Baby Bulls gore Schmidt’s in six

Young Superior Roofing gets third win of the season

By RICHARD A. ROSS

MONTICELLO, NY - Sometimes its takes talented teams time to gel. That is certainly the case with a revamped Superior Roofing team that is packed with Monticello High School alums. Coming into the July 12 game against struggling Schmidt’s Wholesale, both teams were in search of their third win, attempting to make inroads against a record of double-digit losses. Neither team is out of playoff contention yet, but that could be on the near horizon without a major winning streak.

Coach Mike Greco, who is used to winning in his other role as player/manager of the Sullivan Sports Bulldogs, was beginning to show signs of frustration at mistakes that cost runs and, ultimately, victories. So despite his team’s early lead, which eventually led to a 16-6 10-run shortened six-inning game, Greco was heard admonishing his team for making unnecessary throws, not hustling and losing their focus.

By game’s end, though, both the coach and the players were smiling, having shown some of the positives that should have this team become a contender next season, if many of its talented players stay on board.

Greco sent recent Monticello grad Jesse Campanaro to the mound to counter Schmidt’s Chris Schmidt.

After Campanaro retired Schmidt’s in order in the first, the Baby Bulls worked out five walks against Schmidt, who had great difficulty finding the strike zone. Those walks, plus a leadoff double by Andrew Moss and a RBI single by Joe Sep, netted the four-run early lead.

Both teams went scoreless in the second. Schmidt’s got on the board in the third inning with a pair of runs knocked in by Ryan Myer and Chris Spanos to make it a 4-2 game. Schmidt’s got another run in the fourth on a single by Myer and a throwing error that allowed him to score, much to Greco’s dismay. Superior Roofing made amends by adding three in the same inning.

Schmidt’s hung in and got three back to edge within one, as two runs scored on an E-7 on a ball hit by Schmidt. Dan Spagnoli followed that up with a RBI double. Annoyed by the sudden closeness of the game, the Baby Bulls saw red and unleashed a seven-run torrent with rip-snorting fury in the fourth inning to make it 14-6.

Sending 13 men to the plate in the inning, Superior’s superiority finally surfaced. Walks issued by Schmidt’s pitchers, which included reliever Josh Edwards, were a part of the equation, as was a two-run single from Chris Zottola and a RBI fielder’s choice off the bat of Junior Torres. With a 14-3 lead in the fifth, Superior Roofing looked to close the deal on the 10-run rule and were one strike away from having that occur despite having given up one run on a RBI single by John Patterino.

But with two outs and Patterino aboard, feisty Schmidt fouled off a two-strike pitch, which the catcher couldn’t hold onto, thereby granting him a new life. Schmidt roped a fly to left field. The ball popped out of the glove of left fielder Julio Mangual, allowing Patterino to score and ensuring that at least another inning would have to be played. The score stood at 14-6.

Superior went quietly in its half of the inning, and the teams moved on to the sixth. Schmidt’s could only manage a single from Lonnie Nielsen and got no runs.

In its half of the sixth, Superior got the needed two runs, after Zottola walked, Mangual reached on an E-3 and Chris Cardona loaded the bases with a base hit. Joe Bonnacci knocked in both runners with a single to give Superior the 10-run margin it needed to win.

Superior Roofing improved to 3-11, while Schmidt’s fell to 2-11.

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