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McClancy stunned by Stepinac

By Dylan Butler

Vinny Johnson struggled to comprehend the finality of it. An inning after sparking a remarkable five-run rally, the senior on the McClancy baseball team laid on the grass behind the backstop at Archbishop Stepinac covering his face with his red cap.

Moments earlier his high school career came to a stunning and abrupt end when Kevin Murray’s game-winning sacrifice fly to left field lifted Stepinac to a dramatic 8-7 win in the first round of the CHSAA playoffs in White Plains Monday.

“I can’t believe we actually lost to this team in the first round. I didn’t think it would happen,” Johnson said. “I didn’t think our season would be this short.”

Stepinac advances to face St. Raymond’s in a best-of-three series starting Thursday, while McClancy goes home after an especially bitter season-ending defeat.

Trailing 4-2 in the sixth inning, McClancy (11-13) scored five runs highlighted by Randy White’s two-run triple to center to put the visitors in front, 7-4.

Johnson started the rally with a lead-off bunt up the third-base line. Bob Gorvetzian, who was McClancy’s starter but was pulled in the second inning after giving up four runs on five hits, then beat out a slow grounder to first.

Stepinac coach Pat Duffy pulled starter Mike Sheehan after White’s triple, and Shawn Hayes capped McClancy’s comeback with an RBI-single to center.

“I felt confident; I thought we had it,” Johnson said. “I don’t know what to say.”

It appeared McClancy wrestled the momentum away from Stepinac (9-9), but after Al Siciliano reached on an error by Johnson in the bottom of the sixth, Andy Martirano blasted a two-run homer over the left-field fence to chase reliever Andrew Guarrasi.

Coming off tendonitis, the junior lefty was stellar in 3.1 innings of relief, allowing three runs — two earned — on two hits while striking out five and walking three.

McClancy coach Nick Melito called on closer Daniel Sanabria, but the junior righty couldn’t find the strike zone. After walking Nick Parente and Murray and getting Frank Adamo to pop out to second baseman Steve Algaroba in foul territory, he walked Chris Mentrasti to bring in the tying run and was promptly pulled.

“I’m proud of the way we came back, down 4-2 to put up a five spot in the sixth,” Melito said. “But you have to get pitching. Pitching wins playoff games.”

McClancy went down in order in the top of the seventh and Matthew McDevitt, who had induced a pair of groundouts with the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth inning, walked Siciliano to lead off the seventh.

Martirano singled to center and both advanced on a wild pitch. Dan Archer walked to load the bases and after Parente struck out, Murray won the game with a medium fly ball to left field that ended the game.

“When they snatched it away from us, we didn’t fall apart,” Duffy said. “We hung in there, we swung the bats a bit at the end there, and the seniors kind of pulled the other guys together and we toughed it out.”

McClancy jumped ahead 2-0 in the top of the first inning on a sacrifice fly by Johnson and an RBI-double by Gorvetzian, but Stepinac answered with two runs of its own in the bottom of the inning and added two more in the second inning to take a 4-2 lead.

“When you battle back like that it does take a lot out of you,” Melito said. “When they came back, that was the kicker.”

St. Francis Prep 7, St. Peter’s 1. Rich Armento pitched a one-hitter with seven strikeouts, and Peter Loeb belted a three-run double in the second inning to lift visiting St. Francis Prep (13-11) over St. Peter’s in the first round of the CHSAA playoffs Monday on Staten Island.

The Terriers face Mount St. Michael in a best-of-three series starting Thursday.

Reach Sports Editor Dylan Butler by e-mail at TimesLedger@aol.com or call 718-229-0300, Ext. 143.