Baseball: Suozzi, Arlington rally for walkoff win over rival John Jay-East Fishkill

FREEDOM PLAINS - To think, it almost wasn't. The euphoric feeling that Arlington exited the field with that evening was this close to being delayed and just as close to being denied.

About 30 seconds before there was reason to celebrate, the umpires convened to discuss halting the game after hearing what might’ve sounded like a lightning strike in the distance. Understandable, considering there already was an any-minute-now forecast of rain and sunset fast was approaching.

The Admirals had just rallied for the tying run in the seventh inning and, with the bases loaded, the team and its fans sensed the buildup to a walkoff ending. Someone in the dugout banged against a zinc wall panel behind the bench, sounding almost like a gong, and that prompted the officials to stop play.

"Everything was in our favor at the moment, and we didn't want to have it stopped then and have to resume at another time, without the same emotion and momentum,” Arlington baseball coach John Biasotti said of the game possibly being suspended.

Upset alert: Adorno's pickoff helps Arlington stun state champion Ketcham

'There's nothing you can't do': Arlington's winter guard wins gold at WGI World Championships

License to thrill: Brenner shines, Nardelli sets record as Ketcham dominates doubleheader

Players pleaded, insisting nature wasn't responsible for that sound, though the umpires seemed skeptical. Jason Jackson then made the heads-up play, instructing teammates to "do it again" and replicate the clang, offering evidence to support their claim.

It worked, and the game continued. For a second, at least.

Because Liam Suozzo soon was hit by a pitch, forcing in the winning run as the Admirals scored twice in the seventh to beat John Jay-East Fishkill, 6-5, ending an almost three-hour game Tuesday.

"That was probably the best hit by pitch in my career," Suozzo said of the ball striking him in the right arm. "It got me on the elbow guard, too, so I didn't even feel nothing."

Well, except a wave of exhilaration after helping his team erase three deficits and complete a two-game sweep of the Patriots in the regular season.

"He's a dog and he's the guy you want at the plate in a big spot," Jackson said of Suozzo, who has developed a reputation for thriving under pressure. "I didn't think it'd be a hit by pitch, but I knew he was gonna get it done somehow."

As the senior strode to the plate with two outs, assistant coach Michael Schoonmaker said confidently, "Death, taxes and Liam Suozzo in the clutch. He's getting a hit here." Technically, he wasn't wrong.

The Patriots faltered in the final frame and Arlington took advantage. Tim McCormack hit a one-out single, then walks to Tristin Rivera, Jackson and Griffin White forced in the tying run.

The second out was recorded on a strikeout, preceding the umpires' powwow at 7:29 p.m. What followed, of course, was Suozzo taking one for the team.

"This was the grittiest win we've had this season," said Biasotti, whose team also eked out a 6-5 victory over defending state champion Ketcham two weeks ago.

Eric Santaella went 2 for 4 with three stolen bases and three runs for Arlington (10-2). McCormack was 3 for 4 with a run, and Christian Anderson and Robbie Jordan each went 1 for 3. Mike D'Imperio earned the win in relief, allowing two hits and an unearned run in three innings.

Joe Ribaudo started and gave up eight hits, four runs and struck out in four-plus innings. But five of those hits were allowed in the first inning before the right-hander settled in. He was relieved after an infield single in the fifth and the inherited run eventually scored.

"He didn't get frazzled," Biasotti said of the senior. "We were ready to pull him, but he started making pitches and figuring his way through it. He gave us quality innings and allowed us to get back in it."

John Jay scored three in the first inning, highlighted by Austin Seipp's two-run homer. Jackson answered with a two-run shot to left in the second and the Admirals tied it at 3 when Santaella scored on Rivera's sacrifice fly in the third.

The Patriots went ahead, 4-3, on Lucas Silva's RBI single in the fifth, but two errors allowed Santaella to score in the bottom of that frame. Austin Seipp scored on a wild pitch as John Jay retook the lead in the seventh.

"We've been on the other side of that, getting off to a great start and having the other team come back," Jackson said. "So we know that our foot can’t come off the gas."

Austin Seipp was 2 for 4 with a homer and three runs for the Patriots (7-3-1). Shane Driscoll went 3 for 4 with a run, and Landon Stichbury was 2 for 4 with an RBI. Left-hander Landon Seipp allowed eight hits and three earned runs in six innings for a no-decision.

"We try to stay humble, but we do have a lot of belief in ourselves," Suozzo said of Arlington's performance to this point. "Having this kind of start raises our confidence and backs up what we thought of ourselves."

The Admirals entered this season with a relatively inexperienced roster and, with that, lowered expectations from outsiders. But they've beaten opponents by an average margin of 4.4 runs, dominating the teams they overmatch and pulling out some close victories against other contenders. That mettle, Biasotti said, will serve them well in the playoffs.

"I knew we had more potential than people realized, and I thought we could be better than last year," Jackson said. "We've got the right group of guys who come through in big moments."

And just in time, since that storm hit 10 minutes after they did.

Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com; 845-437-4826; Twitter: @StephenHaynes4

This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: Baseball: Suozzo helps Arlington rally for walkoff over John Jay-EF