Knock Out Blow
Tetta hits long HR but it's not enough, Tigers lose to Dogs and get eliminated from playoffs
Story and Photos by Steven Zaitz
Lefthander Max Donecea pitched a solid seven innings with hopes of prolonging the Tigers season last Thursday.
But North Babylon righty Dennis Kelly was a little better, as Bulldogs beat the Tigers 4-2 in Northport. After their heartbreaking loss to Lindenhurst two days earlier in the opening game of this double-elimination tournament, Northport ends the year with an 11-9 overall record.
They closed the regular season by winning five in a row – the exact opposite scenario to the 2022 season when they dropped their last five to miss the playoffs.
Th Tigers got down early against in this one when Donecea made a throwing error on a dribbler that allowed Bulldog leftfielder Eric Schulteisz to trot home in the first inning. With two out and nobody on Schulteisz walked, stole second and went to third on a wild pitch. DH Hayden Magliano rolled one up the third base line that Donecea, in his desperation to cut off the run, threw wildly past Tiger 1B Dylan Hammer.
Northport would trail for the remainder of the game. They were down 3-0 in the the fifth until left fielder Dominic Tetta blasted a 351 foot home run off of Kelly to cut the lead to 3-2.
Donecea in need of a shut down inning in the sixth did not get one, allowing an RBI single to North Babylon 9th place hitter Ariel Nunez.
Northport had a chance to tie in the bottom of the inning when Catcher John Dwyer came up with the tying runs on second and third with two out. But Kelly struck him out with a fastball upstairs. It was the 93rd and final pitch of the day for Kelly.
Northport would go down in order in the seventh.
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