By Ted Waddell
LIVINGSTON MANOR May 6, 2003 The Livingston Manor Wildcats got whacked 15-4 by the visiting Spartans of S.S. Seward in Thursdays OCIAA Division VI baseball game.
In the top of the second, Seward made it a 2-0 ballgame, but the Wildcats battled back as they sent a runner home.
Seward (9-3, 5-0 Division VI) began to rack up runs in the remaining innings: four in the third, three in the fourth and one in the top of the sixth.
Manor (1-2, 1-1 Division VI) staged a comeback attempt during its turn at bat in the sixth, but it fizzled out after three runs.
In the seventh inning, Seward, the top-ranked Class D baseball team in New York State, slammed the lid on the Wildcats hopes of an upset. The Spartans sent five runners across the plate to end the scoring at 15-4.
It was a long week for both teams. Manor started out its season on Monday and played three games during the week. For the Spartans, it was their ninth game in 12 days.
The Wildcats are planning to take the field five times this week.
Now thats a lot of baseball.
If youve got to blame somebody, yell at the weatherman for a long hard winter that spilled over into spring, causing scheduling nightmares as coaches try to get in the required number of games during regular season play.
The Wildcats started off with Marvin Bonilla on the mound.
With one out in the top of the fourth, he was relieved by Kyle Lackey, who ended the inning on a double play.
Seward utilized a trio of hurlers in the game. Justin Gaucher relinquished the mound in the sixth to Chris Weslowski, who in turn was relieved in the final frame by James McAteer.
I thought Manor played surprisingly well, Seward Coach Bill Steele said. They were better than I anticipated.
We picked it up a little bit after they got three runs, but we got back the runs which is always good, he added.
Steele credited the Wildcats pitchers with keeping his batters off balance.
The first kid mixed it up well, but I think he just ran out of gas, he said. The second kid just kept throwing.
Manor Coach Rob Farrell said things are progressing for his team, but in the slow lane.
With experience and some time, were going to get better, he predicted.
Farrells take on Thursdays game?
We need to have our bats come alive . . . it all comes down to hitting the ball, he said.