Hen Hud to Celebrate Lent on May 7; Sailors Deck Yorktown

By Ray Gallagher, Examiner Sports Editor @Directrays

If you’re in the neighborhood on Saturday, May 7th, and you have had anything to do with Hendrick Hudson High baseball, stop by Sunset Field just before 11 a.m. for a brief ceremony memorializing the impact of longtime Sailor assistant coach Ed Lent. Mr. Lent was a friend of mine, a guy I could count on for wisdom, for friendship and family-based ideology. Seeing him, no matter where we were, warmed my heart, and his departure into devine immortality last fall struck a chord with anyone who ever donned a Sailor baseball uniform and those that knew him for what he was; a true family man and friend to all.

Coaches, especially in the 80’s and 90’s – when Mr. Lent first joined the Sailor staff (mid ‘80s) – could be tougher on kids than they are nowadays, but tough love is something Mr. Lent specialized in. While former head coaches Paul Natalie and Dutch Pritts, and current coach Van Vourliotis, were serving as the front men for the Sailors, Lent, an unpaid volunteer within the program, was behind the scenes, serving as the bridge between players and head coaches. Players leaned on him, trusted him and went to him for everything from pitching tips – which he specialized in – to everyday advice.

“He did that for three decades and never got a dime,” Natlaie said. “Ed was as loyal as they come. Everybody loved him. You never heard anyone say a bad word about him.”

Hen Hud Athletic Director Tommy Baker and Coach Vourliotis are banging the drums to get as many alumni and friends of Mr. Lent as possible Sunset Field, which essentially served as his back yard, to celebrate his 34 years of volunteering to the Sailor community.

“He deserves that and more,” Vourliotis said. “His family will be giving out a scholarship to a senior in his memory going forward.”

One of those seniors in line for such an offer might be P Josh Shea, who went 6-2/3rds innings in the Sailors 10-4 win over visiting YORKTOWN Friday. Captain Shea, the ace of an otherwise young pitching staff, whiffed 10 Huskers (4-3), walked no one and scattered seven hits before reaching his pitch limit.

Little does anyone know, baseball is Shea’s second sport. Funny thing, which not a lot of people know, Shea is the best national racquetball player at his age in the entire country – a legit No.1 for the last year, who won nationals a month ago.

“Josh is the man,” Coach V said. “He’s a great leader for this team, he’s like a third coach on the field. He threw 210 pitches in five days this week and carried us on his back. He is the most mentally tough player I’ve ever coached and he just loves to be coached.”

After a poor showing against Nanuet earlier in the week, the Sailors, on their own, stayed after practice and hit in the cage for 45 minutes before asking for extra fielding work.

“Never been a part of a team like that here.” Coach V said.

Leading 6-4 in the sixth, the Sailors (5-3) put the Yorktown game away with back-to-back doubles by junior LF Mike Tucci and a two-run, two-bagger by sophomore 1B Max Lipton for a 9-4 lead. Sailor junior C Alec Tangredi delivered a two-run, pinch-hit double for a 6-3 Hen Hud lead in the third. Cole Haddock tripled and scored a run for Yorktown, which also saw red hot Dyaln Koch (2B) drive home a pair of runs.

Shea was also superb in a 1-0 win over MAHOPAC earlier in the week, allowing just three hits while whiffing nine Indians (1-7). He did not walk a batter. Tucci’s fifth-inning sac fly was the difference between the two sides. Mahopac also lost 8-3 to North Salem and 11-3 to Yorktown. The Huskers put up crooked numbers in four frames against the Indians, doing so behind a pair of RBI apiece from Haddock, Jon Munoz (4-4, 3B) and Stephen Haglund.

Yorktown also defeated Valhalla, 13-6, Saturday. Koch (3-4, 3 RBI) crushed it. Jason Peragallo went 3-for-5 and Haddock was 3-for-4 with a dinger and fanned all nine batters he faced over three scoreless frames. Munoz (2 hits, 2 RBI, 1R) and Haglund (2 RBI) were menacing figures.

BREWSTER is off to a solid 3-2 start after beating Lourdes, 6-1, behind a solid pitching effort from sophomore George Vallecillo (6 IP, 10K, 3H, 0 ER). Junior OF Collin Brennen (2 RBI), senior SS Shane McLaughlin (2 RBI) and junior C Antonio Galizia (RBI 3B) all supported his cause. The Bears began the week with a 9-6 loss to previously undefeated PANAS (6-1), which took a 4-0 loss on the chin at John Jay CR Saturday. The Panthers needed to shake that off in preparation for last night’s bout with Class AA heavyweight Arlington.

Against the Bears, Panas P Aidan Cohall went five screoless frames with eight whiffs to earn the win. Jackson Dilorenzo homered and knocked in four runs while Gavin Carlucci (3-for-3) and Derek Hawley (2 RBI) had solid efforts.

SOMERS (3-4) hung tough with a very solid BYRAM HILLS club, before the Bobcats (7-0-1) turned a two-run lead into a 9-5 win behind P Fred Saltstein (6 IP, 10 K) and a pair of two-run bombs by Danny Bernstein and Jack Blackmar. Somers knocked off LAKELAND (2-7) earlier in the week and hoped to get on a roll with two against winless Greeley and two more against one-win Mahopac upcoming. The big test will come today when the Tuskers see Panas. Lakeland is down by its standards but isn’t ducking anyone and has tested itself against three unbeaten foes: Rye (10-0), Byram Hills (7-0-1) and Arlington (7-0).

CLASS AA

CARMEL was struck by the Gallagher Kiss of Death last week. Featured on the front page of last week’s Examiner due to their incredible 6-0 start, the reigning Section 1 champion Rams (6-4) were brutalized in a pair of lopsided losses to mighty Suffern, 15-0 and 12-1, plus another pair of one-run setbacks to John Jay EF. We said this was going to be a rough patch for the inexperienced Rams, and more is on the horizon with North Rockland (6-2) and Arlington (7-0) on tap for four games between today and April 28.

OSSINING’s Brian Hoffman went 2 for 3 with two RBI for the Pride (3-2) in a 9-5 win over BRIARCLIFF (3-2). Lucas Rodriguez and Nolan Sniffen each had two RBI for the surging Pride, winners in three of the last four. With FOX LANE (2-4) struggling – by their lofty standards – out of the gate, Ossining is hoping to make a run at what looks like a wide open league. When push comes to shove, though, Coach Matt Hillis’ Foxes are oftentimes the favorites. Could come down to Fox Lane vs. Mamaroneck on May 10-11.

CLASS B

PUTNAM VALLEY won two of its last three games, including Saturday’s 6-5 win over visiting Pawling, but the Tigers (3-3) enter the meaty portion of their schedule in the days ahead with Westlake (4-2), CROTON-HARMON (4-4), North Salem (4-3), Rye Neck (5-1) and Briarcliff (3-2) on deck.

The Tigers lost 7-6 to Valhalla. Joey Maloney had three hits and an RBI while Sean Van Riper (2 hits, 2 RBI), Ryan Moriarty (2 hits), Ricky Meister (2 hits, RBI) and Arthur Holzman (2 RBI) had big days for the Tigers.

Dylan Watson (6IP, 8 K) pitched well in the win over Pawling, and the bullpen – behind Hudson Sperrazza – held on for dear life in the end, leading up to Van Riper’s walk-off single and subsequent dog pile.