Grabowski delivers in the pinch for St. Dominic

Dan Grabowski was supposed to be a significant contributor for the St. Dominic baseball team. The junior was going to compete for the rightfield spot and get some time at first and third base, too.

Instead, Grabowski had just three at-bats coming into Saturday because of a sprained right rotator cuff. Grabowski was called upon to pinch hit in a crucial portion of the game against Chaminade and although he didn't deliver a hit, he came through with a productive at-bat that led to the tying run and eventual winning run for No. 4 St. Dominic in a 2-1 win over No. 5 Chaminade in the first round of the CHSAA playoffs.

St. Dominic (13-8) trailed 1-0 going into the bottom of the fifth and Nick Girardi, who returned two weeks ago after missing time with two fractures in his right elbow, led off with an opposite-field single to leftfield. Lou Lambros put down a successful sacrifice bunt and reached when Chaminade pitcher Peter Burrows made a poor throw to first base, putting runners at second and third base.

That's when Grabowski came up and hit a sacrifice fly to rightfield to tie the score at 1 and more importantly, allowed Lambros to advance to third.

"It's very tough not knowing what you're going to do each day and then just being ready to go when called upon," Grabowski said. "I was trying to poke it into rightfield. I noticed they were playing the infield in. I got a first-pitch fastball and fouled it off. The next pitch was a pitchout and the third pitch was a fastball I drove to rightfield. It feels great knowing they have confidence in me to go up there and succeed when the pressure is on."

St. Dominic coach Rick Garrett said he made the decision in the previous inning that if the inning played out like it did, there was no doubt Grabowski was getting the call.

"He started to throw about two weeks ago," Garrett said, "but he's been hitting for about three weeks in the cage and you could see him driving the ball to rightfield. I felt he was the guy to drive in the run."

After the sac fly, the Bayhawks had a suicide squeeze on and with a high wild pitch, Lambros scored easily to give them a 2-1 lead. Burrows threw a three-hitter, walked one, allowed no earned runs and struck out six for Chaminade (12-10).

St. Dominic starter Chris Dragone got out of a jam in the fifth by getting a 1-6-3 double play. He then retired the final six batters of the game. He allowed six hits and walked none, inducing 11 ground-ball outs.

"It's all my defense," Dragone said. "I'm a contact pitcher. I try hitting my spots and mixing it up inside and outside. I know my defense is right behind me."

St. Dominic will play St. John the Baptist in a best-of-three semifinals beginning Monday at 7 p.m. at Farmingdale State.