Baseball: Tuckahoe three-peats as Section 1 Class C champion with win over Haldane
PURCHASE - There are limited things more exciting for high school athletes than back-to-back championships. That is, until you put a 3-peat on the line.
For Tuckahoe (15-4-1), excitement reached a whole new level as the Tigers clinched the 2024 Section 1 Class C baseball championship for the third straight year with a 12-3 win over Haldane.
The Tigers came out hot in the first inning, sending eight batters to the plate and scoring two runs to get on the scoreboard early.
Tuckahoe sent another eight batters to the plate in the bottom of the third, forcing Haldane to make a change on the mound — a change that didn’t slow down the Tigers at all. Tuckahoe added four more runs in the bottom of the fourth to bring its lead to double digits.
Haldane didn't go away quietly, though, the Blue Devils crawled their way back. Haldane sent seven batters to the plate, which eventually led the Tigers to a mid-inning switch on the mound where senior Michael Rideout replaced sophomore Connor Brice.
The Blue Devils fought back and pieced together three runs to cut away at the deficit. The Tigers remained firm and didn't allow any other scoring plays and got the necessary outs to seal their title-winning victory.
What it means
After today’s victory, Tuckahoe successfully clinched its third straight sectional title.
The Tigers won in 2022 against Leffell, and again in 2023, against none other than the Blue Devils, where Tuckahoe swept the three-game series.
There was less margin for error this year, as all playoff games were singular do-or-die games to decide who gets to move on.
With the win, the Tigers will advance to the state tournament, starting with the Class C state regional semifinals. Tuckahoe will play the Section 9 Class C Champion on Thursday, May 30. The game will be played at SUNY Purchase with the first pitch set to be at 3 p.m.
Player of the game
Jax Colacicco, Tuckahoe: The Tigers’ shortstop had an impressive day hitting. In his four at-bats, Colacicco had two hits, three RBIs, and two runs scored, earning him the Class C finals Most Valuable Player award.
“It’s my first time [winning MVP],” Colacicco said. “I know the award is given every year, but really it’s a team sport and our team did really good. I almost feel undeserving of it, but it’s cool. [Now] we get to look ahead to the more important things.”
By the numbers
No. 1 Tuckahoe (15-4-1): Senior Michael Rideout was 2-for-4 with two singles and three RBIs, including a two-run single in his first at bat that allowed the Tigers to strike first. Rideout also pitched for 1⅔ innings, striking out two batters and allowing just one hit.
“My first two at bats were definitely my best of the day,” Rideout said. “My job is to come through and luckily the first few got through. And I also did my job on the mound. That’s routine — to throw strikes — and that’s what I did.”
Also notable on the mound was Tuckahoe sophomore Connor Brice, who pitched 4⅓ innings of no-hit ball and one earned run allowed. Jackson Snyder also went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Connor Benke went 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
No. 3 Haldane (5-15): Pat Shields was 1-for-2, leading the Blue Devils with the only hit of the day and adding on one RBI. Jeremy Hall and Nick LeMon also had one RBI each.
They said it
“Every year is a new year. I’m excited for this 2024 team to win the championship. They put a lot of work into it. We did have a lot of veterans on the team, but we have some great underclassmen that blended well with the veterans and really made this team special. So every section championship is a new one and we’re just happy to [have been] here today.” -Tuckahoe head coach Phil Treglia
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Baseball: Tuckahoe tops Haldane, wins third straight Section 1 title
