From left, Mamaroneck’s Andy Karlan and Andrew Gross celebrate after scoring on Kumar Nambiar bases clearing double against North Rockland in a boys baseball playoff game at Mamaroneck High School on Saturday, May 23, 2015. Mamaroneck won the game 5-3.
Mamaroneck’s Kumar Nambiar rounds first on his way to second with a bases clearing double against North Rockland in a boys baseball playoff game at Mamaroneck High School on Saturday, May 23, 2015. Mamaroneck won the game 5-3.
Mamaroneck’s Kumar Nambiar pitching against North Rockland in a boys baseball playoff game at Mamaroneck High School on Saturday, May 23, 2015. Mamaroneck won the game 5-3.
Mamaroneck’s Kumar Nambiar hits a bases clearing double against North Rockland in a boys baseball playoff game at Mamaroneck High School on Saturday, May 23, 2015. Mamaroneck won the game 5-3.
MAMARONECK –
Upon receiving a text from coach Mike Chiapparelli which informed Kumar Nambiar that he would not be getting the start in Mamaroneck’s first round game against Carmel on Thursday, the Tigers’ ace felt one overwhelming emotion.
“It angered me,” Nambiar said bluntly. “If you lose without your ace, it kind of looks dumb.”
Had second-seeded Mamaroneck faltered in its opening playoff game, Nambiar would have been justified and Chiapparelli would have been subjected to criticism. But, apparently, the long-time coach knew best.
Mamaroneck beat Carmel with No. 2 starter Bill Flatow, leaving Nambiar ready to go with extra rest in the quarterfinals on Saturday against a North Rockland team that everyone knew was better than its No. 7 seed would suggest. The result was a 5-3 win for the Tigers and a spot to the semifinals on Wednesday, when Mamaroneck (18-4) will host No. 3 Arlington.
“It was definitely tough, but I trust (Chiapparelli),” Nambiar said. “I’ve trusted him for the past four years, and it obviously worked out.”
The senior left-hander allowed homers to Ben Muller and Billy Rotella, but otherwise held a potent Red Raiders’ lineup at bay.
He struck out eight in a complete game effort, allowing seven hits and three walks on 118 pitches.
“If he could pitch every game of the whole season, he would. That’s the way he’s made,” Mamaroneck catcher Andy Karlan said of Nambiar. “Those kids are good hitters, but he knew their batters. He was studying up yesterday with the pitching chart and he knew what he was going to do.”
North Rockland (14-8) countered with junior left-hander Eric Sandusky, who allowed five runs over 3 1/3 innings, only two of which were earned.
Karlan led off the game with a routine pop-up that dropped in shallow left field for a double, eventually scoring on Andrew Sommer’s groundout, and the Red Raiders made two other errors behind Sandusky.
“Eric didn’t throw bad, but I don’t know if we made the plays behind him,” North Rockland coach Joe Sottile said. “When you look at a play and you look at it as an out, and then you have to reset once they’re on base, it kind of puts you in a bad spot. Now you have to work the batters differently and pitch with a little more urgency.”
Nambiar provided the big blow at the plate in the bottom of the third to help himself out.
With two outs and the bases loaded, he laced a three-run double into left-center field to extend Mamaroneck’s lead to 5-1.
“I had been struggling at the plate a little bit, but that was a huge hit with two outs,” Nambiar said. “It ended up being the winning hit. That cushion was great.”
Twitter: @vzmercogliano
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