Bushmen reach state final four

By Mike Zummo
Posted 6/8/22

Pine Bush baseball coach Matt Boffalo wanted Alex Bucolo to finish the game and his pitcher rewarded him.

Just one inning after getting torched for four runs, Bucolo found a new gear, set down the …

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Bushmen reach state final four

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Pine Bush baseball coach Matt Boffalo wanted Alex Bucolo to finish the game and his pitcher rewarded him.

Just one inning after getting torched for four runs, Bucolo found a new gear, set down the Roy C. Ketcham Indians in order in the bottom of the seventh inning to put the finishing touches on the Bushmen’s 8-5 win in Saturday Night’s New York State Public High School Athletic Association Class AA regional final at Dutchess Stadium.

“When we were in the dugout after the sixth inning, my team gave me a lot of motivation to go out there in the seventh inning,” Bucolo said. “I knew I was going to end the game right there.”

And end it, he did.

Just an inning after getting hit around by the Indians, Bucolo came out firing in the seventh, striking out the first two batters he faced. He then induced Kevin Camacho to ground out to third base, ending the game and send the Bushmen to Binghamton, where they will face Section 3 champion Fayetteville-Manlius at 1 p.m. at Binghamton University.

“That’s how he’s been all year long,” Boffalo said. “The sixth inning was the worst. He didn’t have it, and we had multiple guys warmed up, ready to come in. He was on a short leash, and he came out, just like he did in Kingston, and threw like he usually does.”

At times, it didn’t look as though Bucolo wasn’t going to make it through the sixth inning as he struggled with his control with the Bushmen leading 7-1. He walked three and allowed an RBI single to Owen Paino. Then with two outs, Aidan Marshall launched a three-run double to center field, plating three runs, and pulling the Indians two within two runs, 7-5.

He got out of the inning by inducing a pop-up from Ryan Mealy. After that laborious inning, Boffalo gave his junior righthander a vote of confidence.

“He told me, ‘you got this,’” Bucolo said. “’Keep your mind straight and bring it home’.”

Bucolo’s six-run lead was courtesy of a Pine Bush offense that steadily put up runs against the first three Ketcham pitchers. Mike Jacques led off the game with a ground-rule double and then scored on an error. Jack Gandolfini tripled and scored on Mike DeSena’s groundout.

They added two runs in the third on an error and a balk, and two more in the fifth. Josh Martin tripled to lead off the inning and then scored on Nick Croce’s sacrifice fly. Jack Taylor also tripled and came home on Jacque’s sacrifice fly. Marc Cancelliere doubled and scored when Taylor was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

“We were sitting fastball,” Boffalo said. “That third pitcher (Jason Due) came in – before he got in trouble, his breaking ball was giving us a lot of trouble, but we were able to make an adjustment to be a little more patient.”

Joseph Gleason got the start for the Bushmen, giving up a run in the first after the Bushmen took a 2-0 lead, as Paino singled, stole two bases and scored on Ben Tullo’s sacrifice fly. He had runners on in every inning and got out of two bases loaded jams before giving way to Bucolo in the fifth inning.

“He got out of a huge jam,” Boffalo said. “He’s been good for us all year.”

Also good for the Bushmen has been their fanbase, which traveled to Dutchess Stadium, which was only 10 minutes from Ketcham High school, basically a home came for the Indians. They were loud and involved all night.

“We’ve got the best fans in Section 9,” Boffalo said. “These kids were excited. I’ve been teaching in the high school now for 21 years, and I’m with these guys all day long, and the kids and teachers and the administrators were all asking about Pine Bush baseball. It was on the announcements. They were ready to come here, and it was just an outstanding day.”

Now, the Bushmen hope they have two more outstanding days ahead of them. If they get past Fayetteville-Manlius on Friday, they will head to Mirabito Stadium on Saturday morning to play for the state championship.

“We’ve got a special group here,” Bucolo said. “We’ve got a lot of chemistry going. I feel like that’s our main thing. We just don’t ever give up. We always fight.”