PLAYOFFS: Island Trees Rallies Late to Beat Cyclones, 4-3

In what turned out to be a pitcher's duel, it was a seventh-inning defensive error that downed South Side in their first round, Conference A playoff matchup against Island Trees on Saturday. 

With the score tied at three with one out in the bottom of the seventh and runners on first and second, Bulldogs Mike Manganiello hit a groundball to short that looked like South Side could turn into a 6-4-3 double play.

Shortstop Andrew Talbot flipped it to second baseman Joe Geraci for the first out, but Geraci's throw to first was off line, and the ball trickled away from first baseman Matt Leach. Ryan MacDonald then broke for home and scored the game-winning run to top South Side, 4-3.

Island Trees will now advance to a best-of-three series that starts Wednesday, while South Side will fight for their playoff lives on Monday at Barasch Field.

"We're not done," head coach Keith Lessuk. "It's not over. We lost the battle, but we didn't lose the war. We still have life on Monday. Our backs are against the wall, but we've been there before."

The loss spoiled a great performance by South Side ace Christian Colletti, who gave up seven hits and two earned runs over six innings. 

Island Trees scored first after MacDonald and Chris Cutrone led off the game with back to back singles. Dom Raucci hit into a fielder's choice to put runners on the corners and with one out, cleanup hitter Mike Manganiello grounded into a 6-4-3 double play, but first baseman Dylan Leary couldn't control the throw from Geraci and Cutrone scored to give Island Trees a 1-0 lead.

South Side's Louis Matarazzo (2-for-3, 2 HR, 3 RBIs) tied the score in the second with a 400-foot solo blast to center. He followed that with a two-run jack in the fourth to give South Side a 3-1 lead. 

Matarazzo and James Howard (2-for-3, run scored) were the only two South Side batters with a multi-hit game off Island Trees starter Mike Jeannetti, who hurled a 122-pitch, complete game gem with 11 strikeouts and no walks. Besides Howard and Matarazzo, the Cyclones lineup finished 2-for-20. 

Lessuk said Jeannetti moved batters around in the box and effectively changed speeds. "We had a couple guys caught looking; we usually are aggressive," he said. "But it was good pitching by both sides."

Island Trees pulled within one in the fourth off an RBI single by James Ragusa to cut the score to 3-2. In the sixth, sophomore Louis Mele launched a solo homerun to dead center to tie the game at 3.

After pitching six quality innings, Colletti started the seventh with a lead-off walk to MacDonald. Lessuk went to closer Griffin Wagner, who made the first out on a spectacular diving catch on a popped-up bunt.

Wagner then hit Raucci with an inside pitch to put runners on first and second. Manganiello hit a weak grounder to short, but South Side couldn't turn the double play and MacDonald scored when the ball got away from Leach.

South Side will play for their playoff lives on Monday at Barasch Field. Game time is most likely at 4:30 p.m.

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