James Varela's strong pitching leads Division to Class A title
Division players celebrate their 10-1 championship victory against North Shore in a Nassau Class A baseball final on Wednesday, June 3, 2015. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Division pitcher James Varela was dominant Wednesday in leading his team to a 10-1 victory over North Shore in Game 2 for the Nassau Class A baseball title at Farmingdale State. Varela threw a five-hitter with eight strikeouts for the Blue Dragons.
"Man, he was lights out today," Division coach Tom Tuttle said. "Once he gets his three pitches going, his knuckle-drop, his changeup, his fastball, he's really hard to hit, as you can see today. His strongest pitch today, believe it or not, was his changeup and knuckle-drop. He got ahead with his fastball, but got good strikeouts with his knuckle-drop and change."
The No. 1 Blue Dragons (25-4) were supercharged early by Anthony Papa's two-run triple in the first inning. They scored three more runs in the fourth.
Varela, a 6-1, 210 pound senior, said he felt comfortable because of the offensive cushion provided by his teammates. Said Varela: "You never expect a game to be like that. You hope for the best; you want to win."
North Shore finished 20-6.
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Get ready for sun and fun with NewsdayTV's summer FunBook special! From celebrating America's 250th birthday to a new ride at Adventureland, NewsdayTV's Elisa DiStefano and Newsday lifestyle editor Meghan Giannotta have your inside look at Newsday's summer FunBook.
