The Peglegs traveled to Brooklyn this afternoon to take on the top seeded and heavily favored Grand Street Wolves in a quarterfinal matchup. The Wolves came into the game with a record of 18-0 and having outscored their playoff opponents 31-1 in the first two rounds. Their hitters put up nearly 10 runs a game this season and were supremely confident. But like Mike Tyson once said, everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.

Sam Levine took the mound for Stuyvesant having thrown a shutout in the first round of the playoffs. After Stuy went down 1-2-3 in the top of the first, it was Grand Street’s turn. Their leadoff hitter, Myles Vasquez – who led AAA in home runs and was third in hitting at .568 – flew out to Paul Liou in center field. This was followed by an error, ground out and strike out. The heart of the Wolves lineup had their first shot and put up a zero on the scoreboard. Not what they were expecting.

The Peglegs struck first in the second playing small ball. Following a hit batter and an error, a perfect bunt by Julian Malenda advanced the runners to second and third. Julian Duran took advantage and drove in the first run of the game on a single to center. 1-0 Peglegs.

The Wolves would come right back in the bottom of the second, scoring two runs on a walk, bunt single and line drive base hit to take a 2-1 lead. Back and forth they’d go as Stuy would added a run of their own in the top of the third on a double steal by Levine and Jeremy Lee, who stole home and scored on the play. 2-2. The Wolves came right back the next inning, plating two on a hit batter, walk and single to go up 4-2.

The Peglegs would retake the lead in the top of the fourth. Malenda led off with a double to center, followed by Duran getting hit by a pitch. Iravan Bhattacharyya singled to left to load the bases. Lee drove in the go ahead run on another hit by pitch. Axel Riess followed with an rbi ground out to first and Bhattachryya scored on a wild pitch. Peglegs 5, Wolves 4. It was becoming clear to everyone that Stuy wasn’t going away.

Levine quieted the Wolves’ bats in the fourth, with a 1-2-3 inning and you could feel Grand Street start to get tight. In the bottom of the fifth, the Wolves started the inning on a single and then reached on an error on a potential double play ball to first. Bhattacharyya came in to relieve Levine and struck out two before loading the bases on a walk. He built the tension, going to a 3-1 count before inducing a pop out to short.

Stuy took their 5-4 lead into the seventh inning. They put two runners on base with one out for Ethan Kirschner who lined a clutch base hit to right to give the Peglegs an insurance run to make it 6-4 heading into the bottom of the seventh.

Three outs to go with the heart of Grand Street’s lineup due up. Vasquez doubled to left to start the inning. Bhattacharyya struck out the next batter, but Riess couldn’t hold onto the ball and the batter sprinted to first. Riess’s throw was too late but first baseman Ben Harwayne saw Vasquez making a big turn around third, rocketed the ball across the diamond and Malenda made the tag to get Vasquez for the first out of the inning. Two outs to go. The next batter singled to left. Two on and one out and Grand Street was threatening. Alex Martinez grounded out to short. One out to go and the Wolves shortstop came to the plate having already driven in two runs. But the bat was taken out of his hands. On the first pitch the runner on first took off on a steal and Riess gunned him down – game over. Stuyvesant wins and advances to the final four in what was a total team effort.

Game Notes

• This is the furthest Stuy has ever advanced in the playoffs.
• No specialized high school has ever made it to the final four.
• Levine got the win, his ninth of the season, going four innings, allowing three hits, striking ut four and giving up four runs.
• Bhattacharyya got the save, striking out five in three innings, allowing no runs in his best performance of the year.

All seemed lost for the Peglegs tonight. At the end of six innings, they were in a 3-0 hole and had a total of zero hits. Could this be how their season ended?  Not with a bang but a whimper?

The rain started to fall as the seventh inning began. A fly out to right was the first out. Down to their last two outs, Jeremy Lee came to the plate. Determined that this wouldn’t be his last ever PSAL at bat, Lee laced a single into left field to give Stuyvesant a pulse. Axel Riess came up next, 0-3 on the day so far. The sophomore took a 2-0 pitch and launched it to deep center field as the rain poured down. Lee scored, putting the Peglegs on the board. 3-1. Sam Levine stepped into the batter’s box and ripped a line drive into left field scoring Riess. Peter Carini reached on an error. With two on, it was Ethan Kirschner‘s turn. Down 3-2, Kirschner singled to left to tie the game! The momentum had shifted completely and the floodgates opened: Julian Duran doubled in two runs. Lee singled for his second hit of the inning. By the time the inning ended, the Peglegs held an 8-3 lead, and that would be the final score.

Paul Liou started the game for the Peglegs. He struggled with his control early, allowing three runs in the first. But he would settle in and hold Cardozo scoreless into the fourth inning, keeping Stuy in the game. Iravan Bhattacharyya entered the game in the fourth, with two outs and the bases loaded and coolly retired the batter on a weak ground ball to second. Bhattacharyya would pitch the final three innings, striking out five and allowing just one hit.

Game Notes

• This was Stuy’s first second-round playoff win in 22 years.
• Next up is #1 seed, Grand Street.

Adrian: 1-3, 2R, RBI 

Andrew: 0-3, BB, R

Charles: 2-3, 2R, 2RBI

Charlie: 1-2, BB, 2R

Christopher: 1-3, 2R

Jasper: 1-3, 2B, RBI

Kenny: 0-2, BB, R

Kerick: 0-2, BB, R, RBI

Lucas: 2-2, HBP, 3R

Pitching Lines

Charles: IP-4.0, H-3, R-2, ER-2, BB-3, HB-0, K-6, #P-70

Stuyvesant took the field for their first playoff game in four years, butterflies in their stomach and Coach Hann’s “44” on their sleeves. In the opposing dugout, the John Adams Spartans were ready.

Sam Levine got the start for the Peglegs, having gone 7-0 in the regular season. But the regular season and the playoffs are two different things. The Spartans came out swinging. Their leadoff hitter lined one back up the middle for a base hit. After a strikeout, they singled on a hard ground ball through the left side. The next batter blooped in to RF. Bases loaded and one out. Backs against the wall early. But this Peglegs team doesn’t fold and a perfect 6-4-3 double play ended the innings.

In the bottom of the first, Jeremy Lee showed his hustle and reached on a dropped third strike, unsettling the Spartans pitcher who then walked the next six Peglegs who ended the inning up 4-0.

The Spartans continued to be aggressive in the second, with a long fly to CF that was chased down on an over the head catch by CF Paul Liou. That was the last time they would threaten.

Back to back doubles by Levine and Peter Carini in the bottom second made the score 5-0. Julian Duran added a long double in the third followed by a hard base hit by Axel Reiss. Levine hit a long shot to LF on what seemed to be a HR but was turned into a ground rule double as the ball got stuck under the fence. Still, the Peglegs went up 9-0.

Stuy added one more in the fourth to go up ten and that was all they needed for their first playoff win in years.

Next up, Cardozo HS on Friday. Let’s go Peglegs!

Game Notes

• Levine threw a five inning shutout, striking out eight while allowing theee hits and two walks.
• Levine led the Peglegs with two doubles
• Reiss, Carini, Julian Malenda and Duran all added hits to what what a balanced Peglegs attack
• This was the first postseason at bat for every Stuy player other than Paul Liou
• The Spartans made four errors.

Adrian: 1-3, HR, 2R, 3RBI 

Andrew: 1-4, 2R, RBI

Charles: 1-2, BB, 2R

Charlie: 0-1, BB, R

Donghyun: 0-0, BB, HBP, R

Jason: 1-2, BB, R

Jasper: 1-2, 3B, BB, R

Kerick: 0-0, 3BB, 2R

Lucas: 1-2, BB, R

Pitching Lines
Jason: IP-3.0, H-2, R-0, ER-0, BB-2, HB-0, K-7, #P-41

Christopher:  IP-1.0, H-0, R-0, ER-0, BB-0, K-3, #P-13

The Peglegs upset James Monroe in a scorcher in the Bronx.

Led by outstanding work on the mound by Charles, the Peglegs were able to hold the Eagles to just one run in the first inning.  The game’s momentum shifted in the 5th on a hard double up the first baseline by Charlie to score 2 runs.

There was terrific defense throughout the game by the Peglegs including a highlight reel catch in deep left center by Lucas.  Lucas followed that up later in the game with a perfect throw from centerfield home to Adrian who made a barehanded catch and tag at the plate to stop a run.

William sealed the deal for the Peglegs with two solid innings on the mound as the team coasted to victory.

Adrian: 1-4, BB, R 

Andrew: 0-3, 2BB, R

Charles: 1-3, BB, R

Charlie: 1-3, 2B, BB, R

Jasper: 0-3, BB

Kenny: 1-1, 3BB, R

Kerick: 0-1, 3BB, R, RBI

Lucas: 0-4, BB

William: 0-2, BB, HBP, R, RBI

Pitching Lines

Charles: IP 5.0, H-4, R-1, ER-0, BB-2, HB-0, K-5, #P-88

William: IP-2.0, H-1, R-0, ER-0, BB-0, K-2, #P-30

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Stuyvesant extended their winning streak to seven on Thursday with a 7-2 victory over the Richmond Hill Lions. The game was closer than the score indicates as the Lions kept the game within reach until the end.

Richmond Hill struck first against Peglegs starter Sam Levine. They opened the game with an infield single, hit batter and then a bases clearing double to jump out to a 2-0 lead.

Stuy would strike back in the bottom of the second, with two walks and line drive singles by Ethan Kirschner and Julian Duran. A towering triple by Julian Malenda to left drove in two runs. The Peglegs ended the inning up 4-2 and never looked back as Levine would shut down the Lions through six followed by a 1-2-3 inning from Paul Liou to close out the game.

The big hit of the game was by Axel Riess, who led off the fourth inning with a mammoth home run to deep center field. It was Reiss’s team leading second home run of the year.

Kirschner and Malenda had two hits each to lead the Peglegs attack. Malenda had four rbi. On the mound, Levine went six innings, allowing two runs on six hits and one walk. He struck out seven. Liou had a ten pitch seventh, striking out one.

Stuy is now 13-2 heading into their last regular season game. Playoffs start next week.