Ecstasy for Eagles and Heartbreak for Saints
Two Section 4 teams stayed alive Saturday and and one was left standing when championship play concluded in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Playoffs on Saturday. The Deposit/Hancock Eagles defeated Fort Plain 9-3 at Binghamton University to capture the Class D state championship. The Eagles made all the plays and took advantage of several defensive miscues by the Hilltoppers to earn the state crown.
The outcome was not as good for the Seton Catholic Central Saints who dropped their Class B championship game at NYSEG Stadium to Section 11's Center Moriches Red Devils 10-7. The Saints jumped out to a three-run first inning lead. Starting pitcher Leo Gallagher kept the Red Devils at bay and things were looking very good for the Saints until the fateful sixth inning.
Gallagher tired and the bullpen was unable to stem the tide with walks and errors enabling Center Moriches to score seven runs in the inning and come from a 7-3 deficit to take a 10-7 lead heading into the seventh inning. The Saints were unable to recover and ended up losing by the final 10-7 score.
The loss was a bitter pill to swallow. It was the second straight season the Saints were knocked out in the final four. Along with that many of the baseball team members also played on Seton's basketball team that lost the state championship game at the Floyd L Maines Veterans Memorial Arena in March.