VESTAL, N.Y. (NEWS10) — It’s been 34 years, but the Bethlehem baseball team is back in a state championship game.
Matt Rehbit’s squad continues to exceed even their own expectations. Friday afternoon in the NYSPHSAA Class AA semifinals at Binghamton University, Bethlehem erased a 2-0 deficit against Section I’s Eastchester, scoring the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh inning. The Eagles hung on for a 3-2 victory, advancing to Saturday’s AA final – the program’s first appearance in a state championship game since 1990.
“Our goal was to win sectionals,” said Rehbit. “Everything after that’s been gravy. We say, “why not us?””
Bethlehem’s game-winning run came in unconventional fashion, to say the least. With two outs and runners on first and second base, a first-pitch offering to CJ Franchini missed high and skipped off the glove of the Eastchester catcher, Brady Dunleavy. Joe Monserrat, who was on second, and Tim Bushart, pinch-running at first for Gavin Martin, both attempted to advance on the pass ball.
Dunleavy threw up to second base, looking to nab Bushart. But the ball hit Bushart and ricocheted into the outfield, allowing Monserrat to just trot on home from third.
“That was unreal,” said Monserrat. “I was almost hesitant to go to third, ’cause I didn’t want them to intentionally walk [CJ] – he’s our best player, and I didn’t want to take the bat out of his hands. But on a throw down to second, the odds of hitting our pinch-runner are insane. So, that’s just a little gift from the man above.”
Eastchester started its ace, Jake Warnock, on the hill, and his offense quickly spotted him two runs in the bottom of the second inning.
But Bethlehem just chipped away at Warnock. Martin singled home Monserrat in the next half inning, getting the Eagles on the board.
Franchini and catcher Scott Sleurs hit back-to-back doubles to open up the sixth frame, tying the game at two.
The comeback effort may not have been fruitful, though, if not for the efforts of starting pitcher Tim Sparks, who locked down on the bump after his second-inning hiccup.
Sparks allowed just three hits over the final five innings. He fittingly recorded the final out, catching a pop fly to work out of a seventh-inning jam that saw back-to-back, one-out Eastchester hits.
The two runs Sparks gave up were not charged as earned runs. He allowed just four hits and struck out five.
“We just have an internal fortitude; the kids believe they’re gonna win,” said Rehbit. “When they believe it, it happens. You could see it today – even when we were down, we felt that we had the edge, and sure enough, we were able to do so. It was just an amazing game to be a part of.”
Bethlehem (18-5) has a chance to claim the program’s first-ever state title. That 1990 team lost in the Class A final to Section XI’s Smithtown East, 9-7. The Eagles await another Section XI squad Saturday in Hauppauge (19-3). First pitch from Mirabito Stadium is set for 4:00 p.m.
Tommy Valentine
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