By Dylan Butler
After spending much of the season in the shadows of James Lally and Matt Rizzotti, big Brian Honeyman stepped to the mound in the biggest baseball game of his high school career in a CHSAA elimination game Monday at St. John’s University against division rival St. Francis Prep.
And the 6-foot-4, 235-pound righty would find out almost immediately his curveball was off.
But the Queens College-bound hurler from Flushing wouldn’t need it as the Stanners broke out of a recent offensive snide in a big way, scoring four first-inning runs in a 9-4 victory.
“It allowed me to just throw strikes,” Honeyman said of the offensive breakthrough. “We haven’t been hitting the ball lately so it helped out a lot.”
Honeyman improved to 5-0 behind a lively fastball in the mid-80s and a changeup that kept the Terriers off balance all game.
“He pitched very good today,” Molloy catcher Nick Derba said of Honeyman. “He didn’t have his best curveball today, but he threw very hard. His fastball moved nicely, he hit his spots with the fastball.”
Meanwhile St. Francis Prep starter Danny Weinman didn’t make it out of the first inning. Ed Hackimer led off with a single to right and after Ryan Roberts walked, Mike Sporton’s sacrifice bunt attempt was mishandled, allowing Hackimer to score.
After Weinman plunked Matt Rizzotti — one of four players on both teams to be hit by a pitch — Derba drove in a run on a fielder’s choice, Jovan Santos’ sacrifice fly scored Sporton and then Derba came in on Tom Catalanotto’s RBI-single that chased Weinman.
“We had a bad first inning and we didn’t make the plays,” said St. Francis Prep coach Bro. Robert Kent. “Molloy took advantage of that.”
Joe Ivazes came on in relief, but the Stanners scratched across a run each in the second and third innings to take a 6-1 lead.
“Once they get ahead, the play the bunt, slap the ball around,” Kent said. “They make you make the plays.”
St. Francis Prep (21-10) tried to rally on Mike Xifaris’ two-run home run over the wall in left-center field, but after Rizzotti’s RBI-single up the middle, Nick Derba put Molloy (24-5) in front 8-3 on a double off the wall in left in the bottom of the fourth inning.
“That was some shot,” said Molloy coach Jack Curran. “That’s why we put him in the five hole, because they have to pitch to (Rizzotti). It gives him a good chance to hit.”
Sporton capped the Stanners’ scoring in the sixth inning with a solo home run to left field, the fifth Molloy run scored with two out.
Molloy 3, Moore Catholic 2. James Lally went the distance, tossing a three-hitter in the 10-inning win Friday at Molloy College in Rockville Centre. Sporton delivered the game-winning hit with an RBI-single in the rematch of last year’s CHSAA title game, also won by Molloy.
St. Francis Prep 10, Xavier 1. Eng struck out five in a three-hitter, Pete Resvanis went 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored, Ivazes went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and a run scored, and Mark Burik went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored for the Terriers Friday.
Reach Associate Sports Editor Dylan Butler by e-mail at TimesLedger@aol.com or call 718-229-0300, Ext. 143.
