Colletti, Wagner combine on no-hitter

The action in the bullpen began in the bottom of the fifth inning despite South Side junior lefthander Christian Colletti working on a no-hitter. With a nine-run lead and a playoff game Saturday, there wasn't much debate. Colletti was coming out of the game.

"I was fine with it," he said. "I am throwing again Saturday and want to be fully recovered for it. It wasn't a big deal at all."

Colletti was removed after 81 pitches and Griffin Wagner retired the final six batters as the duo combined to throw a no-hitter Monday in an 11-0 win over host Hewlett in a Nassau Conference A-II baseball game at Hewlett elementary school.

"He's our No. 1 starter and we need him to be strong," South Side coach Keith Lessuk said. "There was a little bit of a discussion. We pulled him over and he was starting to get a little tired. He understood. He knows what's on the line. He's been unselfish all year long."

Said Wagner: "I knew he came out with no hits, but I wasn't thinking about it. I was getting a couple innings of work."

Colletti allowed three walks and two others reached on errors. He struck out nine. Colletti transferred from Holy Trinity, where he sat out last season with a back injury.

"We knew that would give us another starter," Lessuk said. "We weren't sure how good he would be, but we heard good things about him and he's all that they said he is. It gave us a real solid No. 1 starter."

SEE PHOTOSSouth Side 11, Hewlett 0

The strength of the Cyclones (11-6, 11-4) team has been offense and it was on display against Hewlett (1-14, 1-13). Thomas Kane went 2-for-3 with a walk, stolen base, and three RBIs, Matt Sollin went 1-for-1 with a walk, two runs, a stolen base and an RBI, Louis Matarazzo went 2-for-5 with an RBI, Andrew Talbot had two hits, and David Hawley walked three times and scored each time.

"I didn't expect us to be this good," Kane said, "but as the games have gone on, we get better and better. We have a lot of guys hitting the ball. We have several guys hitting over .400."

South Side can clinch the division with two wins to close the regular season and a win Saturday gives the Cyclones a bye in the second round of the Class A double-elimination playoff.

"The playoff games are more important than a no-hitter right now," Colletti said. "That's the focus."