Tuesday,
May 5, 2015
By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer
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Bobby Heck showing the ball after making the sliding catch in right field that secured Bogota's 4-1 win over Cresskill on Monday afternoon. |
BOGOTA – When Dan Limone took over as the head coach at Bogota, he knew he had to basically build a program from the ground up. The first step was to get his team to work as hard as it possibly could every day. The second was to get the players to believe in themselves and their abilities. The last part, executing and learning how to win games, was the hardest. After a two-win season in 2013, the Bucs improved to nine wins last season but knew their best baseball was still to come.
Facing a hungry Cresskill team looking to get back on the winning track, the Bucs were pushed to the limit at several different points in the game. It was quite simply a game they would not have won two years ago, but with a renewed sense of pride this season, the Bucs continue to find ways to get the job done.
Nico Calabia slugged a go-ahead two-run homer before the defense took over. With the tying run on second base in the top of the seventh inning, Joe Mitchell and Bobby Heck made back-to-back stellar plays in the field to end the game as Bogota has already matched its win total from last year with a 4-3 triumph over Cresskill on Monday at Fiegel Field.
“I trust my teammates a lot and they made some big plays for me at the end,” said Martinez. “We usually score some runs, so I go into every game with the mindset of throwing strikes and letting my defense do the work they always do.”
Bogota manufactured a run in the home half of the first inning to grab an early lead. Alan Albino lined a leadoff single back through the box. After a sacrifice bunt and a groundout, Calabia hit an single identical to Albino's to drive him home to make it 1-0.
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Cresskill starter Ryan King allowed five hits, walked two and struck out five, giving only one earned run. |
Both Bogota starter Mike Martinez, a sophomore, and Cresskill's Ryan King threw the ball well early on and the Cougars had to manufacture a run in the fourth to tie the game. Lou Bloom led off with a single, stole second, and went to third on a balk. Marty Lucitello then laid down a perfect safety squeeze bunt to bring him home and knot the score at 1 before the Cougars retook the lead an inning later. East Assogna's two-out single drove home two to put Cresskill ahead, 3-1.
The Bucs answered right back. With runners on the corners and two outs, they caught a huge break. King had a third-to-first move to hang up Albino in a rundown between first and second. The runner from third broke for the plate but the throw was off-line as the Bucs cut the lead to one run. The bigger problem was to come a few pitches later with the cleanup batter, Calabia, at the plate. After missing a high fastball and holding off on two others, Calabia caught up to a 2-2 letter-high fastball and hit a two-run shot to dead center that put the Bucs ahead 4-3.
“He gave me the same pitch a few times in a row so I was ready for it when I saw it again,” said Calabia. “I just focused on preparing my hands and being ready to hit that pitch when he threw it again.”
The Cougars got some momentum going into the their last at-bat when Nick DeCandia came on in relief to retire the side in order on just five pitches. Mitch Ledron drew a one-out walk and stole second to put the tying run in scoring position. DeCandia then hit a ball destined for the gap in right-center until Mitchell, the Bucs' second baseman, rose up to snatch it with an outstanding leaping catch. Trevor Romeo then hit a sinking line drive to right field, but once again the Bucs' defense came up huge. Bobby Heck got a good jump on the ball and came in to made a sliding catch to end the game.
The win was equally as exhilarating for Bogota as it was crushing for the Cougars.
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Nico Calabia hit the two-run homer that gave Bogota the lead for good. |
“We were right where we wanted to be with the guys we wanted up but they made some nice plays at the end. That's baseball,” said Cresskill head coach Charlie Giordano. “It comes down to the little things. If we executed that first and third play and got the out, it's a different game. Instead they end up getting three runs that inning and we couldn't get the tying run across.”
Martinez scattered six hits to pick up his third win of the season for Bogota (9-5). Calabia paced the offense, going 2-for-3 with a HR and three RBIs. King pitched well in defeat for Cresskill (6-11). He allowed five hits, walked two, and struck out five, giving only one earned run.
Two seasons removed from a 2-17 campaign, Bogota has secured a state tournament berth. The journey is not done yet and Limone looks forward to what the remainder of the season has in store.
“Overall, we've been fighting in every game and we keep finding ways to win,” said Limone. “This year's team is the most committed team that I've coached and we're really motivated. Bogota is a tough town and this team reflects that. We've been working our way up and we're finally to a point where we feel like we have a chance to win every game we play. Our confidence is high and we want to keep that going.”
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