On a beautiful Saturday afternoon on Jeff Adams Field, the baseball team used a late comeback and some clutch hitting to defeat Paramount Academy, 3-1.

The Grizzlies, who traveled down to Long Island from Springfield, MA, scored their only run of the game on a wild pitch in the 3rd inning. Otherwise, Leo Vitarelli was untouchable, giving up just four hits over 7.0 innings while striking out nine. The only problem was that his counterpart was equally strong, limiting the Bears to zero runs and three hits through five innings.

But in the bottom of the 6th, the Bears got new life when Paramount went to the bullpen to start the inning. Aiden Ruiz set the tone with a leadoff walk, moved to second on a ground out, and then third on a wild pitch. Juju Martinez was then hit by a pitch, and Nick Parker came in as a courtesy runner for the catcher. Ruiz came dashing home with the tying run on another wild pitch to knot the game at 1-1, while Parker moved to second on the same pitch and then third on another wild pitch. Paramount then elected to intentionally walk Larry Hotaling III to keep the chance of a double play alive.

That brought up Aaron Artsen and a new Paramount pitcher with one out and runners at the corners. Hotaling III scampered to second on a wild pitch, the fifth of the inning, to put both runners in scoring position. Artsen then laced the next pitch to center field to score both runners and vault the Bears into a 3-1 lead just three outs away from victory.

Vitarelli came back out to finish the job and quickly induced a ground out, but consecutive hits had the Grizzlies threatening to rally with runners at the corners and one out. Paramount then stole second to put the tying run in scoring position. Unfazed, the junior fireballer struck out the next batter and registered a ground out to slam the door on the victory.

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