Crohan Ks 16, but takes tough loss to Hills West, 4-2

Riverhead hurler Matt Crohan took his season-long scoreless streak into the fifth inning of what may be his his last appearance on the mound for the Blue Waves.

The Waves’ cannon-armed southpaw had allowed only one runner — a two-out triple in the third by Hills West shortstop Luke Stampfl — and had fanned eight batters going into the top of the fifth. He struck out two and allowed two on base in the fifth — on a walk and a hit batsman — when Stampfl came back to the plate. Stampfl clocked an off-speed pitch to for a three-run homer to right-centerfield. Crohan hit the next batter with a pitch and then gave up an RBI double to Tom DiGiorgi before recording his third strikeout of the inning.

Those four runs were all the Colts would need. The Waves answered with two runs in the bottom of the seventh, when Ryan Gaffney’s single to right with Cody Smith on first got past the right fielder. Smith and Gaffney both scored on the error. But the Waves’ hopes for a comeback evaporated when Josh Brewster grounded out to short and Bobby Dilworth went down swinging.

The Waves (8-8) now have their backs against the wall: They must win both of their remaining regular-season games — games two and three of the series against Half Hollow Hills West (11-5) — to make it into the playoffs. They travel to Dix Hills tomorrow for game two and play their final regular-season game Friday at home. Both games start at 4 p.m.

“It would have been nice to win this one,” head coach Rob Maccone said after today’s loss. “It’s going to be tough,” he said.

Despite the outcome, Crohan gave up just three hits and struck out 16 batters today, in a performance watched by scouts for the Mets, Astros and Tigers.

RiverheadLOCAL photos by Emil Breitenbach Jr.
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