For teams that have gotten tired of watching Mamaroneck hoist Section 1 trophies this year, Sunday’s celebration was probably an unwelcome sight.
On May 31, the Tigers baseball team brought home yet another piece of hardware for the school’s increasingly cluttered trophy case, topping Ketcham 2-0 to win the Section 1 Class AAA title.
Noah Bauer authored a complete game shutout, scattering seven hits and walking just three. The Tigers broke through in the sixth when Luke Reagins doubled in Will Plunkett, and added some insurance in the seventh on a double by catcher Kevin Comblo.
Plunkett, one of the Tigers’ senior captains, said that the team was laser-focused on avenging last year’s loss to Ketcham in the finals, and wouldn’t let a few Saturday delays—or a 5-0 loss to the Pride in Game 1—put a halt to a terrific run by the No. 3 seed.
“We talked after Saturday and we we said they aren’t going to beat us twice,” said the senior. “We just turned the page as quick as possible, didn’t go to bed upset about that loss and today was a new day and we caught fire.”
Helping the Tigers turn the page was a terrific performance on the mound from Bauer, who kept the dynamic Ketcham offense at bay by changing speeds and hitting spots.
“Noah is probably one of the smartest kids in the whole school,” said Mamaroneck coach Mike Chiapparelli. “He doesn’t get nervous, he has an ability to throw strikes, and he attacks batters.”
The win also marked the 700th career victory for Chiapparelli, something he didn’t mention to his team prior to the series with Ketcham.
“I was hoping to get it yesterday, and I didn’t want to have to wait a whole year to get the win,” laughed Chiapparelli. “But really, the kids have been great throughout my time here, they give their all to baseball, and that’s why we’ve been a really good team for a long time.
But that high-level of play isn’t just limited to the baseball field, as anyone with a newspaper could tell you. This year alone, the Tigers have celebrated Section 1 titles in field hockey, football, boys basketball, flag football and boys lacrosse.
Plunkett said that given all success Mamaroneck’s sports teams have had this year—the senior shortstop also led the basketball team to the state semifinals this past winter— it’s a pretty fun time to be a Tiger right now.
“The community support we’ve had all year has been tremendous, and this has been years in the making,” said Plunkett. “The school has been electric, and bringing another section title back home, it’s just awesome.”
