By Dylan Butler
It took the Long Island Cardinals 17-and-18 year old “Blue” baseball team six hours to return to Queens from Altoona, Pa., but for head coach Ian Millman and his squad, it felt more like 16 hours, as the team suffered two heartbreaking one-run losses with each game ending on an error in the National Amateur Baseball Federation Regionals.
“It’s a long summer, we play almost a minor league schedule with the guys playing just about every day,” Millman said. “After all that hard work they put it, to lose the way we did was very difficult because they don’t feel like they were beaten as much as they feel they beat themselves.”
After splitting a pair of one-run games last Thursday, the Cardinals (34-23) looked to be in great shape as they opened up a 7-2 lead against Design Corps from Maryland.
Stewart Goodwin, from Queens College, jump-started the offense with a single, stolen base and a run scored via a Cole Cicatelli single. The Cardinals added an additional two runs, going ahead 3-0 at the end of one inning.
In the fourth inning, consecutive singles by Tom Curry, Jason Feliz, Marc Kalaygian and Ricky Cruz brought in four more runs as Long Island went ahead 7-2.
The lead looked to be in good shape as Buddy Bengel (0-5) from Quinnipiac University fanned six batters through the first four innings. But Bengel tired in the fifth inning and was pulled with the bases loaded and one out after already giving up two runs.
Pete Castillo (2-0) got a clutch strikeout, but with two outs and two strikes he allowed a bases-clearing double, tying the score at 7.
“Everything was looking good. Buddy was throwing well, he was rolling,” Millman said. “He got in trouble and ran out of gas. I hung with him as long as I could.”
Castillo loaded the bases again in the sixth. but was bailed out by Ben Bynum (2-3).
The Cardinals left the bases loaded following a season-saving catch by Corps’ leftfielder Mike Desveis, as he robbed a sure double off of the bat of Kalaygian.
In the bottom of the seventh Bynum allowed a lead-off infield single. After a sac bunt moved the runner to second, a ground ball to shortstop Jorge Custodio was thrown passed the glove of Jason Feliz at first, as the Cardinals dreams of the NABF World Series came to and end.
The Cardinals opening game of the Regional was also decided by a game-ending error, as a throwing error by Kalaygian scored the winning run for Martin Oil, breaking a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the sixth inning.
After allowing a run in the bottom of the first inning, the Cardinals tied the game in the top of the second on a Feliz double which scored James Glass. Chris Scudilla (3-3) from Newtown High School was the hard luck loser, allowing two runs on four hits, striking out four with no walks.
With both teams facing elimination, the Cards turned to ace righthander Jonathan Lewis Thursday night to take on Arlington (Va.) Hillcats. Lewis, the former Francis Lewis standout, stymied the Hillcats until they scored three runs — two earned — on four hits in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Lewis then secured the win by fanning five of the final six hitters, finishing with a tournament-high 10 strikeouts in the game. Cole Cicatelli led the charge offensively with two doubles and two RBIs, while Anthony Gonzalez chipped in with two singles and an RBI.
Despite the disappointment of losing in the NABF Regional, the season is not over for the Cardinals as Long Island is the top seed in the Federation Amateur Baseball League playoffs which started Wednesday and run through Sunday.
Despite a slow start by the Cardinals defense, the team hit stride and went on to win eight of their final nine regular season games. Leading the way at the plate and on the mound is Stony Brook-bound Lewis batted .370 with 18 RBIs and a team-leading 27 runs scored and 12 stolen bases.
On the hill, Lewis had a 5-3 record, 1.21 ERA and fanned an impressive 72 batters in 52.2 innings.
Gonzalez, from Grand St. Campus, has a .400 batting average, followed by Cicatelli (.382, 15 RBI), Glass (.346), Castillo (.333, 17 runs, 10 stolen bases) and Curry (.315, 13 RBIs, 9 stolen bases).
Feliz, from Fulton Montgomery Community College, led the team with 30 hits and 23 RBIs. Cardozo’s Jack Medic chipped in with 11 RBIs and 22 runs scored. Kalaygian, from Kellenberg High School, steadied the lineup, scoring 20 times with 18 walks.
Shortstop Jorge Custodio, also from Grand St. Campus, scored 19 times while swiping 11 bags.
Goodwin led the team with five triples and scored 18 times. Fred Estes (Archbishop Molloy), Neil Bisman (Francis Lewis), Edwin Tolentino (Newtown) and Ricky Cruz (Queensborough CC) all made key contributions to the success of the ball club.
On the mound, Bynum (2-3, 4.12 ERA) from Pittsburgh Community College fanned 29 batters in 27.2 innings, while hard-luck starter Bengel (0-5, 4.20 ERA) struck out 39 batters in 40 innings.
Kalaygian led the staff in earned run average with a 1.12 mark and a 2-2 record. Closer Mario Santiago (Francis Lewis) led the staff with eight saves in 16 appearances.
Queens College-bound Michael Morris (3-2,1.96 ERA) and Southhold High School junior Castillo (2-0, one save , 2.93 ERA) kept the Cardinals in many games.
Curry (Xaverian) was 3-2 with a 3.50 ERA, fanning 23 batters in 20 innings. Richard Lopez (Grand St. Campus) posted a 2-1 record with a 3.06 ERA with 26 K’s in 25.2 innings.
Mark Scheckner (2-0, 5.28 ERA) logged 25 innings of work over 15 appearances The projected ace of the 2002 Cardinals, Scudilla was 3-3 with 1 save and a 3.58 ERA. He also fanned 31 hitters in 33 innings.
Reach Associate Sports Editor Dylan Butler by e-mail at Timesledger@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 143.
