Hawks Outslug East Meadow, Eliminate Jets

Sometimes in baseball, redemption is just one at-bat away.

This was the case on Saturday for Plainview JFK’s Seth Norman. Norman, pitching in the top of the seventh inning, gave up a two run homer to East Meadow's Chris Mancino to tie the game at six. 

The score would remain tied until the 10th frame, when Norman came to the plate with two outs and hit a walk-off home run to give Plainview JFK the victory over the Jets, 7-6.

“I am just speechless about it really,” Norman said. “The previous bat I was trying to hit a home run and I ended up just hitting it back to the pitcher so this time I was just trying to hit a single and get on base.”

Plainview JFK took the lead in the middle of the game with back-to-back home runs by Gil Doremus and Matthew Moskowitz. They would add three more runs, including one via suicide squeeze in the bottom of the sixth and lead 6-3 with only three outs remaining for East Meadow.

The Jets would rally to plate three runs of their own topped off with a two-out, two-strike homer by Mancino to keep their hopes alive.

Plainview JFK missed a chance to win the game in the bottom of the seventh inning after getting the first two men on, but the Jets turned a double play off a line drive by Gil Doremus and then Rob Bocchetti was able to strike out the next batter to send the game into extras.

The action remained quiet until the top of the tenth when East Meadow squandered a big opportunity with runners on first and third and nobody out. Bocchetti was thrown out trying to steal second and the Jets failed to score.

“We were trying to stay out of the double play,” East Meadow coach Ken Sicoli. “We had a guy with good speed and noticed the pitcher was taking a big step towards the plate.”

Norman ended the game in the bottom of the inning with his home run to straight away center field.

For Plainview JFK Coach Justin Szwejkowski, it was bitter sweet to defeate his former head coach.

“I would rather have beaten any other team than them but that is sports,” Szwejkowski said. “I am very proud of this team and a feel we can beat any team in a three game series now.”

Plaiview JFK will face Oceanside High School in a three game series starting next week.

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