By Mike Zummo
The Pine Bush juniors baseball team are one win away from the New York State championship after they beat Section 3 South champion Throgs Neck 7-1, on Saturday at Half Hollow Hills Little League in Dix Hills.
The win earned Pine Bush a day off, and they will face the winner of Sunday’s games between Section 4 West champion Massapequa, Section 4 East Champion West Islip, Throgs Neck and Section 1 East champion Binghamton.
If Pine Bush were to win on Monday, they would advanced to the East Regional tournament, starting Saturday in Dubois, Pa., against the Washington, D.C. champion. The regional also is played in a double-elimination format.
Pine Bush built a 7-0 lead over the first four innings as Trevor Fontana led the way with two hits, two runs scored and an RBI. Dylan Bekgran had a hit and two RBIs and Maddox Miranowicz drove in a run. Ryan Beaulieu had a hit and an RBI.
Pine Bush opened the tournament on Friday with a 12-2 win over West Islip.
Jaden Dyer had two hits, two RBIs and a run scored. Beaulieu doubled, scored twice, and drove in a run for Pine Bush. Miranowicz had two hits, a run scored and an RBI.
Vincenzo Rubino drove in two runs. Joshua Szigethy doubled, scored twice, and drove in two runs. Fontana had a hit, a run scored and an RBI, while Connor Laird doubled and scored two runs.
Pine Bush advanced to the state tournament by winning the Section 3 North championship on July 8 with a 16-6 win over District 20 champion Harrison at Pine Bush Town Park.
Maddox Miranowicz had three hits, including a double, scored two runs and drove in two runs.
Rubino had two hits, two runs scored and two RBIs. Both of his hits were doubles. Beaulieu also had a hit and two RBIs. He also scored a run.