Bulldogs Bested by Cyclone Offense, Lose 16-4

The Hewlett Bulldogs finally put together some offense against Conference A-II champs South Side on Tuesday at Barasch Field, but they couldn't get the clutch hit to break through against the Cyclones pitching staff. South Side scored eight times in the sixth to cap a 16-4 loss for Hewlett.

Head coach Andy DeBernardo said that though his team swung the bats on Tuesday, they couldn't get the key hit when they needed it most. "We hit," he said of the positives he saw from his team. "Unfortunately, we didn't get the big hit. We left the bases loaded in the second."

The Cyclones jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in the second inning against Bulldogs starter sophomore Luciano Morello. Louis Matarazzo (3-for-4, 4 RBIs) smashed a 390-foot solo homerun over the left centerfield wall to make it 1-0, and after Andrew Talbot reached on an error, Dylan Leary (3-for-3, 5 RBIs) launched a two-run jack over the left field wall to give South Side a 3-0 lead.

Down 4-0 in the fourth, the Bulldogs finally got to South Side starter Evan Singer. George Josiah (2-for-3, RBI) laced an RBI single to cut the Cyclones lead to 4-1. An RBI sac fly by Hewlett's left fielder (didnt know his first name) Pasculli and an RBI single by Ross Kleinrock (2-for-4, RBI, K) sliced South Side's lead to one.

That's as close as Hewlett would get. 

South Side rattled off four more runs in the fourth with an RBI fielder's choice from Joe Geraci, a two-RBI double from Matt Sollin (1-for-3, 2 RBIs) and an RBI single from James Howard (2-for-4, 2 RBIs) to increase its lead to 8-3.

"We came out a little flat, but we got a little energy from the power early," South Side head coach Keith Lessuk said. "We didnt get the timely hits early, but our resiliency helped us finish this out."

South Side batted around in the sixth inning, scoring eight times capped by a three-run double by Leary to extend the lead to 16-4.