Yesterday, on a gorgeous May afternoon, the baseball team overwhelmed #7 Columbia Prep, 12-0, to return to the NYSAIS Semifinals for the second straight year. Saturday’s rain potponed the game for a day, giving the Bears some additional recovery time from a busy Commencement Weekend. Despite having prom on Thursday night, Class Night on Friday, and Commencement on Saturday, the Bears showed no signs of rust as they took the first step in their quest for a NYSAIS title.
Chris Nell took the mound for the Bears and walked the leadoff batter on four pitches. The next batter bunted, requiring an athletic leaping tag by Nico Marino to record the out at first base, to put a runner in scoring position for the Lions with just one out. Just two pitches later, the rally was squelched when Juju Martinez nailed the runner attempting to steal third, and Nell struck out the batter looking to end the threat. The Bears went down in order in the bottom of the 1st, but followed with a nine-run outburst in the 2nd.
Following another scoreless inning from Nell, Jojo Franco led off the bottom of the 2nd with a squibber down the first base line and out-hustled the first basement to the bag. Jayden Stroman’s sharp grounder then handcuffed the shortstop, and Juju Martinez loaded the bases on a bunt single. On three hits that traveled a combined 160 feet, the Bears had the bags full with nobody out. A strikeout followed, but the next eight Bears reached base to all but put the game away.
Seth Laureano walked for a 1-0 lead. Marino then skied a pop-up that forced the shortstop to run back awkwardly. It fell to earth for a 2-0 lead. A Stroman single to left glanced off the glove of the diving left fielder for a 3-0 lead. Aiden Ruiz followed with the first hard-hit ball of the inning, sending two more runs home on a double over the right fielder’s head. Logan Charboneau then broke the game wide open with a no-doubt, three-run home run that stopped rising when it hit halfway up the tree in front of the Rileys’ House. The Bears then loaded the bases again on a trio of walks to Franco, Jordan Serrano, and Martinez. A passed ball brought in Franco with a 9-0 lead.
After a scoreless 3rd for both teams, the Bears went back to work in the bottom of the 4th. Four walks to Franco, Serrano, Martinez, and Seth Laureano made it 10-0. A passed ball pushed the lead to 11-0 before a Stroman walk plated the twelfth and final run for the Bears.
With the 10-run mercy rule in play, Aaron Diaz worked around a one-out walk to shut down the Lions in the top of the 5th and end the game. Nell earned the win with 3.0 shutout innings and 3 strikeouts. Mateo Lopez and Diaz nailed down the final two innings to earn the Bears’ second combined no-hitter in the last 19 days and 12th in school history to clinch a berth in the NYSAIS Semifinals. Charboneau led the Bears with 3 RBIs while Stroman, Ruiz, and Laureano each added a pair.
The Bears now host #6 Fieldston this afternoon at 3:30pm in a rematch of last year’s NYSAIS Semifinal.
Stony Brook State Final 4 Teams
| 2023 | Baseball | vs. Columbia Prep |
| 2022 | Baseball | vs. Long Island Lutheran |
| 2017 | Boys Basketball | vs. Millbrook |
| 2009 | Girls Soccer | vs. S. S. Seward |
| 2009 | Girls Basketball | vs. Tuxedo |
| 2008 | Girls Soccer | vs. North Salem |
| 1998 | Boys Soccer | vs. S. S. Seward |
No-Hitters
| Earl Downey | May 7, 1945 | vs. St. Paul’s |
| David Johnson | May 14, 1960 | vs. Riverdale |
| Mike Masterson | April 26, 1961 | vs. St. Paul’s |
| Barry Drill | May 3, 1965 | vs. St. Paul’s |
| Chris Matthews | May 9, 1980 | vs. Center Moriches |
| Rich Kinsley | April 28, 1984 | vs. Longwood |
| Jordan Nixon | April 23, 1987 | vs. Eastport |
| Paul Habibi | March 25, 1988 | vs. Wyandanch (5 inn.) |
| Cameron Thiessen | April 17, 1990 | vs. Eastport |
| Joe Wozny & T.J. Wachter | April 17, 2019 | vs. Waldorf (5) |
| Matthew Ramirez, Justin Rotondi & Mateo Lopez | May 2, 2023 | vs. Hampton Bays (5) |
| Chris Nell, Mateo Lopez & Aaron Diaz | May 21, 2023 | vs. Columbia Prep (5) |
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