It’s been a saying for the John Adams baseball team for several years and it became the rallying cry Monday at the College of Staten Island, where the team faced monumental odds.
By Dylan Butler
Find a way.
It’s been a saying for the John Adams baseball team for several years and it became the rallying cry Monday at the College of Staten Island, where the team faced monumental odds.
The Spartans found a way to somehow come back from an 8-1 deficit to defeat Grover Cleveland, 10-9, in eight innings in a second-round game continued from Friday.
About 30 minutes later on the same diamond, John Adams found a way to beat a well-rested power-hitting George Washington, 6-5, in the quarterfinals.
Now No. 4 John Adams has found a way to the best-of-three PSAL ‘A’ semifinals, where it will face top-seeded Tottenville, 7-0 winners over eighth-seeded Clinton, Friday at 4 p.m. at CSI.
“We worked really hard for this, through ups and downs and wins and losses,” said junior shortstop Carlos Guzman. “We’re here now, but we’re not done yet.”
Guzman belted the game-winning hit against Grover Cleveland (17-10), hitting Mike Boothby’s low outside fastball to the opposite field in left, scoring Freddy Para from second base.
And with John Adams (35-3-2) clinging to a 6-5 lead in the top of the seventh against No. 5 George Washington, Guzman relieved starter Johnny Lluberes and found a way to throw some serious heat.
Hitting 89 mph on one radar gun, Guzman allowed just an infield single before inducing a game-ending popup to Lluberes in foul territory outside of third base.
“Here we go again,” Guzman thought, as the Spartans return to the semifinals for a second straight year after losing to Lehman last season. “We have a heart of a lion.”
John Adams coach Glenn Beyer found a way to get a scouting report on George Washington starter Bobby Alvarez, although that proved to be quite easy as it came from Fort Hamilton coach Al Casciani, a fellow employee at the Brooklyn school.
Casciani, whose team lost to the Trojans, 11-1, in the first round, told Beyer that Alvarez tends to be wild, and that was certainly the case against the Spartans, as he walked four in the first inning to put John Adams ahead, 1-0.
The junior righty didn’t allow a hit until the fifth inning when Louie Gioppo doubled to left field. After striking out Alex Cordero, Alvarez then walked the bases loaded before being replaced by reliever Carlos Pichardo.
But Pichardo was equally wild, walking Freddy Para, Papo Cabrera and Guzman to give Adams a 6-4 lead. The two pitchers combined to give up just three hits but walked 11.
George Washington (32-5) had a chance to take a commanding 5-2 lead in the fourth inning on Ersterlin Peroza’s double down the line in left. But Santiago Molina couldn’t find a way to touch third base on his way home and was called out after an appeal, ending the inning.
“It’s a great feeling,” Lluberes said of reaching the semifinals for a second straight year. “We’ve been there, know what it’s about, and we’re going to come and fight. Let the best team win.”
“They don’t quit,” Beyer said of the Spartans. “There’s no die in them; it’s amazing.”
John Adams 10, Grover Cleveland 9. Jack Ciano liked his chances. Even though his team’s lead shrunk from 8-1 to 9-7, No. 20 Cleveland still led 9-7 with Boothby on the mound in the bottom of the seventh inning.
But Adams rallied to tie the game at 9 before winning it in the eighth inning.
“Give them credit, it’s 9-7 in the bottom of the seventh and they got two runs they had to have against our best pitcher,” Ciano said. “We were still where we had to be with three outs to go.”
Said Cleveland senior Ricky Perez: “I’m very proud, after what we’ve been through to make it this far, facing a top-five team in the city, I feel pretty good. I would have felt better if we won, but it happens.”
Monroe 12, Francis Lewis 4. After upsetting No. 7 Telecommunications and No. 10 Susan Wagner, 26th-seeded Francis Lewis’ improbable playoff run ended Monday to No. 2 Monroe in the PSAL ‘A’ quarterfinals.
Danny Almonte went 3-for-4 with an RBI, Fidel Rodriguez went 2-for-3 with three RBIs and Luis Rosario picked up the win, striking out four in five innings for Monroe (37-5-1).
Forest Hills 7, Transit Tech 5. Adam Spilke and Eudy Perez were each 1-for-2 with two runs scored, Adam Smilowitz drove in a pair of runs and Frank Russo struck out 10 for No. 7 Forest Hills in a PSAL ‘B’ second-round win at Elmjack Monday.
The Rangers take on second-seeded South Bronx, which defeated 18th-seeded August Martin, 3-0, in the quarterfinals Friday.
Morris 8, Bryant 5. Led by Misael Valdez, who doubled and drove in three runs, No. 4 Morris broke a 2-2 tie with seven runs in the fifth inning to defeat 13th-seeded Bryant at Crotona Park Monday in the PSAL ‘B’ second round.
Reach Associate Sports Editor Dylan Butler by e-mail at TimesLedger@aol.com or call 718-229-0300, Ext. 143.
