Mineola Takes Quarterfinal Game 1 From Garden City

One of baseball’s oldest formulas for success is that hitting will get you into the playoffs, but pitching will win you championships.

Currently, the Mineola varsity baseball squad has both.

The 2011 playoffs have been a strong showing for the Mustangs, brandishing an offense that has rattled off 11 and 16 runs, respectively, in their first two playoff victories.

However, it was a gutty pitching performance from senior Nick Moran and solid defense that led them to take the first game in the Class A Quarterfinals over Garden City, 6-2 at .

Moran kept the Trojan hitters off-balanced with a healthy diet of breaking balls and pinpoint location, issuing just two free passes while scattering eight hits and allowing one earned run in six-and-a-third innings of work.

“I had all my pitches today,” Moran said. “My body felt great. I got a lot of rest last night. I got hurt in the beginning of the year and I didn’t get a lot of chances to pitch this year. I got back and I got back at the right time. I had my stuff today.”

Mineola’s offense, while stymied at times by Garden City starter James Duff, managed to give Moran an early lead in the first inning. Ryan Jenkins was up to his old tricks again, walking and stealing second base to lead the game off for the third consecutive time.

Craig Weber followed with a single to put runners at the corners with no outs. Duff caught Jim Bulva looking and forced Nick Palma to strikeout on a failed bunt attempt to record the first two of 12 strikeouts on the day. The Garden City righthander allowed three earned runs on nine hits while fanning 12 in the losing effort.

With two outs and Jenkins and Weber aboard, John Caputo delivered a two-out, two-run single to give Mineola the early 2-0 lead. The Mustangs would tack on a run in the top of the third as Bulva singled home Jenkins to widen the Mustang lead to three.

Garden City had opportunities against Moran but the senior navigated in and out of trouble, getting out of a bases loaded and two outs jam in the bottom of the second by getting Dan Muller to fly out to centerfield.

“Moran on the mound really shut us down,” Garden City head coach Rich Smith said. “We had opportunities. We had bases loaded twice and we just didn’t come up with the big hit.”

Moran’s performance continued a strong body of work in the playoffs from the entire Mustang’s pitching staff which is now sporting a 1.33 ERA in the first three games of the playoffs.

Coach Smith pointed towards the top of the fourth as the turning point of the game as Mineola scratched home three unearned runs to put the game out of reach.

Mineola’s Steve O’Connor reached on an error to lead off and was moved into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt by Tom Ward. Billy Sullivan singled and advanced into scoring position following a poor relay effort from the Trojans. With men on second and third, Smith decided to intentionally walk Jim Bulva to load the bases for Nick Palma, who made Garden City pay with the clutch two-run single that scored Mineola’s sixth run.

Garden City had the bases loaded yet again against Moran in the bottom of the fifth inning with two outs. Moran retired James Cauchi on a grounder to second base, pounding his glove in approval as he wiggled out once more.

“Right now, the kids are playing tremendous baseball,” Mineola head coach Helms Bohringer said. “Nick Moran deserves a lot of credit. He pitched a hell of a game. Hopefully we can just keep this train rolling.”

After scoring an unearned run against Moran in the bottom of the sixth, the Trojans were finally able to force Moran out of the game in the bottom of the seventh, exiting to a shower of congratulations from fellow teammates and a rousing ovation from Mineola parents and fans. Cauchi delivered a double down the right field line to draw the Trojans closer, 6-2.

Bohringer called up sophomore Nick Cerame to nail the victory down as the hard throwing righty stranded the runners on base to end the game.

Mineola will go for the sweep against Garden City Friday afternoon . Game 3 would be on Saturday at Garden City, if necessary.