Yesterday was a classic Long Island March day on Jeff Adams Field, with 45-degree temperatures and a chilling breeze off the Sound. Despite the cold weather, the Bears’ bats were hot in a 14-0 win over Long Island Lutheran, which improved their season record to 10-1.

The game was not as lopsided as last year’s 20-0 win, but the Bears still took control early against the three-time reigning PSAA Champions. Alex Baaden needed just five pitches to get through the top of the 1st, then watched as the offense jumped on the boys from Brookville. Anthony DeCesare set the tone for the five-run 1st inning by depositing the first pitch he saw over the wall in left for a solo home run. Larry Hotaling III walked, and then Juju Martinez and Aaron Artsen loaded the bases with two outs on a hit-by-pitch and walk to bring up Seth Laureano. The senior sent a 2-1 pitch into right field to plate a run before Mateo Lopez walked to force home a run and push the lead to 3-0. Shea Corona followed with a single to left that scored two, extending the Bear margin to 5-0.

In the 2nd, Baaden worked in and out of trouble by putting the first two men on with a hit-by-pitch and a single, then battling back with three straight outs to prevent any damage. Two batters reached for LuHi in the 3rd, but the lead runner was erased when he overran second base and was sent back to the dugout courtesy of a beautiful glove flip from Aiden Ruiz.

The Bears broke it open in the bottom of the 3rd with four runs on a Corona RBI walk, a Ruiz two-run triple, and an RBI ground out from Hotaling III. Matthew Ramirez relieved Baaden in the 4th and maintained the 9-0 margin as he sat LuHi down in order by bookending a pair of ground outs around a strikeout. The Brook plated five more in the bottom half to bring the up 10 runs after five innings mercy rule into play thanks to an Artsen two-run double, RBI singles from Lopez and Ruiz, and a run-scoring double from Hotaling III.

With a 14-0 lead in hand, Ramirez needed just three outs to end the game early, which he mercifully did as the setting sun continued to drop the temperature. Along with a 10-0 win in the 2022 NYSAIS quarterfinals, this is the Bears’ third straight shutout vs. LuHi with an aggregate score of 44-0.

Baaden earned the win by limiting the visitors to 3 hits and 0 runs over 3.0 innings with 3 strikeouts. Ramirez was nearly perfect in his 2.0 innings of work with 1 hit and 0 runs with 2 strikeouts. Ruiz (3 RBI), Corona (2 RBIs), and Artsen (1 RBI) each had 2 hits at the plate, while Hotaling III recorded 1 hit and 3 RBIs.

The Bears are back in action this weekend with two big match-ups in Connecticut. On Friday afternoon they battle Avon Old Farms, currently ranked #5 in the Northeast by Perfect Game (the Bears are #4). On Saturday, they tangle with Salisbury, which finished last season as the 6th-ranked prep school in the Northeast.

---