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Bellmore JFK Captures Game 1 2-0 in 12-Inning Thriller

by Tucker Terranova

In order to reach the Nassau County finals, a strong pitching unit is a necessity. For two teams with multiple Division-I pitchers in their rotations, Game 1 of the Class AA championship series lived up to the billing as No. 1 Garden City’s Joe Carey and No. 3 Bellmore JFK’s Dylan Babek clashed in a matchup between dominant southpaws.

In a rematch of last season’s championship, it took 12 innings before Bellmore JFK emerged victorious, 2-0, behind nine scoreless frames from Babek and a solo home run from Derek Yormack.

After falling to Garden City in last year’s title game, Babek said there was an added sense of motivation for his squad this season.

“We came into this series thriving and wanted to keep it up,” Babek said. “We had a great series last year with them and wanted revenge.”

Carey has been Garden City’s ace all season and proved his merit from the opening frame, quickly working through Bellmore JFK’s top three hitters, including two strikeouts.

After two Trojans reached base in the bottom half of the first, Babek settled in to record the final out and keep the game scoreless through one inning.

Bellmore JFK appeared ready to give its junior southpaw a lead in the third inning, putting runners on the corners for Ryan Yormack. However, Carey continued his excellent start and forced Yormack to fly out to left field for the final out of the frame.

The scoreless innings continued as Carey, a senior headed to Holy Cross, and Babek, a junior committed to Stony Brook, settled in and held the opposing offenses at bay.

Perhaps Carey’s biggest challenge came in the sixth. Bellmore JFK loaded the bases with one out, prompting Garden City’s first mound visit of the afternoon. Frankie Stella laced a line drive down the third-base line, but Jake Brown made a stellar play and doubled off the runner to keep the game scoreless.

With a chance to walk it off in the seventh, Thomas Bacich opened the inning with a hit-by-pitch for Garden City, but his courtesy runner was promptly picked off. Babek continued his stellar outing and forced extra innings.

Caiden Lang entered in relief for Garden City to begin the eighth and worked a 1-2-3 inning, giving the Trojans another shot at securing the win. Babek answered with another zero in the bottom half, sending the game to the ninth scoreless.

After Jack Murphy singled in the ninth inning for Garden City, Babek came up clutch once again for Bellmore JFK, ending his afternoon by forcing a double play.

Ben Grabov opened the 10th with a single to left field, and Zach Adelstein followed with a textbook bunt, giving Bellmore JFK its best chance of the day. Lang, however, continued the theme of the afternoon and retired the next three batters he faced.

After hitting the first batter he faced in the 10th, Bellmore JFK turned to Ryan Yormack in relief. He stifled the Trojan offense and sent the game to the 11th.

The Cougars put two runners in scoring position with two outs for Grabov in the 11th, but once again, the pitcher won the battle as Lang recorded a strikeout.

Max Goodman entered in relief for Bellmore JFK in the 11th and battled Skylar Lang in a 10-pitch leadoff at-bat before Lang singled to center and was moved to second on a groundout. With two outs, Goodman forced a grounder to keep the game going.

In the 12th, Derek Yormack launched a solo shot over the right-field fence to give Bellmore JFK the lead. Goodman helped himself by adding a run on an infield single before shutting the door in the bottom half of the frame.

“We kept battling and never gave up,” Babek said. “We took it inning by inning and were able to push through.”

Bellmore JFK will look to capture its first county title in school history at noon tomorrow at Farmingdale State College. If needed, a decisive Game 3 will take place Sunday, May 31.