The Lake Placid baseball team celebrates with the Division VII championship banner after defeating Crown Point in the Class D title game on Thursday, May 25. (Business Photo – Parker O’Brien)
CHAMPLAIN — For the first time in five years, the Lake Placid Blue Bombers baseball team is back at the top of the Class D division.
Lake Placid starting pitcher PJ Colby threw a gem Thursday to lead the Blue Bombers to an 8-2 victory over the Crown Point Panthers in the Division VII Championship Game, Class D Tournament on the field baseball from Northeastern Clinton High School.
The win marked the fifth Division title under longtime head coach Brian Brandes, who first won the title in 2013. Lake Placid is set to face the Division II, Class D champion in a match under – NYSPHSAA Regional Thursday at a Section VII home site.
In the five section wins, the Blue Bombers are yet to advance beyond the regional or sub-regional round. Brandes said the team will prepare the same way they always prepare.
“We’re going to make sure our three pitchers are ready to pitch and make sure everyone has dotted the I’s and crossed out the T’s on the field,” Brandes said. “Everyone hits the ball and is aggressive at home plate.”
Lake Placid’s Foster Wood swings on a pitch during the Division VII Class D championship game against Crown Point at the Clinton Northeast Baseball Fields on Thursday, May 25. (Business Photo – Parker O’Brien)
Colby pitched six innings, striking out 12 batters while allowing just one hit and a run before Vann Morrelli came on relief for the final inning and allowed just one hit, a run and strikes out two batters.
Colby got off to an unusual start in the first inning by walking the leadoff batter, before giving up an RBI single to Crown Point’s Reese Pertak. He then struck out consecutive batters to close the inning.
“You could tell PJ was excited as he threw four straight balls in the first inning,” Brandes said. “Then he settled down and threw a typical pajama game. He was outside the zone and inside the zone, but he threw a hell of a game.
After giving up a run early in the first inning, Lake Placid scored twice late in the first and two more in the second, before tacking on four more runs in the final three innings.
“It was a business and they came to play,” Brandes said. “From the first time they entered the pitch, I didn’t feel there was any nervousness.”
Lake Placid’s Jarrett Mihill, left, slides into home plate for a run with Crown Point’s Reese Pertak trying to tag him during the Division VII, Class D championship game on Thursday, May 25. (Business Photo – Parker O’Brien)
Trailing 1-0 late in the first inning, Max Hyman started off with a single, before finally being dragged down on a Colby single. The Bombers then took the lead after Morrelli drove in Colby on an RBI single.
Lake Placid extended their lead when Hyman drove Foster Wood on a fly ball that went past the Panthers’ first basemen and into the outfield. Hyman then scored on an RBI brace from Jon Caito.
Caito, a sophomore from Keene competing for Lake Placid, came out on top at home plate in the team’s 12-hit performance. Caito had three hits – a double and two singles – while Colby, Morrelli and Max Hyman had two hits apiece. The Blue Bombers’ Wood, Owen Thomsen and Owen Hayes each scored one hit.
“Our bats weren’t silent,” Brandes said. “Our bats came in and did the job.”
Lake Placid scored consecutive runs in the fourth and fifth innings on RBI singles from Caito and Hayes. The Blue Bombers closed out the game scoring with two more runs, with another RBI single from Caito and one from Morrelli.
Lake Placid’s PJ Colby throws during the Division VII Class D baseball title game against Crown Point at the Northeastern Clinton High School baseball fields on Thursday, May 25. (Business Photo – Parker O’Brien)
Pertak and Evan Carey had the only hits for the Panthers. Carey pitched a full game, striking out seven batters.
Crown Point finished its season with an 8-6 record, while Lake Placid improved to 12-3 overall with the win.
Lake Placid’s Jon Caito, left, is tagged at home by Crown Point’s Reese Pertak during the Division VII Class D championship game against Crown Point at the Clinton Northeast Baseball Fields on Thursday, May 25. (Business Photo – Parker O’Brien)
Lake Placid’s Vann Morrelli of Keene pitches in the final inning of the Division VII Class D championship game against Crown Point at the Clinton Northeast Baseball Fields on Thursday, May 25. (Business Photo – Parker O’Brien)
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