Rematch with John Jay Ends Badly for Engineers, as Walks, Errors Wreak Basepath Havoc

03/25/25

From Coach Nardiello: Tech out-hit John Jay in today’s home opener, 9-6 but that’s not the stat that matters most.

Walks have to be limited in High School baseball, but today they became the story of the game. Tech walked 12 batters in the first 3 innings and 14 across the 7-inning game, with two hit-batters adding to the wildness. But it was surely still a “game” when Jay went up by 3 early, and Brooklyn Tech fought back to tie the score, 3-3 in the bottom of the first.

Tech’s starter today, Jake Rapoport had a fear-factor going for him at the outset, having shut down John Jay in last season’s playoffs. But a lead-off walk and single put 2 runners on early, and Jay capitalized on an infield error for a run. After a bases-loaded walk and a hit batter, it was quickly 3-0. Jay exalted that they put 3 runs on a pitcher that they could not hit last year. After the game, Coach Joe said our pitching has to make adjustments at some point, stop trying to pitch to corners and just go right at the batters. Make them swing.

Tech managed to push across runs in the 3rd and 5th innings – but could not rally like we needed to in order to catch up. Scott Manter-Goldberg relieved Jake in the 2nd inning with runners on and in the 3rd inning and threw 2 innings. The score was 9-4 after 3 full innings. Taiko Ninomiya walked 4, and Jay got a booming bases-clearing triple to break the game open as the score reached 13. In all, Tech used six pitchers and the last three (Trevor Niewenhuis, Silas Hubbell, and Miles Sedlak) held Jay to only 1 run in the last 3 innings.

On offense, getting 9 hits is a good thing especially against a Division rival. Our batters were walked 6 times, but we just couldn’t cash in with the 5-6 run outburst we needed, mid-game. Nico Harvey had 2 singles and a 2-out RBI for the Engineers. Seven other Engineers had hits including a booming double by Orion Ruck late in the game over their right-fielder’s head that brought the team to its feet.

To a man, the Engineers felt this game could have had a better outcome, but for the walks (and frankly, many gifted runs) we gave them. At some point, we’ll get this right across the season, but it wasn’t today.