Plainedge baseball team reaches state Class A championship game
Starting pitcher Jaxson Torres of Plainedge Credit: Dawn McCormick
BINGHAMTON — Plainedge’s streak lives on.
At least until morning.
Jaxson Torres struck out nine in a three-hit shutout and went 2-for-4 to lead the Red Devils to a 7-0 win over Section IX champ Marlboro Central in the state Class A baseball semifinals Friday night at Binghamton University.
The game, which began nearly two hours later than its scheduled 7 p.m. start time because of weather delays earlier in the day, ended at 11 p.m. Plainedge (28-0) will face Averill Park (Section II) in the final at 10 a.m. on Saturday at Mirabito Stadium.
“It’s surreal,” Torres said. “We’ve been working so hard for this and just feels great to know that we’re finally going to be there. Not even being undefeated, just being in the state championship with my best friends since I was a little kid is a great feeling.”
Third baseman Mike Calapai went 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored and made a diving catch of a line drive for the final out of the game. Bobby Wescott had an RBI triple, AJ Calapai went 2-for-2 with three RBIs and Taylor Nitsch was 2-for-4 with a run scored.
Nitsch, a junior Towson commit, will take the mound for Saturday’s championship game. He and Torres have been two of the most dominant pitchers on Long Island this season.
“I’m real confident with Taylor on the mound,” coach Colin Fratrik said. “Jaxson has been a big part of our success this season, and to have a guy like Taylor in Game 2 is special.”
How will the Red Devils handle the quick turnaround with the program’s first state title on the line?
Said Torres: “Get a good night’s sleep, wake up early and take it home.”
Matt Lindsay is a high school sports reporter who joined Newsday in 2022 after graduating from Stony Brook University.
