This site was created by Tony Pinciaro, who has covered high school sports in Westchester, Putnam, Rockland and Dutchess counties for 24 years. Pinciaro spent 17 years with the Gannett daily newspaper. His beats included field hockey, wrestling and softball. Pinciaro authored three blogs while with the daily newspaper.
Tony Pinciaro
FISHKILL -- Chris Granata showed yesterday that these modern-day escape artists, such as Criss Angel, can learn a few things from the New City Outlaws' pitcher.
In three innings, the second, third and sixth, Granata was confronted with a bases-loaded situation against the Rockland Cavaliers. And in each inning, the North Rockland alumnus extricated himself from it, leaving the Cavaliers with an ever-increasing number of runners left on base.
Granata would allow one run on nine hits in six innings as the Outlaws withstood a late Cavaliers' surge for a 7-5 win in game four of the Westchester/Rockland Wood Bat League best-of-five championship series at Dutchess Stadium.
The decisive game will be played today, 11 a.m., followed by the all-star game later in the day at 6 p.m.
Granata, who threw an inning and 2/3 in game one, was staked to a 4-1 lead after one inning. This relaxed the 30-year-old righthander.
"It's always nice to pitch with a lead," said Granata, who played for John Sottile at North Rockland. "You just want to go at the, throw strikes and make them hit the ball."
The Cavaliers did this, registering at least one hit in every inning and finishing with 17 for the game. After the Outlaws scored four runs, with two outs, in the first inning to grab a 4-1 lead, the Cavaliers began compiling baserunners. The Cavaliers would finish leaving 15 runners stranded.
In the second inning, the Cavaliers loaded the bases with one out on singles by Matt Gizzi and Donnie Roth sandwiched around a walk to Rob Golemba. Gerard Moreno lofted a soft fly ball to right center that rightfielder Brandon Mann tracked down for the second out. Granata finished the inning, getting Tim Meehan on a comebacker.
The Cavaliers were at it again in the fourth, this time loading the bases with no outs. Granata faced hard-hitting catcher Joe Farina first. Farina, who had two hits, including a two-run triple, in game three, hit a laser to right field that Mann snared. Mark Duncan hit a soft flare to shortstop Larry Castrovinci for the second out and Gizzi lined out to Castrovinci to end the threat.
"Having been in these situations before, the experience always helps," Granata said. "It's all about making good pitches in tough spots. In the third inning I just wanted to prevent the big inning.
"It definitely builds your confidence once you get out of it the first time you can do it every time."
While Granata was short-circuiting the Cavaliers' threats, the Outlaws hiked their three-run lead to six, at 7-1, through four innings.
The Cavaliers swelled the bases in the sixth, with one, but Granata induced Moreno to pop out to first baseman Wes Poppe and Meehan skied out to Mann.
After the Cavaliers took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, on a Mike Mobbs' RBI single, starter Dylan Joyce retired the first two Outlaws on six pitches in the bottom of the first. However, James Caroleo ripped a sharp single up the middle. Mann, who went 4 for 4 in game three, tripled to the wall in right, scoring Caroleo. Mike Oliva walked and Brian Brophy was safe on a throwing error, allowing Mann to score. Mike Butrico followed and flared a ball to left field, scoring Oliva and Brophy.
Granata and his teammates are not surprised the title will be decided by a fifth game.
"We knew it was going to be a war with these guys," he said. "We played well today and hopefully we can carry over the momentum to tomorrow."
The Cavaliers did throw a scare into the Outlaws in the ninth, scoring three runs, the last two on a Gizzi double to deep left, but reliever Wes Poppe got Chris Durso to bounce back to the mound for the final out.
Rockland Cavaliers 100 000 013 -- 5-17-2
New City Outlaws 401 200 00x -- 7-9-1
RBI -- RC: Matt Gizzi 2, Mark Duncan, Donnie Roth, Mike Mobbs; NCO: Mike Butrico 2, Brian Brophy, Justin Michalek, James Caroleo, Brandon Mann. 3B - NCO: Brandon Mann. WP -- Chris Granata. LP -- Dylan Joyce.