PLATTSBURGH — Plattsburgh High was hoping lightning would strike twice Monday.
Potsdam, down to its last at-bat, trailing by three and with its 7-8-9 batters due up, grabbed a bolt from the blue, striking for six runs to grab a 6-3 lead in the top of the seventh.
Fast forward to the bottom of the inning with Plattsburgh High facing the same scenario — down three runs and with its 7-8-9 batters coming to the plate. Could PHS produce some late-afternoon thunder of its own and grab a win in the New York State Class B baseball playoffs at Chip Cummings Field?
The Hornets came eerily close.
An error and Brian Latulipe's second hit of the day allowed PHS to cut the margin to 6-5. The Hornets had the tieing run on third and the winner on second with two out and clean-up hitter Joe Tolosky at the plate. It was Tolosky's two-run single in the sixth that put Plattsburgh up 3-0.
Potsdam's John Coleman, on in relief of younger brother Will, went to a 2-2 count on Tolosky. The second strike sailed to the backstop, but the ball kicked right to catcher Lee Buchanan, forcing the Hornets' C.J. Worley, the runner on third, to slam on the brakes halfway down the line.
"That would have been a big play, but the ball came right back to their catcher," PHS Coach Jim Manchester said.
"He (John Coleman) was pumped up and he uncorked a couple of pitches in the high 80s."
The Hornets slugger then fouled off two pitches before sending a drive to left center. But it hung up long enough for Sandstoner center-fielder Tom Keleher to catch it for the final out, sending Potsdam (16-5) on to a 6-5 victory and a date with Saratoga Catholic today at St. Lawrence University in the second round of the state playoffs.
So the run continues for Potsdam, which won five sectional boys' team titles this year and made it to the state final in boys' basketball.
"John Coleman was the leader of three of those teams. We had seven players on this (baseball) team with state playoff experience," Potsdam coach Chris Donah said.
The Sandstoners also had three freshmen who were in the thick of Monday's come-from-behind victory. Trevor Keleher delivered an RBI single and Ben Miller followed with a two-run double in the big uprising while Will Coleman pitched six solid innings for the victory.
Plattsburgh's Anthony Porcelli entered the seventh, working on a two-hit shutout and having retired 11 batters in a row.
"The Plattsburgh pitcher really settled in after the first two innings," Donah went on. "We were 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position; I don't know what happened."
PHS shortstop Brian Latulipe is what happened. He assisted on five of the first six putouts to snuff out two Sandstoner threats.
"Their shortstop (Latulipe) was unbelievable. We couldn't find a hole," Donah added.
PHS, meanwhile, found a hole down the right-field line in the third for a 1-0 lead. Tommy Curran and Worley had back-to-back singles and then Robbie Knowles lofted a perfectly placed fly that dropped just inside the line and in front of three Potsdam players.
The Hornets strung together three more hits to score twice in the sixth. Worley and Latulipe singled and Tolosky followed with his drive to right center that brought in both runs.
"We felt very comfortable at that point," Manchester said. "Anthony (Porcelli) was getting stronger as the game went along."
The senior right-hander, who threw 40 pitches over the first two innings, needed only 25 over the fourth through sixth innings.
Porcelli showed signs of tiring, though, when he served up five straight balls to start the seventh. He settled down to strike out Steven Hayes, but Todd Sharlow singled over first baseman Tolosky's head. That brought out Manchester.
"The first time I came out was to settle everybody down and to remind them the tieing run was at the plate," the PHS coach recalled.
John Coleman then drove a ball to the gap in right center to bring in one run.
"I asked Anthony how he felt and he said he 'was fine,''' Manchester related. "Coleman got a pitch that he (Porcelli) just left up a bit."
An infield error and two singles just beyond a diving Latulipe's reach enabled Potsdam to take the lead. Center-fielder Curran made an excellent throw home on the second, but Buchanan barely beat it, sliding under Worley's tag. Miller followed with a drive to right center for a two-run double, finishing Porcelli's day.
The loss snapped a 14-game winning streak dating back to the season-opening South Carolina trip. The Hornets finished 15-4.
"It's a bitter pillow to swallow, but I'm really proud of our kids," Manchester finished.
—
Potsdam 000 000 6 — 6 7 1
Plattsburgh 001 002 2 — 5 7 3
W. Coleman, J. Coleman (7) and Buchanan. Porcelli, Knowles (7) and Worley. WP- W. Coleman. LP- Porcelli. Save- J. Coleman. 2b- Miller (Pots).
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