Paul Gotham
Greater Rochester Area

Fairport 5    Greece Athena 3

For the second time, the Section Five Game of the Week turned into an extra-inning affair as the Fairport Raiders defeated Greece Athena, 5-3 in Monroe County crossover action. Chris Rizzolo brought home Nick Turturro with an infield single, and Fairport snapped a two-game skid. 

Lucey In The Sky With Diamonds

Fairport's TJ Lucey did not have the winning RBI nor a run batted in on the day, but his 11-pitch at bat in the eighth inning proved to be the tipping point. Lucey worked a full count and fouled off five pitches before setting the table with a two-out single to right that put runners on the corners. The Fairport 1B/CF came into the game 5-for-8 on the week with an RBI and two runs scored. Against Athena, he finished with one hit in three at bats to go with a walk and run scored.  

Pleading the Fifth

Fairport improved to 8-5 on the season. More importantly, the Raiders snapped a frustrating slide from earlier in the week. On Monday, Fairport led Hilton 2-0 going into the fifth before falling 6-5 in a game which the Raiders left a runner on in the sixth and two in the seventh. On Wednesday, Fairport led Victor 3-1 going into the fifth before dropping a 5-3 decision. And, yes, Fairport had a 2-0 lead in the fifth frame of Thursday's contest.

On the Production Line

Monroe CC commit Jake Rugaber provided Fairport's early offense with a pair of doubles. Rugaber led the third inning with a two-bagger into the left center field gap. After Chad Riorden moved the runner with a sacrifice bunt, Rugaber scampered home on Turturro's suicide squeeze. Rugaber's one-out double in the fifth brought home pinch runner, Jeff Pratt, and gave the Raiders a 2-0 advantage. 

In the Fast Layne

Athena senior Trevor Layne made his first start of the season in right field. The pitcher/third baseman looked more than comfortable in the new digs. Layne made three put outs in the early innings including a pair he ran down in the gap, but he was at his best in the later innings. Layne robbed Rizzolo of a base hit in the sixth with a diving catch in shallow right center. For an encore in the seventh, he extinguished a Fairport rally with another spectacular catch in nearly the same spot off Rugaber's bat. This time Athena's right fielder got to his feet and fired a strike to first for an inning-ending double play. What doesn't appear in the box score was the throw Layne made from right field on Lucey's eighth-inning single. Turturro rounded the bag at third with every intention of scoring until the ball exploded out of Layne's hand, and Fairport coach Brian Reed put up the stop signal. Layne plans to attend Oswego State in the fall. He is NOT signed to play...yet. Layne was also timed running to first at 4.3. Someone please find a place for this kid to play next season. 

+ In last week's GOTW, Penfield beat Athena, 6-2 in nine innings.

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