Center Moriches baseball falls in state Class B regional final
The scorching hot Center Moriches baseball team met its match on Saturday.
The Red Devils entered the state Class B Southeast Regional final having scored a total of 19 runs in their last two games.
But they were shutout in their season-ending 1-0 decision to Spackenkill at Cantine Field in Saugerties.
Center Moriches had the bases loaded with one out in the first inning but couldn’t capitalize. Spackenkill’s Andrew Speraza kept Center Moriches in check all game, allowing just three hits.
“Speraza was exceptional today,” coach Paul Gibson said. “We had been swinging the bats really well, but I’ve actually seen him pitch before and he’s one of the better pitchers in the state.”
Junior Riley Morris kept the Red Devils in it but allowed the only run of the game when Nick Ryone singled in Bryan Hoyt in the third inning.
Morris allowed one run on six hits in five innings.
“He gave us every opportunity to win this game,” Gibson said. “On any given day, if we had a couple more hits, it could’ve gone the other way.”
Center Moriches won its third Long Island title in the last four four seasons Friday night and finishes the season 14-11.
“We were young and took some tough losses early in the season, but the guys just continued to battle,” Gibson said. “I couldn’t be more proud of the way they left it all on the table and fought until the last out.”
Matt Lindsay is a high school sports reporter who joined Newsday in 2022 after graduating from Stony Brook University.
