Baseball: Ketcham beats Section 4's Horseheads, advances to Class AA regional final
FISHKILL - As the teams are whittled in each round, attention is directed at the few remaining and, of course, the magnitude of these games is amplified. So is the pressure.
“None of us has been on this stage before,” Owen Paino said. “There is some nervousness, knowing that if we lose, that’s it for us. Everyone acts like it doesn’t happen to them, but we’re all feeling it.”
Behind the bravado, he said, most players experience some uneasiness and uncertainty this deep into the postseason, facing unfamiliar opponents and knowing the section championship in hand wouldn't entirely assuage the heartbreak of a loss now.
But the Roy C. Ketcham baseball team, with nearby Dutchess Stadium as its rostrum Thursday, again showed little evidence of stage fright.
In fact, Paino said, “we showed out, like we have the whole second half of the season.” The sophomore allowed an unearned run in 5 ⅔ innings as Ketcham beat Section 4’s Horseheads, 7-1, in a Class AA subregional.
Ben Tullo drove in two runs and scored another, helping spark an offense that scored four in the third inning to take control, securing a berth to the regional final Saturday. Ketcham, which has rolled through the playoffs and won its first Section 1 title since 2016, has a chance to reach its first state semifinals since then.
“This means a lot and we’re excited about how far we’ve come,” Tullo said, “but we’re not content with just getting here. We’re not finished.”
What it means
Ketcham faces Section 9’s Pine Bush in the regional final Saturday, 6 p.m. at Dutchess Stadium. The minor-league ballpark is about six miles from Ketcham High School and likely again be filled with their fans.
The Bushmen should be well rested, having received a bye through the subregional after beating Warwick, 12-2, in their section final May 25. Ketcham, though, stifled a Horseheads offense that scored 31 runs in its previous two games.
“This was another step toward our goal,” Ketcham coach Pat Mealy said. “This is a team that’s hungry; that’s incredibly focused. They play with a such a passion and we’re looking forward to Saturday.”
Turning point
Lucas Granger’s RBI single put Horseheads on the board in the top of the first inning, but Ketcham answered with four in the third. Kevin and Sean Camacho each singled to open the inning, and Kevin scored on an infield error. Tullo singled to load the bases, and a balk forced in the go-ahead run. Aidan Marshall and Ryan Mealy then followed with sacrifice flies for the three-run lead.
“We’re just looking to make solid contact and do a job," Tullo said of the offensive approach. "When we couldn’t get things going earlier in the season, it was usually because we were trying to do too much. Since we focused on doing the little things right, we took off.”
Kevin Camacho and Paino walked in the fourth and got into scoring position on a wild pitch, preceding Tullo’s two-run single that made it 6-1. Michael Schiavone’s triple set up Riley Weatherwax’s sacrifice fly that created the margin in the fifth.
“The best thing about this group is how unselfish they are and how much they root for each other,” Mealy said. “They stay within themselves and have ‘team’ at-bats. They produce big innings collectively, with small ball.”
Paino, with a fastball that clocked 94 mph, worked efficiently through the Blue Raiders lineup. The right-hander allowed five hits and a walk and struck out seven before giving way in the sixth inning to eighth-grader Tyler Durkin, who struck out three in 1 ⅓ innings.
“I’ll do whatever it takes to help this team get where we want to go,” said Paino, who has started four of Ketcham’s five playoff games.
There was some uncertainty days ago about who would pitch this game, Mealy said, but the pitcher “has earned enough stripes” to be believed when he insists to the coaches he can take the ball. “He’s someone we definitely don’t want to overwork,” the coach said of Paino, an Ole Miss commit. "But we trust him."
By the numbers
Horseheads (18-5) — Dylan Ribble started and allowed two earned runs, three hits and two walks in 2 ⅔ innings. Jackson Cook went 2 for 3 with a stolen base, and Matt Procopio stole a base and scored.
Ketcham (17-7) — Tullo was 2 for 4 with two RBI and a run, and Kevin Camacho went 1 for 2 with a walk and two runs. Paino was 1 for 2 with a double, two walks and two runs.
Quotable
Among the spectators was Andrew Speranza, who rushed to this game after helping Spackenkill win its Class B subregional. The pitcher was returning the favor after a few Ketcham players traveled to Saugerties last week to cheer on his team in its Section 9 final. Ketcham and Spackenkill are the last Dutchess County baseball teams still competing.
“We've been like brothers since we were little kids,” said Paino, who played with Speranza on the Poughkeepsie Lightning youth baseball team. “For us to be where we are, both our teams making it to the regional final, it’s exciting. It’s a great thing for our area.”
This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: Baseball: Tullo, Paino help Ketcham top Horseheads in subregional
