By Rob Potter
LIVINGSTON MANOR — May 6, 2005 – S.S. Seward scored six unanswered runs over the final six innings of Tuesday’s Orange County Interscholastic Athletic Association (OCIAA) Division VI game versus the host Livingston Manor Wildcats.
Seward (8-5, 2-1 Division VI) broke a 2-2 tie by scoring two runs in the top of the third. The Spartans then added a pair of runs in the fourth and two more in the seventh to record an 8-2 victory over the Wildcats.
The Spartans wasted little time in getting on the scoreboard. In the top of the first, Brenden Myers reached base on a fielder’s choice and promptly stole second base. Bryan Folkl then singled to right field, which allowed Myers to score the game’s first run.
The next batter, Mickey Collins, ripped a double to center field. Folkl scored easily on the hit to give Seward a 2-0 lead.
However, Manor (0-7, 0-3 Division VI) tied the game in the bottom of the first. Leadoff batter Josh Mendez, who reached base on a walk, crossed home plate two batters later when Derek Irwin singled to left field. Marvin Bonilla then smashed a double to the base of the fence in center field, which put runners on second and third with just one out. The next batter, Ryan Taggart, grounded out to shortstop, but Irwin was able to come home on the play and knot the score at 2-2.
Seward pitcher Rich Paras then got another groundball out to end the Wildcats’ scoring threat.
In the top of the third, the Spartans scored twice. Myers, who reached base on a single, scored on a Manor error to give Seward a 3-2 advantage. Moments later, Folkl crossed home plate on an RBI single by Steve Sinisi.
Seward added two runs in the fourth on another Wildcat error and an RBI single by Jeremy Harter.
In the top of the seventh, the Spartans recorded the final two runs of the contest. A Manor throwing error allowed Myers and Harter to score from second and third base, respectively.
Myers went 3-for-4 on the afternoon and Harter was 2-for-3. Collins was 1-for-3 with the aforementioned RBI double and Folkl was 1-for-3 with a pair of RBIs.
Paras, who pitched five innings, allowed only five hits and earned the win.
“We scored eight runs, but only four of them were earned,” Seward Manager Bill Steele said. “[Manor pitcher] Marvin [Bonilla] did a great job out there today. He kept us off balance and was able to change speeds with his pitches – not a lot of pitchers try to do that. He pitched a very good game.”
Steele noted that his team had four substitutes, while Manor had just nine players.
“We got everyone in to play today, everyone got an at-bat,” he said. “I felt good about that.
“They only had nine players, which makes it tough,” Steele continued. “But they played a good ball game.”
Manor Coach Ryan Edwards said that his team’s “bats didn’t do much talking today.”
He noted that because of injuries and other circumstances, the Wildcats are down to the bare minimum of players needed to field a team.
“They stayed fired up for the whole game,” Edwards said. “The nine guys we have on the team really want to play ball and that’s all I can ask of them.”
Edwards praised the team’s five seniors – Bonilla, Bobby Caputo, Brandon Carlson, Irwin and Mendez – for their performance this season.
“They have done a great job of showing leadership and helping the younger kids,” he said.