Hills West Baseball Suffers Tough Loss

The league champion varsity baseball team played West Islip yesterday in the county semifinals.  The winner of the game would advance to the finals and would have to win one of their next two games to win the county title, while the loser would have to go and win three straight games in three days in order to win the title.  Junior Jon Faraci started the game on the mound for the Colts, but two walks and a hit by pitch followed by a single gave West Islip two runs in the first inning, putting the Colts behind in a game for the first time in weeks.  Faraci was replaced on the mound by junior Michael Marino.  Marino kept West Islip from adding to their lead, but the Colts offense could not get anything going.  They had several opportunities with runners in scoring position, but every time they failed to get the clutch hit that was needed.  A double down the right field line by senior Tommy DiGiorgi put a run on the board for the Colts in the fifth, but they failed to get any more runs.  Costly mistakes at the plate and on the basepaths prevented Hills West from tying the game or taking the lead.  The tying run reached third base with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning, but still the Colts could not get it done, and the game ended 2-1.  This crushing loss is a major setback for the Colts’ title hopes.  Their next game will be on Tuesday against an opponent yet to be determined.  Every game from here on out will be an elimination game.