Ketcham rallies against John Jay to win a third straight Section 1 baseball championship

PURCHASE – After falling behind 2-1 in the top of the third inning, the confidence level never changed for defending champion Roy C. Ketcham. With a lineup filled with returning talent from top to bottom, the senior-heavy Storm weren’t ready to panic.

Ketcham regained the lead in the bottom of the fourth and never looked back behind an MVP effort from senior pitcher Riley Weatherwax. The Storm defeated rival John Jay-East Fishkill 5-2 to claim their third straight Section 1 title. The previous two titles were in Class AA as the team was moved up to the new Class AAA this season.

“We have one of the best pitchers in the section on the mound and we have one of the best hitting teams,” Ketcham senior Connor Durkin said. “I’m not scared whenever we’re down because we’ve got the best hitters in the section. I feel confident.”

Connor and Tyler Durkin started Ketcham’s rally in the bottom of the fourth inning with back-to-back singles. Jason Due’s RBI single to right-center field tied the game at 2-2. Ryan Mealy walked to load the bases and Evan Kelly’s RBI single gave the Storm the lead. Weatherwax’s sacrifice fly gave the Storm a 4-2 advantage.

The Durkin brothers started the bottom of the fifth with back-to-back singles again. Nick Mondesando’s single loaded the bases. Due came through again, this time with a sacrifice fly to put the Storm up 5-2.

“I can’t even explain it, man,” Connor Durkin said. “We take so many reps day in and day out. Everybody’s the same. Everybody does their own job, collectively. That’s what makes us stick out from everybody else.”

Ketcham took an early 1-0 lead when Owen Paino scored on a Luke Picone RBI single. The Patriots got to Weatherwax in the top of the third. Alex Jendras’ two-out single set up first and second. Austin Seipp drilled a two-run double to right center to put John Jay up 2-1.

Weatherwax settled in after that and did not allow a run the rest of the way. Paino come on in the seventh to close out the win.

“I just had to calm it down, get back to my mechanics, control the game and get the job done,” Weatherwax said.

A young John Jay-EF team only graduates a few key seniors and will have the majority of its core return next season. The Patriots knocked off second-seeded Arlington 8-7 in the semifinals.

“They’re good and so are we,” Patriots coach Eric Frink said of Ketcham. “I don’t think we were weak at all this year and that’s why we’re here. It’s just a matter of executing and extending at bats or extending innings with another hit. We made some good barrel contact and obviously they made the plays.”

What it means

After bringing back the majority of a star-studded team, expectations were sky high for Ketcham and it rose to the occasion by winning a third consecutive Section 1 title. It’s also the team’s ninth section crown in program history.

The Storm now take aim at a second straight state championship and third overall for the program. That quest starts with a Class AAA regional semifinal meeting with the Section 4 champion at Horseheads High School on May 30. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.

Player of the game

Weatherwax, a Penn State commit, was named the game’s MVP. He went six innings, struck out six batters and allowed just two hits. He also had a sacrifice fly at the plate.

“It’s his attitude. His aura on the mound is unbelievable,” Connor Durkin said of Weatherwax. “It just bleeds off of him and onto everybody in the field and everybody in the dugout.”

By the numbers

No. 1 Roy C. Ketcham (20-3): Due had an RBI single and a sacrifice fly. Connor and Tyler Durkin each had two hits and two runs scored. Picone and Kelly each had RBI singles. Paino pitched the final inning. He struck out one and didn’t allow a hit.

No. 3 John Jay-East Fishkill (13-8-1): Austin Seipp’s two-run double drove in Brady Feliciotto and Alex Jendras to give the Patriots a 2-1 lead in the top of the third. Starting pitcher Landon Seipp allowed nine hits and was pulled after 4.1 innings. Michael Geary pitched the final 1.2 innings.

They said it

“At this point it’s not if, it’s when are we going to get it done. Today was the day. We played our best baseball. That’s what happens when we play our best baseball.” – Ketcham senior Connor Durkins

“Every year we just come in and do the same thing and get the job done. We don’t look at years past. We knew we were going to come in and fight. We got the job done.” – Ketcham senior Riley Weatherwax

“In this sport it is so hard to get here. Everybody needs to be taken seriously from Scarsdale to Arlington to Ketcham. Anybody can have a pitcher and can just end it for you. Our schedule is built for today. We play top-notch teams around the section for a reason. That prepares them for today.” – John Jay-EF coach Eric Frink

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Ketcham tops John Jay 5-2 in Section 1 Class AAA baseball championship