Wednesday, June 5, 2013: Ogdensburg's LaRose fans 23 in nine innings

   Leading off today: It takes a heck of a pitching performance to overshadow another guy's no-hitter in a NYSPHSAA baseball tournament game.

   New York, meet Breton LaRose.

   LaRose struck out 23 batters and finished with a three-hitter Tuesday as Ogdensburg Free Academy defeated Schalmont 3-1 in a nine-inning, Class B quarterfinal.

   OFA’s Andrew Cole hit a two-run home run over the left-field fence in the top of the ninth for what proved to be the winning margin.

   “I felt that I could have pitched one more inning and I was really juiced after Andrew hit that home run because I just needed three outs so we could go to the final four,” said LaRose who fanned 18 through seven innings. His only mistake was a curveball that Schalmont's Andrew Cote drilled for a home run.

   No-hitter: Colman Vila carried a perfect game into the sixth inning and settled for a no-hitter as Pierson-Bridgehampton beat Friends Academy 5-0 in the first round of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Class C tournament.

   “I’m speechless,” said Vila, who struck out 10 batters. “After the fourth inning I realized they probably were not going to hit me and we also made some great defensive plays.”

   Four first-inning walks helped stake Pierson-Bridgehampton to a 2-0 lead, which was all Vila would need to help set up a quarterfinal vs. Section 1 champion Haldane.

   Class AA highlights: Junior righthander Chris Cepeda threw a three-hitter as Ward Melville edged Massapequa 1-0 for the programs first Long Island Class AA title. The Patriots advanced to the NYSPHSAA semifinals vs. Baldwinsville on Saturday in Binghamton.

   Cepeda finished with three strikeouts in his seventh victory of the season.

   Baldwinsville blanked Shenendehowa 4-0 as outfielder Jacob Norton belted a solo homer to start a three-run fifth inning. Scott Blewett and Pat Merryweather combined for a three-hitter, splitting the workload and leaving both available for Saturday's potential championship doubleheader.

   Clarence clobbered Victor 13-1 as Gatorade state player of the year Mark Armstrong, who's likely to get a phone call Thursday or Friday during the major-league draft, threw a three-hitter and the Red Devils twice sent 10 men to the plate in an inning. Alex McGlue cleared the bases with a three-run double in the fifth inning.

   Arlington rounded out the semifinals field with a 10-3 win over Minisink Valley as outfielder Danny Lowndes delivered a two-run single for a 3-1 lead.

   Class A highlights: John Jay Cross River continued a masterful postseason run with its second state tournament win in 24 hours, a 9-2 decision over Cornwall. The Indians have allowed just eight runs in six playoff games this spring.

   Rutgers recruit Sam Mines improved to 3-0 in the postseason, surrendering six hits and two runs in 6 1/3 innings. He also knocked in a pair of runs at the plate.

   John Jay played minus leadoff hitter Ronnie Corelli, who collided in the outfield with a teammate in Monday's 7-1

Spring tournament schedules NYSPHSAA boys lacrosse NYSPHSAA girls lacrosse NYSPHSAA baseball NYSPHSAA softball

Many reporters use Twitter to deliver remote updates. We track those tweets from a variety of venues 24/7. Visit the page to see what's going on.

win over Maine-Endwell.

   Small-ball battler Bayport-Blue Point (25-0), which has hit just one home run all season, became the first unbeaten Long Island overall champion since Walt Whitman in 1975 (Editor's note: See correction in June 7 blog) by topping W.T. Clarke 4-1 in the state quarterfinals to set up a Saturday game against Queensbury.

   Jack Piekos struck out nine, walked two and allowed three hits in a complete game.

   More Class B: Wheatley blew open a close game with a 10-run seventh inning and defeated Southampton 14-2 in a first-round game. The Wildcats sent 15 batters to the plate and scored 10 runs before Southampton recorded an out in the seventh inning.

   Matt Rothstein threw a complete game, allowing one earned run, six hits, a walk and a hit batsman. He struck out sixth.

   Anthony Rizzo threw a two-hitter and struck out 16 to lead Clinton to a 6-0 win over Waverly in the quarterfinals.

   Fredonia avenged an 8-7 loss from the 2012 quarterfinals by beating Wayland-Cohocton 2-0 as Trent Thompson threw a three-hit shutout and struck out seven.

   More Class C: Binghamton Seton Catholic senior Patrick Gosney struck out 15 batters and finished with a two-hitter in a 3-0 triumph against Beaver River. After allowing two first-inning walks in his previous start in the Section 4 semifinals, Gosney threw strikes on 67 of his 82 pitches in the NYSPHSAA quarterfinal as he worked on two weeks of rest.

   “Everything was working,” Gosney said. “It was a fun day to pitch and it definitely feels good to give the defense some rest for once.”

   Geneseo blanked Portville 4-0 as senior Ben Kelly tossed a two-hitter and struck out 10 batters. Trevor Mothersell gave Geneseo the only runs it needed on a two-run single in the first inning.

   Class D highlights: Eli Holton’s solo home run in the top of the eighth inning carried Hancock past New York Mills 3-2. Holton’s sixth homer of the season advanced the Wildcats to the state semifinals for the first time after four previous losses in the regionals.

   Fort Ann pounded out 14 hits and beat Heuvelton 20-0 in the quarterfinals. Joe Foran and Garrett Bailey each singled three times and scored in the first, second and third innings.