FDR 9- Minisink Valley 3
SAUGERTIES - The Franklin D. Roosevelt High School baseball team waited 48 years.
So when the second-to-last Minisink Valley hitter fouled off pitch after pitch in the seventh inning, the Presidents naturally appeared antsy, ready to storm the field.
It took a few more minutes, and another Minisink Valley run. But, they at long last got their moment, beating the Warriors 9-3 at Cantine Field to capture the Section 9 Class A championship. Coach Kory VanZandt said it marked the first section title for Roosevelt’s baseball team since 1971, and Roosevelt competed in Class A this season, after playing in AA in recent years.
“Long time,” VanZandt said with a smile. “It feels great, it’s been a long time coming. I’m so proud of this team. A complete team effort today, in all phases of the game — defense, offense, our pitching was great. I can’t be more proud of these guys.”
Pitcher Owen Pacchiana insisted he and his teammates have dreamed of being section champion since, believe it or not, their toddler years.
Of course, they were thrilled to realize that dream.
“We’ve been looking forward to it for 15 years, basically,” Pacchiana said. “Since we were two years old. We’ve all known each other since we were young and it’s an amazing experience.”The Presidents (14-5) will hope next week yields more amazing experiences, as they move on to the Class A regional final on June 8. They will face either Section 4’s Maine-Endwell at NYSEG Stadium in Binghamton, or the Nyack or Lakeland from Section 1 at Pace University.
“We’re expecting good competition and looking forward to it,” said shortstop Justin Patsey, who homered against Minisink Valley. “We’ve got to work hard in practice and get the job done.”
Added VanZandt: “We’re going to have to go back to practice next week, work hard and whoever we face between Section 1 and 4, it’s not going to be an easy game. We have to bring our ‘A’ game, in all phases of the game.”
Top-seeded Roosevelt brought its ‘A’ game against third-seeded Minisink Valley in the section final, getting to work right away. The Presidents scored three runs in the bottom of the first.
Connor Harris first struck a hard-hit double into the left-centerfield gap to plate two runs. He later came in on an RBI single off the bat off Pat Vivalda.
Minisink Valley got one back in the top of the second, but Patsey answered with a booming, three-run home run to left field in the bottom of the second to give the Presidents a 6-1 lead.
“My first at-bat, he threw me a curve and I was early on it,” Patsey said. “Went up my second at-bat looking for it, he threw it and I put a good swing on it.”
Roosevelt made it 7-1 in the fourth, on a sacrifice fly out to deep center from Harris. The Warriors struck for a run in the fifth, but James Cook cracked an RBI single and Jaden DeLawder drew a bases-loaded walk to give the Presidents two more runs.
Pacchiana twirled a gem from the mound, tossing 5 2/3 innings of two run ball. Patsey then came on in relief and allowed one run in the final inning.
“My mindset is usually striking people out,” Pacchiana said of his outing. “But today I just went out with the mindset of ‘Let the defense play.’ I just let them hit it and defense made the plays.”