By PAUL GOTHAM
PITTSFORD, N.Y. — Earlier this week, Paul Byrne added to a program record when he collected his 19th career win. On Wednesday, the senior right-hander converted a save that will go down in Pittsford Sutherland baseball lore.
With the two outs in the sixth inning and the tying run at second, head coach Brandon DeRosa called time mid at-bat and brought his ace into the game.
“I’m not dying with him on the bench,” DeRosa said after No. 2 Sutherland defeated No. 3 Aquinas, 2-1. “I knew I had Paul in my back pocket, and I saw a 1-1 count. I thought he’s coming in right now.”
Two pitches later, Byrne escaped the jam. One inning later, the Knights clinched a spot in Friday’s Section V Class A final.
“He was pumping and got the job done,” DeRosa said of the senior right-hander. “He’s special. Breaking the wins record here in our program is a huge accomplishment with all the players that have gone through here.”
Sutherland advanced and will face Honeoye Falls-Lima in a rematch of last year’s Class A2 final – a game that HF-L won by an 11-2 score.
Class A: Paul Byrne comes on in relief with the tying run at second and a 1-1 count on the batter and uses two pitches to end the threat. @SHSBSBL 2-1 bottom 6. pic.twitter.com/8VDOqVTrpz
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) May 22, 2024
Class A: @SHSBSBL strikes first. Aidan Kress leads the bottom of the first with a double. After a fly ball moves the runner, Sam Renica delivers with an RBI groundout. pic.twitter.com/NlkL22WFjA
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) May 22, 2024
Class A: Aidan Kress connects on a one-out single to give @SHSBSBL a 2-0 lead in the third. pic.twitter.com/W7HJEDdLCp
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) May 22, 2024
“I know that we’re not satisfied,” De Rosa said. “We got one more to get on Friday.”
Aidan Kress finished 2-for-3 out of the leadoff spot to pace the Sutherland offense. The sophomore catcher doubled to start the bottom of the first. After a fly ball moved the runner to third, Sam Renica gave Sutherland a 1-0 lead with an RBI groundout.
Tyler Allen singled and scored on a Kress base hit in the third for a 2-0 Knights’ lead.
Aquinas starter, Michael Calogero kept the Sutherland offense in check from there.
“We know how good of a pitcher Calogero is and that there probably wasn’t going to be a lot of runs scored,” DeRosa said. “We had to get guys over because it’s hard to get multiple hits in a row against him. We found ways to get guys on and we scraped across just enough to get it done.”
Calogero allowed four hits and a walk. The junior right-hander fanned five. He needed just 69 pitches to get through six innings.
“He’s a difference-maker on the mound,” DeRosa said. “We knew it was going to be a dog fight, absolutely. They made a ton of plays defensively.”
Aquinas threatened throughout Wednesday’s contest. Tré Walker led the game with a base on balls and moved to second on a wild pitch. Jimmy Marotta beat out a bunt, and AQ had runners on the corners. Sutherland starter Chase Dermody responded with three strike outs, the third with Marotta having stolen second.
Trent Buttles put runners on first and second with a two-out single in the second. Dermody walked the first three batters of the third only to set down the next two on strikes and then get a routine fly ball for the third out.
“Chase didn’t have his best stuff today,” DeRosa said. “He couldn’t locate really well, but you know what he did? He found a way to shut the door. Bases loaded, no outs – he gets out of it. Two guys in scoring position, he gets out of it. That’s what you got to do. You got to find a way even if you don’t have your best stuff. Find a way to get the job done and pass it off to the next guy.”
Aquinas broke through in the fifth against Sutherland reliever, Sam Byrne.
Ryan Lewin connected on a one-out double and moved to third on a balk. Jared Swift brought home the run with a sacrifice fly.
“Tough kids,” Aquinas head coach Ray Manioci said of his team. “They bought into the approach all year. We faced some really good arms today. There’s a reason that they’re moving on.”
Walker reached on a hit by pitch with two outs in the sixth. The Ithaca College commit was on second after a stolen base with Marotta at the plate.
“He’s a very good hitter,” DeRosa said of Marotta. “He puts the ball in play a lot. Sam is a good pitcher, but Paul has a lot more velocity. We had our best chance with Paul facing him.”
With that DeRosa made the move and exchanged younger for older brother.
“I expected him to come in earlier,” Manioci said. “That kid’s tough. He’s good. Hats off to him for not letting the situation get worse.
“It says a lot about him when he can come in and throw a 1-1 slider and back that up with a dotted fastball on the corner. That kid’s good.”
Lucas Leone singled down the right field line to start the Aquinas seventh. A sacrifice bunt put the tying run at second again. Byrne closed the game with his second and third strike outs.
“Paul has improved every single year since he was a sophomore,” DeRosa said of the SUNY Cortland commit. “He works his tail off all year long. He deserves all his success. He works for it. I’m super-proud of him.”
Byrne threw 16 pitches on Wednesday and will be eligible (per NYS pitch count guidelines) to start on Friday.
A 4 PM first pitch is scheduled at Innovative Field when Sutherland will face No. 5 Honeoye Falls-Lima.
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