Pelham Daily Sports Digest: Pelham Rugby Update, Baseball Playoffs Begin Today

Coaches, Parents and Boosters, Please send scores and information to HVDailySportsDigest@gmail.com immediately following every game.

The Top Spot:

Pelham seventh-eighth grade rugby team wins sixth to stay undefeated and top of standings; sixth-seventh fights hard

Pelham’s league leading and undefeated seventh-eighth grade tackle team traveled to Randall’s Island Saturday to take on rival Manhattan Rugby. Pelham jumped out to an 8-0 lead in the first half, but the second half tested Pelham’s mettle. Manhattan picked up help from Ridgewood players, while Pelham was reduced to 12 after starting center Whit Johnson went down early in the first half. Pelham had to play the entire second half with no substitutes.

Pelham relied on a stout defense led by Morgan Collins and Matt Biskup and by controlling lineouts with Dan Biskup and Nick Roll. Pelham gave up a few early tries in the second half only to come back and score several of their own as a result of great play by newcomer David Monaco and finishing by Xavier Worsley. Pelham eventually won 12 tries to 4 to remain undefeated and clinch the league for the second year in a row.

Solid performances were put in by Cian Burns, Quinn Scanlon, Alex Calder, James Cahill, Matt Rabinowitz, Xavier Worsley, Matt Biskup, Dan Biskup, Nick Roll, Whit Johnson, Morgan Collins, David Monaco and Quinn Scanlon.

The Pelham seventh-eighth grade team takes on Ridgewood June 3 at 5:30 pm at home at Spring Street field.

Pelham’s sixth-seventh graders traveled to Randall’s Island to take on Aspetuck, Connecticut. Aspetuck was undefeated this season and would be the biggest challenge of the year for Pelham. After a tough start, Pelham was able to regroup and put together some great periods of rugby and score several tries. Sofia Imperato led the team with three tries and Woods Johnson was tops in tackling. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough, and Pelham fell 8 tries to 4. The team is improving every week and takes on Ridgewood, New Jersey, at Spring Street at 4:30 p.m. on June 3.

Playing for Pelham: Sofia Imperato, Jack Weyndling, Adam Razick, Alejandro Kahaner, James Bristow, Woods Johnson, Tamio Shibaski, Cameron Ward, Quinn Jenkins, Jack Fronce, Duffy Doyle and Jean Vigroux.

Elementary flag rugby team wins two and ties Lycée in final tune-up before NYC Mayor’s Cup

The Pelham elementary flag rugby team beat Rockaway and Manhattan and tied Lycée Francais Sunday in its final games before the NYC Mayor’s Rugby Cup on June 10.

At the last Chelsea Waterside Park tournament of the season, Pelham beat Manhattan 6-2 and defeated Rockaway 6-3, displaying some excellent passing moves and tightened defense. The 6-6 tie with Lycée was the first result against that tough team in a year.

Playing for Pelham were Caleb Persanis, Avery Archibald, Grant Roll, James Hupprich, Julia Davis, Luca Phillips, Max Laval, Nicholas Hibbler, Patrick Zahradnik, Reed O’Brien, Justin O’Beirne, Lucas Matos, Andrew Clausen and Marco Gracie.

Today’s Schedule:

In baseball, Saunders heads to Pelham at 4:30 p.m.

In boys lacrosse, Pelham heads to Byram Hills at 4:30 p.m.

College Sports Notebook:

SUNY Cortland Red Dragons going to national baseball  tourney

 The SUNY Cortland baseball team rallied for two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to beat host Farmingdale State, 2-1, in the championship round of the NCAA New York Regional Tournament.The Red Dragons (39-7-1) went 4-0 in the double-elimination regional and earned a trip to the NCAA Division III World Series.Cortland, making its 11th World Series appearance, will face the winner of the Mid-Atlantic Regional on the opening day of the Series on Friday in Grand Chute, Wisconsin.Sophomore catcher Tim Panetta of Mount Kisco, a Fox Lane graduate, was joined on the all-tournament team by teammate Andrew Pezzuto of Hastings, a junior outfielder who was named the tournament MVP.Freshman outfielder Donny Castaldo of Mount Kisco, another Fox Lane graduate, and senior pitcher Brendan Hourihan of Yorktown Heights, a team captain, also perform for the Red Dragons.Hourihan picked up his third save of the season after preserving a 4-2 win over Farmingdale that earned the Red Dragons their title shot in the regional tournament. 

Spartans honored

Matt Marotta of Suffern, a two-time East Coast Conference pitcher of the week, Frank Salerno of New City, who flirted with a .400 batting average, and standout rookie Stanley Susana of the Bronx represent St. Thomas Aquinas College on the NCWBA first-team all-East Region baseball team.

Scott Muscat of West Haverstraw earned coach of the year recognition and Mike Russo of Boca Raton, FL, was named to the second-team.

Salerno finished second in the ECC in batting average (.376) and RBI (33).  The junior also led the ECC in stolen bases (38) and was the Spartans’ leader with 54 runs.  Salerno was a first team all conference selection for the second year in a row and broke the Spartans record for stolen bases in a season. Salerno was named the ECC player of the week three times this season. 

Marotta led the conference in wins with eight after missing last season due to an injury. The senior right-hander broke the school record for wins and most strikeouts in a season (70). 

Mortarboard musings

• Pitcher Spencer Samelson of Mamaroneck and the Onondoga Community College baseball team lost two games at the NJCAA Region 3 Division III Tournament at Veterans Memorial Park in Little Falls. Hoping to advance to the national tournament in Tyler, TX, Onondoga was first tripped by Niagara County CC, 10-9, and then was eliminated by Jamestown CC, 14-4.
• Tatuvydas Kieras of Monroe College in New Rochelle added to his growing legend at the NJCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Levelland, TX. On his fifth throw of the meet, the Lithuanian freshman, who is known as 'TK', threw the discus 182 feet to win the gold medal and capture first-team all-American status. Kieras is Monroe's first-ever national track and field champion.
• Tonight Iona College is hosting their annual Meet the Coaches spring event tonight at 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Wykagyl Country Club. For $30 per person admission gets you hors d’oeuvres, an open bar and the opportunity to meet the men’s and women’s basketball coaches. To RSVP contact Jay Judge at 914-633-2071 or jjudge@iona.edu.
• The NCAA East Preliminary will be held at the University of North Florida and the Iona Gales will be sending nine members of the school’s track program to the event.
• Dan Fiorito of Yonkers and Manhattanville was named to the D3Baseball.com all second team after he led the Valiant baseball team in most offensive categories. Fiorito hit .397 in his time at Manhattanville with 116 runs as he belted 21 homers and knocked in 108 RBI. The shortstop was named on of the top prospects in the country by Baseball America and went on to hit .411 with 12 home runs this season.
• Manhattanville senior tennis player Michael Capozzi was named CoSIDA Academic All-District Honor for the second straight year. The award is given every year to students who excel on the court and in the classroom.

Weekly Sports Poll:

This week the sports poll asks what you think of in major league baseball? New York fans may hate the leagues playing one another as both New York teams have lost two of three in their first interleague series of the year. The Subway Series will be played in a few weeks. 

The Daily Sports Digest is Patch’s way of increasing reader involvement in sports coverage. We would like to provide you with for you to add your best photos and/or videos to share. If you see anything in our high school scores, standings or schedule that requires updating, please e-mail Mark Rinaldi directly at HVDailySportsDigest@gmail.com or like us on Facebook and post updates on our wall. Marc Maturo covers college athletics across the nation. Please send updates of your local schools or players to marcmaturo@aol.com.