See this story at BrooklynDaily.com.
By Joseph Staszewski
Brooklyn Daily
Anthony Sigismondi didn’t like the idea of his senior season being called a “rebuilding year” because the program graduated 17 players from last year.
The Clippers right hander and his classmates made sure it was nothing of the sort.
They have helped Xaverian stave off elimination four times this post season, including a come-from-behind 4–2 victory over St. Joseph by the Sea in the loser’s bracket semifinal of the Catholic Class A intersectional baseball championship tournament on Wednesday at Richmond County Youth Complex.
Their rebuilding season now has a chance to be a championship one. Xaverian faces division rival Archbishop Molloy in the final on Monday at St. John’s. The Clippers are happy to have the chance whenever it comes.
“Last year a lot of us didn’t get a lot of playing time because of the 17 seniors on the team,” Sigismondi said. “Now this is our opportunity and we are definitely making the most of it.”
He allowed two earned runs in the complete game victory. Xaverian (18–5) made three errors behind him, but Sigismondi did not walk a batter and stranded nine Sea base runners. He said he was ready to throw seven more innings if need be.
“He pitches with a lot of heart,” Xaverian coach Frank Del George said of Sigismondi. “He doesn’t have an explosive fastball, but he knows how to pitch. He just hangs in there game after game.”
The Bay Ridge school’s season nearly ended in the seventh inning after Sea (17–5) took a 2–1 lead thanks to an error, a single by Steven Withers and a sac fly from Angelo Navetta in the bottom of the fifth. Xaverian had another rally in them, however.
It pulled even at 2–2 on a sac fly from Anthony Barbati. The senior designated hitter delivered again in the top of the ninth. He brought in Anthony Scotti for the go-ahead run with a sac fly against Withers, the Sea closer. Chris Nierva’s single scored Nick Meola to make it 4–2.
“The second time I thought he was going to pitch me away,” Barbarti said. “I tried looking for a ball away and hit it in the same spot.”
Sea got on the board in the bottom of the first thanks to an RBI-single from R.J. Mastrodi. The Clippers evened things up against Sea starter Michael Rapaglia in the top of the second when Barbati plated Phoenix Hernandez with a single to make it 1–1. Xaverian had three different runners reach second base in the third, but failed to get one home.
The victory over the Vikings came after Xaverian enacted some revenge on Kennedy Catholic with a 3–1 win on Monday. The Gaels had beaten the Clippers 10–1 earlier in the tournament. Senior Anthony Manzi threw a complete game for Xaverian, and classmate Brandon Torres had a two-RBI single in the first inning that stood up thanks to Manzi.
“The more I get into a game, the better I get,” he said after earning the victory.
The same can be said for his teammates. Xaverian is playing its best baseball late in the year and has gutted out victories in elimination games. It will need to beat Molloy twice in order to bring home the crown, but this group has already proven 2013 wasn’t meant to be a rebuilding year.
“I told them this was going to be a learning situation,” Del George said. “Meanwhile we are in the final game. You got to be kidding me.”