See this story at BrooklynDaily.com.
By Mike Morton
Brooklyn Daily
It was apparent from the outset that the Clippers weren’t going to like the outcome of Xaverian’s seeding game against Fordham Prep on Sunday.
Fordham scored six first-inning runs after six out of their first seven batters reached base. Although playing at home, the Clippers struggled until the late innings and lost 10-6 in a game to decide the top seed in this week’s Catholic High School League baseball championship tournament.
“We came out kind of flat,” said catcher Zach Candeleria. “Pitchers [were] missing spots right down the middle.”
Starting pitcher Anthony Amatuzzi surrendered seven runs to the Rams (16–3) in just two innings, including two home runs, and put Xaverian into a hole that it couldn’t recover from.
His immediate relief was not much better. Anthony Sigismondi entered the game in the third inning and allowed two more runs in his only inning of work.
“If you’re going to give up six runs in the first inning you have to hold them at bay for the rest of the game to give yourself a chance to come back,” Clippers head coach Frank Del George said.
Del George said he was forced to start Amatuzzi in a role that he is not comfortable with because pitcher Dom Napoli could not play in the game due to a prior engagement. Amatuzzi is usually used as a relief pitcher to close out games.
“Unfortunately we put him in a role that he’s really not used to doing, and he came up a little short today,” he said.
The Clippers (16–3) rallied late in the game, scoring five runs in the last three innings. With no outs in the bottom of the seventh, a three-run homerun by Candeleria pulled Xaverian within four. Charles Misiano also contributed two RBIs for the Clippers.
However, Fordham starter Nick Fanelli ended the game when he struck out Xaverian’s Jason Ramos, with two men on base and the tying run on deck. The loss drops Xaverian down to the No. 2 seed in the playoffs. The drop doesn’t worry the Clippers, however, and Del George believes it can be used as motivation.
“This could help us because it puts a little charge in us now,” he said. “They met their match today, and I’m hoping this is going to ignite them now to play a little better in the playoffs.”
Reach reporter Joseph Staszewski at jstaszewski@cnglocal.com. Follow him on twitter @cng_staszewski.