By Dylan O’Loughlin
First it was Binghamton or bust. But after five innings on a hot Friday morning, it’s now state championship or bust as Kendall used a six-run first inning to take a lead it never relinquished en route to a 12-2 victory over Ticonderoga in the NYS Class C semifinals.
It’s the first time in program history that the Eagles have reached the state championship and they’re the first team ever to reach the final from Oleans County.
“It’s been a run for two years with this team and all these players and the hard work they’ve put in is just unbelievable,” Kendall head coach Tige Noni said. “To have the confidence I have in the team and knowing their individual personalities is huge, I don’t know if I can put it into words the feeling of going to the state finals and being the first Kendall team to go.”
After senior Nic Cole went one-two-three on the mound to open up the game, Kendall carried that momentum into the bottom of the first. Jonny Conte and CJ D’Agostino started the inning with a single apiece to get on base. Vinnie D’Agostino was then hit by a pitch to load the bases and a balk by Ticonderoga on the following at-bat sent Conte home for the first run.
Andrew Cole then hit a two-run single to clear the bases to take a 3-0 lead. Sammy Conte was hit by a pitch the following at-bat which led to a Nic Cole RBI-double to extend the Eagles lead to four. The inning was capped off with a two-run double from Andrew D’Agostino to drive home Conte and Cole and give Kendall the lead it only increased.
“That’s what we wanted to do and we wanted to put pressure on them because we wanted to see what their defense was going to do,” Noni explained about the hot start. “They made some mental errors and we capitalized on that. We just kept rolling in that first inning.”
The bats stayed hot in the second inning for Kendall as Vinnie D’Agostino ignited the three-run inning with a triple. After another walk, Sammy Conte capitalized with the runner in scoring position with a single to drive home D’Agostino. Jacob Abrams followed the single with another two-run double to clear the bases and take a 9-0 lead, making the game much more relaxed for Cole on the mound.
“It’s extremely relieving, it’s probably the best feeling ever,” Cole stated about the offensive firepower of Kendall. “It makes the rest of the game a lot easier, it takes a lot of weight off your shoulders trying to keep the other team at zero and you can get a little wiggle room.”
Pitching didn’t come without its moments though. After taking a 9-0 lead through two innings, Ticonderoga’s bats started coming to life as Brady Mydlarz notched the first hit of the game with a single. After a walk and a sacrifice bunt, Parker Davis singled to drive in two runs and make it a 9-2 game. In the bottom of the third, Andrew Cole capitalized on a Ticonderoga error to score one run and make it 10-2 after three.
In the fourth, the Sentinels stayed rolling behind the plate as a single and two errors from Kendall forced a bases loaded situation with one out. Despite that uncomfortable spot for Cole, the senior struck out and grounded out the next two batters to prevent any runs from scoring. This ended up being the closest Ticonderoga came to scoring another run in the outing.
“You just got to stay calm and composed. You can’t show it because once you show it, the rest of your team sees it and that’s when they start getting tense and they don’t feel right behind you,” Cole explained. “So, if you keep it inside, do what you’re supposed to do and keep staying calm, it comes naturally to everyone.”
In the bottom of the fourth, the Eagles singled thanks to Cole and got walked twice to load the bases. With two outs and runners on, Conte singled a ground ball to center field to drive in Cole and Abrams to make it 12-2 Kendall.
In the fifth, all Kendall needed was three outs. Cole started the inning with a fly out to center field. The senior then forced a ground out the next batter before surrendering two singles to Blaek Peters and Rowen Bechtold, putting the Sentinels in scoring position one more time. It didn’t matter though as Cole then struck out Ticonderoga for the final out of the game.
The senior fanned six over a complete game of six-hit ball with two runs while going 2-for-3 with an RBI-double and a run.
Jonny Conte and Andrew D’Agostino led the way offensively going 2-3 with two RBI and a run apiece while Andrew Cole finished 2-2 with two runs and an RBI. Abrams finished with a two-run double and a run while Sammy Conte finished with a hit, two runs and an RBI. Vinnie D’Agostino collected a hit and two runs while CJ D’Agostino added a hit and a run.
Kendall notched its 11th straight victory and finished with 12 hits while allowing just six defensively. Since the postseason, the Eagles have not allowed more than three runs in a game and its only the fifth and sixth runs scored all playoffs, holding opponents to just 1.7 runs per game while scoring 8.8.
“First we have two really great pitchers in Nic and Vinnie D’Agostino and the defense we put behind them is second to none,” Noni said. “We have a super fast outfield, we have really good hands in the infield, it’s just what they’ve been doing for their whole lives. They love the game, they know the game, they have high baseball IQs, so that gives the pitcher confidence when they’re on the mound to be able to throw free and do what they do.”
Kendall will face the winner of Saratoga Catholic (II) vs Tuckahoe (I) tomorrow, Saturday June 13 in the NYS Class C Championship. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Mirabito Stadium as the Eagles look to earn their first state championship in program history.
“They mean everything,” Cole stated about this team. “I’ve been playing with these guys for the better part of 14 years, since we were barely able to pick up a baseball and to be in this situation with them, it is truly incredible.”
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