Baseball: Croton-Harmon stuns top-seeded Bronxville in Class B semifinals comeback win
BRONXVILLE - You don't always get a second chance in sports, but you can count on Croton-Harmon to make the most of it.
The Tigers knew the road to the finals wasn't going to be easy, but after previously knocking off two-time section champ Rye Neck earlier in their journey, they picked up another big road win to keep their postseason hopes alive.
After taking their first loss to Blind Brook on Sunday in the Section 1 Class B double-elimination semifinals, they bounced back with a 4-3 come-from-behind win over top-seeded Bronxville on Monday afternoon.
"These guys, they just believe, you gotta have it," Croton-Harmon coach Eric Rosen said. "Every day they come to the field ready to play. They didn't want this season to end, so we kept it going. We got another practice Tuesday, then we get to play again on Wednesday."
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The Tigers were resilient in a game where they trailed from the beginning and played from behind all through the first six innings.
While they stayed within reach of the Broncos, they didn't snatch the lead until the very end.
"It's days like today that are frustrating, when the hits don't go down, but they will fall eventually and that's really what matters," Croton-Harmon senior Evan Kurtz said. "We just forgot about Sunday and came ready to play the next day. We needed to win this one, play a little harder. We know everyone on our team can field, everyone can hit — bottom of the order or at the end — there's always something."
Down 3-2 entering the final inning of a well-played game, the Tigers got a break when an error allowed them to keep runners at the corners with only one out.
On the ensuing at-bat, Croton went back to the top of the order, and Aidan Callahan smashed a ball into the warning track that gave the Tigers more than enough room for the game-tying sacrifice fly RBI.
Croton didn't stop there, as Kurtz delivered the go-ahead RBI single with two outs to give the Tigers their first lead of the game.
"We didn't work this hard all season to have it end here," Callahan said. "We know what we're capable of. We may be a six-seed, but we think we can do something and take this all the way. We've been playing together for a long time, we just have to keep going, believe in ourselves like we've been doing and we can do anything."
Kurtz came in to close the game after six solid innings from Andrew Kim. Kurtz dispatched the top of the Bronxville lineup for the save to seal the victory.
For Bronxville, it was a heartbreaking 24-hour stretch. The Broncos received a pair of close losses where things drastically changed in the final innings, the first in a 10-inning marathon against Albertus Magnus on Sunday, and now a season-ending loss to Croton.
"Definitely not expected," Bronxville coach Michael Schultz said of the sudden end to the Broncos' season. "(On Sunday), Albertus beat us and today, the cards fell in Croton's favor. We haven't had a chance to fully digest everything. To be honest, I wasn't expecting this, we had our best pitcher on the mound, kids were hitting the ball hard and it just didn't fall for us.
"We gave ourselves the best opportunity to win, and Croton gave us a great game and we wish them all the best moving forward."
What it means
Bronxville ends the season 19-4-1. Croton-Harmon will get a second chance at facing Blind Brook in an elimination game on Wednesday. The winner will get to advance to the finals, where they will face No. 4 seed Albertus Magnus.
The Falcons defeated Blind Brook, 6-0, on Monday.
Player of the game
Evan Kurtz, Croton-Harmon: It's hard to pick one individual standout on a team that had numerous players serve a part in making the come-from-behind win happen, but a tip of the hat to Kurtz, who delivered the go-ahead RBI single with two outs in the top of the seventh, then went on to close it out in the bottom of the inning.
"I was just praying I was throwing strikes, I haven't pitched in years," said Kurtz, estimating his freshman or sophomore season was the last time he took the mound in a varsity game. "I knew it was coming. I was talking with the coaches. I like being in big spots."
By the numbers
No. 6 Croton-Harmon (18-6) — Sam Weiner hit an RBI double to make it a 3-2 game in the sixth inning. Ryan Kim went 1-for-2 with an RBI. Mekhi Smithwick went 2-for-3 with one run scored. Matt Anfiteatro was 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored. Aidan Callahan had the game-tying sacrifice fly RBI and accounted for nine putouts in center field. Andrew Kim got the win on the mound, giving up three runs on seven hits, while striking out two batters over six innings.
No. 1 Bronxville (19-4-1) — Chris Lockwood was saddled with only the second loss of his career, finishing with a 20-2 record since 2021. Lockwood gave up two earned runs on six hits, while striking out three batters in the complete-game effort. Ethan Jaquette went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and three stolen bases. Connor Kenny went 2-for-2 with an RBI and a walk. Jeremy Freeman went 1-for-3 with an RBI. Ted Heraty also had an RBI.
They said it
"We just talked about the relationships that we built, some of these guys have been coming to our preseason workouts since they were in seventh or eighth grade and they're like my own sons," Schultz said of his Broncos. "I love them all, and if they ever need anything, they know where to find me. I just wished them all the best."
"We've come so far," Callahan said. "We started 2-2 and we haven't looked back. We won eight games in a row at one point. We fight, and we just keep fighting, and we get it done."
Follow Eugene Rapay on Twitter at @erapay5 and on Instagram at @byeugenerapay.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Baseball: Croton-Harmon stuns top-seeded Bronxville in comeback win
