Collegiate’s Rick Terry took a no-decision on Friday despite his best efforts. (Christina Santucci)
Rick Terry was piling up zeroes, the lineup was finding ways to push across runs and the defense was making sure it stood up. For the better part of six innings, the defending NYSAISAA champions were playing up to their previous accomplishment.
Unfortunately for the Dutchmen, it didn’t last.
Catcher James Lynfield was unable to keep a breaking ball in front of him, leading to the game-tying unearned run, then gave up an eighth-inning run as Collegiate fell to Horace Mann, 3-2, in eight innings on Randall’s Island Friday afternoon. The disappointing loss could cost Collegiate (6-6) a NYSAIS berth – the loss dropped them into fifth place in the Ivy Prep League – depending on how it finishes up and how many Ivy teams the seeding committe selects.
“Our odds just went down,” Terry said.
Terry was a bright spot, the hero of last year’s state title run pitching exceptionally well in just his second start of the spring. The junior right-hander suffered a shoulder injury during spring training and was brought along slowly.
He allowed just three hits and one earned run in seven innings and struck out 11.
“Probably next game he’ll be even better, his arm is getting even stronger,” Collegiate coach Frank Rojas said. “He was gerat today. He was hitting his spots. He’s right where he’s supposed to be.”
Terry seemed to pitch around trouble in the sixth, when he got Ryan Thier to wave at a low-and-away offering. Lynfield got in front of it, but couldn’t find it in front of the plate. His corresponding throw to first was late and Harrison Bader scampered home with the tying run.
“That should not have been the difference right there,” Terry said.
Collegiate, indeed, had plenty of chances against Elias Wacht, the Horace Mann right-hander. It put two men on in the sixth and three more in the seventh, but as has been the case much of the year, couldn’t come through in the clutch. Terry, in fact, had two of the Dutchmen’s four hits.
After Wacht struck out Ed Kramer to pitch around trouble in the sixth, he walked three in the seventh. Fortunately for the junior, Doug Gleicher was thrown out trying to steal second and Chris Giglio flied out to the wall in right to end the seventh.
“The issue here is we haven’t hit all year; we have to hit,” Rojas said. “Any positives from this? No, because we didn’t hit yet.”
Time is running out.