John Jay wins a thriller in extra innings to start double-header sweep

Eliot Arbogast delivers to the plate for John Jay. Will Civetta applies the tag for an out. Jacob Storch gets ready to celebrate after sliding across home plate with the winning run in extra innings for John Jay. Matt Denker connects at the plate for the Wolves. Jim MacLean Photo

By JIM MACLEAN

Most teams would have been too tired and too dejected, ready to pack it up and get ready for the next game starting in just a few minutes, but John Jay refused to just walk away.

Instead, the Wolves started an uphill climb; one batter at a time, and the result was a well-earned celebration after an incredible three-run rally in the 11th inning for a 6-5 victory over Carmel.

John Jay carried the momentum over into the second game of a double header for another victory over Carmel, making it three-straight wins for the Wolves.

And the first game rally was a highlight of a week that the John Jay team will most likely remember for the rest of their lives. It started with a trip to Arizona, and then coming home the Wolves got their first win of the season over Sleepy Hollow, followed by the double-header against Carmel with an amazing rally.

“We just came back from Arizona where we went to a Diamondbacks game where they scored five in the bottom of the ninth to win. We stayed the whole game and it was awesome,” explained John Jay coach Ted Lawrence. “We fed off of that, they just didn’t give up, 100 percent heart. To go down two, our last at bat, the air comes right out of you, but we fought back the whole game. We were off to a slow start and we’re hoping this will turn us around.”

It was an uphill battle the entire game as the Wolves fell behind 2-0 in the first inning and kept scratching their way back. John Jay got one run back in the bottom of the first with Eliot Arbogast coming through with a single and an RBI.

Carmel scored again in the second to make it 3-1, but John Jay answered right back. Will Rickel singled, and Jacob Storch followed with a double. Nolan Rhodes then connected for a double and two RBI to even it up at 3-3.

It stayed that way as Mitch Hammer mowed them down on the mound for John Jay. Hammer pitched a complete game going seven innings with just one earned run allowed, but it was still tied up at 3-3 heading into extra innings. Arbogast came on in relief for John Jay and he held Carmel scoreless for three innings.

“Hammer was great, too bad he couldn’t get the decision because he threw a complete game,” Lawrence said of his pitcher. “Then we went another four innings with Arbo and he was awesome.”

However, the Rams were able to score a pair of runs in the 11th to take a 5-3 lead. It might have been more, but John jay catcher Steve Carozo threw out the lead runner trying to steal second.

Down by two, Carozo led it off for John Jay and reached on a sharp liner and a bad bounce for an infield hit. Will Rickel followed with another big single, and Storch singled to load the bases. That set the stage for senior Will Civetta, who had met with coach Lawrence between innings. Civetta delivered with a two-run single to tie it up at 5-5.

“I give credit to Carozo, he led us off and got on base, and then Will Rickel in the nine hole came through with a base hit and that was big, first and second nobody out and the top of the order coming up,” said Lawrence. “Civetta was struggling a bit with that outside pitch, so we went over to the cage and did some work and it paid off.”

The Wolves were not finished with Storch on third and Civetta on second. Rhodes was then intentionally walked for the second time in the game and that loaded the bases. Arbogast then did the job to help his own cause as he lifted a fly to right for the walk-off sacrifice fly as Storch slid home with the winning run.

“The boys did it all, they got on base and I just had to get it to the outfield and finish the job,” Arbogast said of the finish. “Definitely a lot of pressure on the mound, I tried to stay within myself, got a little wild and had to refocus on the next pitch. 

John Jay needed another comeback in the second game as Carmel opened up a 3-0 lead. Once again it was Cardozo coming through with a double and Will Rickel with an RBI single to get the Wolves started. Storch pitched seven innings with nine strikeouts to record the win.

Against Sleepy Hollow on the road on Monday, John Jay cruised to a 10-0 victory for its first win of the season as Jack Garneau got the win on the mound. Matt Denker went 2-3 with a home run, Ryan Valdes was 2-3 with two doubles and three RBI, and Rhodes was 3-3 with two RBI.