.

Lefty-swinging Gary Perone tied things in the top of the third with a two-run homer which followed Zarski’s lead-off single.

Smithtown went ahead 4-3 in the home second and that’s when Nichilo switched hurlers.

“Smithtown was a very good hitting team,” said Nichilo. “They are very impressive at the plate.”

SSLL took a 5-4 lead in the top of third as Molinaro (fielder’s choice) and Robert Buscemi (bases-loaded walk) drove in the runs only to see that lead disappear in the home third.

South Shore finished with 12 hits with Gioacchino Bonsangue, Molinaro and Anthony DePetro leading the way with two hits each.

Looking ahead to Saturday, Nichilo knows his troops have their work cut out for them.

“(Haverstraw) won the 11s state tournament last year,” said the SSLL manager. “They are a very good team.”

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