By Steven Zaitz
Sometimes, it is two, and not one, that is the loneliest number.
It was exactly that for the Northport Tigers baseball team this past Monday, as they managed just two hits against Bayshore, losing by a score of 2-0.
Marauders starting pitcher Ty Panariello was nearly flawless, allowing only five base runners in the complete game shutout of Northport. The 5-foot-7-inch sophomore stood tall in the saddle and with the win, he elevated his record to 4-2 on the season and brought Bay Shore to within a half a game of the Tigers.
Huntington leads League II with a glistening 14-3 record with Connetquot, Northport and Bay Shore right behind, and all within a game of each other. The top two teams will enjoy a first-round playoff bye so this victory for Bay Shore kept that hope alive.
“For Ty to come out there and throw the way he did in a tense ballgame and shut those Northport bats down is impressive,” said Bay Shore Head Baseball Coach Mike Herbst. “It was a big win and we needed it.”
Bay Shore got the scoring started early, as they touched Tiger pitcher Liam Fodor for a run in the first inning on a two out RBI double by first baseman Darnell Guerrero. It was all Panariello would need.
Getting ahead in counts and relying on his defense behind him, Panariello did not allow more than one runner on base in any inning and seem to get stronger as the game wore on.
“I was trying to mix up my pitches and keep them off balance,” Panariello said. “All my pitches — fastball, curveball, change-up and slider — were working and I was able to get ahead in counts. I also have to give props to the defense behind me. They were awesome out there.”
While Northport baserunners were at a premium, the Tigers were able to hit a few balls hard against Panariello, but on this day, they never found grass.
“We preach all the time not to give the opposing team extra outs,” Herbst said. “Today we played extremely well on defense, and it allowed our pitcher to get into a rhythm because he knew the guys behind him were going to make the play.”
Two of these guys making plays were centerfielder Jason Ambos, who will be attending the University of Central Florida in the fall and right fielder Coltrane Calloway, who is headed for Seton Hall. They had three putouts apiece and made it look easy out there.
“Jason Ambos is the best defensive outfielder in the county, and he’s been doing it since his freshman year,” Herbst said. “And Coltrane should be in the conversation for Most Valuable Player of the league. The guy is hitting close to .500, has 4 home runs and 4 wins as a pitcher.”
But it was Panariello who was the M.V.P. of this game, as he retired the final 15 batters in a row, overwhelmingly outdueling Fodor who gave up 10 hits and suffered his first loss of the year.
“Liam battled and never gave up the big inning,” said Northport Associate Head Coach Sean Lynch. “Bay Shore has one of the best lineups in Suffolk County and their kid (Panariello) worked ahead and rarely got into deep counts. He pitched to contact and let his defense play for him.”
The last defensive play of the game was made by Panariello himself, as he snared a hard-hit comebacker by Tiger third sacker Owen Johansen. After the momentum of the ball carried him towards first base, the sophomore ran it to the bag and emphatically stomped on it with both feet, putting an exclamation point on his job well done.
“It was a good game to win and there was a lot of emotion at the end,” Panariello said. “Once I got that ball in my glove, I really wanted to end the ballgame myself.”
Bay Shore and Northport have split the season series, with Northport notching a wild, extra inning win earlier in the year at Bay Shore. The possibility looms that these two teams will face off in the playoffs.
“We’ve had two great games with them,” Panariello said. “Let’s decide it with a third.”
