CHSAA baseball playoffs: Sea holds off Farrell, 7-6, to gain upper hand in Archdiocesan bracket - SILive.com

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By Sean Weir/Special to the Advance

St. Joseph by-the-Sea blew a 5-2 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning and then plated two runs in the top of the seventh to beat Island-rival Monsignor Farrell, 7-6, in Sunday’s CHSAAArchdiocesan winners’ bracket semifinal at South Shore Babe Ruth League in Tottenville.

The visiting No. 7-seeded Vikings now find themselves in the driver’s seat for the league’s championship, as they await the winner of the Monday’s loser’s bracket final between Farrell and St. Raymond’s. That winner will have to beat Sea twice to Advance to Saturday’s winner-take-all Archdiocesan championship game from the survivor in the other half of the bracket.

With the season series being split 2-2 between these familiar foes, Sunday’s fifth matchup yet again did not disappoint.

Sea maintained control for a bulk of the contest, until the Lions’ 7-8-9 hitters sparked a four-run, two-out bottom of the sixth inning to take a 6-5 lead.

Vikings skipper Nelson Ortiz then turned to Joe Ciancimino, a 5-foot-10 junior and starting 3B/P/SS, to relieve Tom Barrow. The hard-throwing right-hander quickly recorded the last out and kept his squad in the game headed to the top of the seventh.

“He’s one of our top arms [Ciancimino],” said Ortiz. “We recently gave him a week off because his shoulder was bothering him, but Barrow told me that Joe wanted the ball, so I had to give it to him.”

Ortiz also noted that his previous three pitchers performed well, but had a few unlucky bounces go against them in that sixth.

The Viking offense held their end of the bargain for Ciancimino, however. Three leadoff singles -- one coming from the pitcher himself -- followed by a crucial fielder’s choice error tied the game at 6.

A sacrifice fly during the next at-bat by Nick Girellini drove in AJ Vigliotti for the lead.

“The error really opened the door for them,” noted Farrell head coach Bobby Mulligan. “If we make that play, we possibly save the game.”

Ciancimino bought his stuff in the bottom of the seventh as well.

A four-pitch strikeout, followed by a timely 4-6-3 double play from Sea sealed the victory for Ortiz’s squad.

“I just had to stay focused and hit my spots in such a crucial part of the game,” Ciancimino explained. “I was feeling good and knew I could close the door for my team.”

Ciancimino also went 2 for 4 with two runs scored.

“It was a tough outcome for us, and we need to dig deep for the next one - and we will,” added Mulligan.

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June 07, 2021 at 08:48AM
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CHSAA baseball playoffs: Sea holds off Farrell, 7-6, to gain upper hand in Archdiocesan bracket - SILive.com

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