Fox Lane falls in Class AA quarterfinals shutout at Yorktown

C.J. Simone applies the tag at second for the out on a pick off attempt. JIM MACLEAN PHOTOS

By JIM MACLEAN 

Two pitchers throwing strikes, two defenses making the plays behind them, and it all came down to which team could deliver the big hits.

That team would be Yorktown as the host Huskers came through with a home run, a double and a clutch single to score two runs, while pitcher Swaraaj Pujari carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning before Fox Lane was able to manage a couple of hits. Pujari and the Huskers closed it out for the 2-0, shutout victory to advance to the semifinals, while Fox Lane had its season come to an end with the quarterfinal loss at Yorktown on May 19.

Fox Lane had advanced to the quarterfinals with a 4-1 victory over Suffern in the first round of the playoffs at home on May 16, as the Foxes finished with a 10-11 overall record after starting off the season at 0-6.

“Today we ran into a kid who had command of all his pitches and dominated in the strike zone and you have to tip your cap to him, he was great,” Fox Lane coach Matt Hillis said of Pujari. “I’m just super proud of the way they finished the season. Obviously, the way we started was a huge obstacle to overcome and they did it and turned it into a pretty good year. It didn’t matter that we were 0-6, they still came to practice and worked their butts off. There’s a lot of seniors on this team, and this senior group is kind of unique in that last year they were stuck behind a big senior class and they didn’t get a lot of at bats, but they were in it every single day from day one at practice to the last out tonight. They battled right to the end.”

It would prove to be a classic pitchers duel as the two teams squared off under the lights at the Granite Knolls facility on a hot night. Both teams were up for the challenge of an intense playoff battle between two good squads as they made big plays all over the field behind their respective pitchers.

Yorktown got the first hit of the game in the bottom of the first with a single off Fox Lane pitcher Frank Salvatorelli, but shortstop C.J. Simone made a leaping grab of a line drive and threw to first for an inning-ending double play.

In the bottom of the second, Max Polinsky made a diving catch in left field for the Foxes, but Yorktown was able to get on the board as Luke Ciami delivered with a ground-rule double over the fence and came home on an RBI single from Tyler Galante.

The Huskers threatened in the bottom of the fourth with a lead off single and a walk, but Salvatorelli worked his way out of a bases loaded jam getting the third out on a strikeout.

It was still 1-0 until the bottom of the fifth when Yorktown struck again with Lirim Biberaj striking the big blow with a home run over the left field fence for a 2-0 lead.

Andrew Brauning fields a throw at first base.

Fox Lane was unable to get anything going at the plate as Pujari retired the first 13 batters he faced and carried a perfect game into the fifth inning before Janak Bain reached on a walk for the Foxes. Joe Rodriguez came on as a pinch hitter for the Foxes in the sixth inning and gave them hope with a deep drive that was caught on the warning track. Andrew Brauning lined a single in the seventh inning for the first hit of the game for the Foxes, breaking up Pujari’s bid for the no-hitter after six and a third innings. Bain singled for the Foxes second hit of the game to put runners at first and third, but Pujari was able to end the threat with a strike out to wrap up the shutout victory.

Salvatorelli was on the mound for four and two thirds innings for the Foxes, and Sean Singleton came on to pitch the final inning and a third.

“Frank was phenomenal, he has been really good the entire year,” Hillis said of Salvatorelli. “Coming into the year without a whole lot of innings under his belt, he ended up being an All-Section, honorable mention pitcher for us and did a great job.”

Fox Lane advanced to the quarterfinals with a 4-1 win over Suffern in the first round of the playoffs. Jackson Carroll was on the mound and recorded the win for the Foxes.