by Tucker Terranova
Section I Champion Fox Lane defeats Garden City 4-3 in the NYPHSAA Quarterfinals, advancing to the seminfinals next Friday at Union Endicott HS.
The Foxes will meet either Section II Champion Ballston Spa or Section III Champion West Genesee. pic.twitter.com/Dg3NK3pPRm
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) June 7, 2025
Situational baseball has been Fox Lane’s focal point all season — and when it mattered most, it delivered.
Trailing by two early, the Section I champions rallied for four unanswered runs, including a decisive two-run surge in the seventh inning, to edge Long Island champion Garden City, 4-3, in Saturday’s NYSPHSAA Class AA quarterfinal at Hofstra University.
“We’ve been doing this all season,” said second baseman Danny Spolansky. “We feel like when our backs are against the wall, we play our best.”
Eight of nine Fox Lane starters recorded a hit in the win, with the bottom of the order fueling the game-winning rally.
With the score tied 2-2 in the top of the seventh, Sean Singleton led off with a chopper to second and narrowly beat the throw for an infield single. After swiping second, Cooper Furst laid down a textbook bunt along the third base line to put runners at the corners.
That set the stage for John Czernyk, who lined a ball to right field that would’ve been a sacrifice fly until a misplay in the outfield allowed him to reach safely and Singleton to score the go-ahead run. Spolansky followed with a sharp single up the middle to stretch the Foxes’ lead to 4-2.
“I knew I just had to do a job there,” Spolansky said. “I wasn’t able to get the bunt down earlier in the at-bat, but being able to rebound with that single was a great feeling.”
Garden City had opened the scoring with two runs in the second, taking advantage of a pair of defensive miscues. Jack Murphy capped the frame with an RBI single, putting the Trojans ahead 2-0.
But Fox Lane starter Jackson Carroll bounced back in a big way. The sophomore right-hander allowed just one hit and one walk over the final four innings of his outing, navigating through trouble with maturity beyond his years.
“He guts out every start, whether he has his best stuff or not,” said head coach Matthew Gillis. “He’s so poised. That’s what makes him special.”
Carroll’s outing allowed the Foxes time to chip away. In the fourth, Logan Prevost lined an RBI single to left to plate their first run, and P.J. Stonsby scored the equalizer on a well-executed double steal.
Danny Spolansky discusses Fox Lane’s come-from-behind victory, as well as the significance of this win for him and his program. pic.twitter.com/Zg2zbzsfZf
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) June 7, 2025
When Carroll exited after two Trojans reached to open the sixth, Gillis handed the ball to his “1A,” senior right-hander Will Rudolph. With the benefit of a first-round bye, Fox Lane’s top two arms were both rested and it showed.
Rudolph worked out of the sixth-inning jam and closed the door in the seventh, allowing a sacrifice fly but recording the final out to seal the win and the Foxes’ first regional title since 2003.
“He’s been great for us,” Gillis said of Rudolph. “Having both guys available was huge, and Will came in and did his job.”
The win marks a breakthrough for a program that’s been on the cusp for years — and a moment not lost on the players or their community, which made the nearly 40 mile trek and filled the stands.
“It’s so special — not just for us, but for our school, our parents, our entire community,” said Spolansky. “We haven’t even fully processed it yet. But we’re excited to get up there and compete.”
With the win, Fox Lane advances to next Friday’s NYSPHSAA Class AA semifinal at Union-Endicott High School. The Foxes will face either Section II champion Ballston Spa or Section III champion West Genesee.
