Rams fall baseball off to impressive start with two away GHVBL wins in Stamford
September 28, 2023 at 12:11 a.m.
Port Chester's baseball Rams boys of summer are now the boys of fall and falling upwards, aiming to spring forward as their best versions of themselves once the scholastic baseball season starts in the spring.
They are already a far cry from those boys of summer in their ruin celebrated by the great Welsh poet Dylan Thomas.
Far from it. Because they have been working hard in extracurricular off-season Greater Hudson Valley Baseball League play to improve their small ball approach on the varsity level.
On the road again
So much so that they have taken their show on the road to get their act together in time for the regular spring season by playing the entire fall season on the road in stadiums stretching from White Plains to Yorktown and throughout Connecticut.
Jordany German is one of the Rams fall baseball team’s ace pitchers.By File Photo
Despite the rainouts in the past week, they opened the fall season earlier with two impressive wins against two Stamford, Conn. teams, the Knights and the Vikings, in Cubeta Stadium by scores of 2-0 and 6-3 respectively. John Tomassetti and Josh Virella swung the big bats out of the three/four spots in the batting order and impressive pitching came from Bryan Sachs, Jordany German, Virella and Blind Brook import Robbie Cuesta.
Cuesta and Blind Brook catcher Nick Violio are two of the Trojans who have joined the Rams to get additional work in because Blind Brook doesn't play a fall season.
The way it works
"That's the way the fall season works—it's our time to get in additional work on our game before we are forced indoors during the cold weather winter workout stages," said dedicated Rams varsity baseball coach Sean Burke who is determined to make Port Chester an ultra-competitive, large school Double A power once again.
The majority of his fall season players already have varsity experience but are fighting for an extended look at becoming potential big-time players, according to Burke.
'The Rook' & 'The Kid'
That means players like "The Rook" (rookie Bryan Sachs, who started for the Rams as a freshman second baseman last year) and "The Kid" (Adam Castaneda, the first eighth grader to be called up to the varsity by Burke) will get extended shots at different positions, Sachs at shortstop and pitcher and Castaneda at second base as well as shortstop when Sachs is pitching.
Seniors John (Tommy) Tomassetti at third base and Josh Virella (pitcher/first base) figure to be the team's big hitters as they have been with their extra base hits in the opening fall season games.
The team's aces line up with German, the junior import from the Dominican Republic, slotted as numero uno with Virella and Sachs right behind him. Sachs will also play a major role in the infield because he is counted on to replace Dylan Masi, the Rams’ graduated All-League shortstop. And that, in turn, means Castaneda must step up to plug Sachs’ place at second base.
Missing big bat
Burke must also replace the big bat of All-League centerfielder Nic Lovallo, now a college walk-on in Florida, with multiple candidates to choose from including seniors Ryan Gagnon and George (Pags) Pagnotta, junior Billy Villanova and sophomore Erick Samano.
Blind Brook's Cuesta will help the fall season Rams as a long relief pitcher while Violio can help as catcher while the Rams’ sophomore starting backstop Scott Sullivan is playing varsity football.
"So fall season is serious stuff, all our varsity candidates are getting a long look see on the field before the winter shutdown, and at the same time we don't want to overwork those young arms," said Burke.
The slow buildup
That means, among other things, that Pags is taking it easy on the throwing right now so he can slowly build up to be a varsity pitcher once the regular season starts, Castaneda is playing under wraps as he comes back from a summer injury and German is working on his curve and fastball without going all out, his eye on being ready to go when the season counts for real.
"I'm looking forward to seeing how the fall season plays out, seeing how the guys compete, seeing how our small ball approach (bunts, steals, contact hitting) keeps improving along with our defense," Burke said.
So even as the rained out games have not yet been rescheduled, there will still be some interesting away baseball contests ahead including the Rams going up against the Stamford Knights Oct. 10 and Yorktown (10/18), both at 6:30 p.m. By then, Burke should have a better idea about what kind of fall it has been for Rams baseball with a little help from their Blind Brook friends.
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