By BILLY HEYEN
Greece Post and Brooks Shepard just played Monday, on the last day of the regular season. Greece Post won a seven-inning game, 3-2, to vault ahead of Brooks Shepard in the race for a playoff spot. But in the resumption of a previously suspended game that followed, Brooks Shepard scored a run and won 5-4. Over at Victor High School, James Cooke beat Irondequoit, 2-0. That meant Greece Post, Brooks Shepard, and James Cooke were all tied on 45 seeding points.
James Cooke held the head-to-head advantage on the other two teams. So they received the three seed. The fourth and final playoff spot comes down to a one-off contest between Greece Post and Brooks Shepard.
When:
6:00 p.m., Wednesday, July 11
Where:
Greece Arcadia High School (home field of Greece Post, which holds a head-to-head advantage over Brooks Shepard and thus gets home-field advantage)
Previous matchups:
Greece Post and Brooks Shepard have played three, one-run contests already this season. On June 25, Greece Post overcame an early deficit to walk-off behind a Victor Torres triple and ensuing wild pitch to win 6-5. Monday, Neale McMullen held Brooks Shepard in check and a three-run third inning gave Greece Post enough to win, 3-2. Then, in the resumption of a game that had been suspended due to darkness on June 15, Brooks Shepard scored in what was the only inning played Monday, the tenth, and held Greece Post off the board in the bottom half to win 5-4.
By the numbers:
- Greece Post: .269/.413/.362 (BA/OBP/SLG); 3.60 ERA, 1.49 WHIP
- Brooks Shepard: .279/.490/.367 (BA/OBP/SLG); 3.39 ERA, 1.57 WHIP
Probable starters:
Greece Post head coach Dan Ford confirmed righty Connor Hong (4-1, 2.22 ERA) will start. Brooks Shepard has not announced a starter, although in a win-or-go-home scenario, maybe the only player not available will be Jake Schuler, who pitched the majority of Monday’s game.
Big bats
Greece Post
SS/C Victor Torres: Team-leading .404 batting average; two doubles, three triples, two HR; 21 stolen bases in 23 attempts
OF Mike Ruta: .350 batting average; five doubles, two triples; perfect 11-for-11 stealing bases
3B/SS James Sciortino: .323 batting average; five doubles; team-leading .548 on-base percentage
C Ryan Ballard: .265 batting average; four doubles, one HR
Brooks Shepard
IF/P Jake Schuler: .320 batting average; four doubles, two triples
C Andrew Wallman: .319 batting average; tied for team-high 15 walks;
1B Jackson Sullivan: .308 batting average; two doubles, one HR
IF Noah Gerlach: .306 batting average; three doubles, one HR; tied for team-high 15 walks
What they’re saying:
- Greece Post head coach Dan Ford: We got a kid (Hong) leaving for the postseason if we’re lucky enough to make it, so we’re gonna throw him and see what we got. Like I said, we’ll be full strength and I think we’ll have our best defense of the season out there for the last game.
- Brooks Shepard head coach Chris Sullivan: That’s what it’s all about. These kids competing and having a good time. We’ll go out to Greece on Wednesday and roll the dice and see what happens and hopefully come away with a win.
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