Center Moriches (22-0) repeats in Suffolk Class B 

Center Moriches is rolling.

The Red Devils (22-0) had 13 hits and did most of their damage during two five-run innings to defeat host Mattituck, 11-1, Wednesday for their second straight Suffolk Class B baseball title.

Center Moriches outscored Mattituck, 22-4, in its sweep of the best-of-three.

The Red Devils’ David Falco opened the scoring in the second with a leadoff home run. Center Moriches’ Matt Alifano walked four in the first two innings, including three in the second to load the bases, but he worked out of the jam after a conversation with catcher Alec Maag.

“I told him, ‘You’ve got to slow things down a little bit. Don’t try to be perfect,’ ’’ Maag said. “Let them make contact and let our defense do the work. We’ve got a great lineup, so we’re going to put up more runs.”

Alifano got a strikeout to end the second and picked up two more strikeouts in the third. Alifano (7-0) struck out six and allowed one run in four innings.

In the top of the fourth, Maag’s words proved prophetic. Center Moriches found its offense.

With two outs and runners on first and second, Jordan Falco, a sophomore hitting in the 7-hole, hit the first of five run-scoring singles in the inning. Leyton Pulsipher, Dylan Bryant, Corey Stengel and Maag followed with RBI base hits and Moriches led 6-0.

The bottom-order production was especially pleasing to coach Dennis Donovan. “Yesterday the top of the lineup picked us up, and today, when the top struggled in the beginning, the bottom picked us up,” he said.

In the sixth, Maag hit an RBI single to make it 7-1. David Falco and Robert Copozzi hit RBI doubles before Jordan Falco blasted a two-run homer.

“We expect it out of the older brother, David,” Donovan said. “But Jordan taking some of his shine is pretty exciting.”

The younger Falco went 2-for-3 with three RBIs. He said he had a feeling he could have a big day. “Nobody expected it from me," he said, "but today I woke up feeling good and felt great in batting practice before the game."

David Falco came on in the fifth inning and pitched three hitless innings to seal the win. Mattituck finished 17-8.

Center Moriches plays Cold Spring Harbor next Thursday for the Long Island Class B championship.

    “We’re a well-rounded team and the guys are still hungry,'' Donovan said. "That was the biggest question coming into the year [after winning a state title with much of the same team], but they’ve proved to still be hungry.”