The Marlboro High School baseball team poses after beating Wheatley in the New York State Class B regional final Saturday.
Jack Rusk was locked in.
The Marlboro High School baseball team’s starting pitcher didn’t let anything — or any opposing hitter — intrude upon “the zone” on Saturday at SUNY Farmingdale in the New York State Class B region final.
By the end of the game, he had thrown just 65 pitches and allowed four hits, as Rusk and the Section 9 champion Iron Dukes beat Section 8’s Wheatley 5-0 to advance to the state final four.
The Iron Dukes will play Solvay of Section 3 at 10 a.m. on June 11 at Maine-Endwell High School in the state semifinal. The game ended after the Journal went to press.
It marks the Marlboro baseball team’s first appearance in the state final four since 2003.
“We’re super excited to be here,” said Rusk, who pitched a complete game. “We’re just going to take it one game at a time. We want it to keep going.”
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Rusk was backed up by a solid defense, which did not commit an error.
Plus, it helped that the Iron Dukes’ offense wasn’t in short supply.
Marlboro scored three runs in the third and two in the fifth. Nick Mongelli finished with three RBI, while Xavier Oliver knocked in a run. Cole Nicolis drew a walk, tripled and scored two runs. He also had a sacrifice bunt which scored the Iron Dukes’ third run in the third inning. John Mooradian finished 3 for 4 with a triple, a single and a run scored.
Execution and timely hitting, coach Dave Onusko said, helped make the difference.
“We did a great job with the bats. It’s really satisfying to see them play to their capability. It was very pleasing,” Onusko said.
Onusko added that Rusk had “total command of his pitches” and even though he pitched to contact, he worked effectively.
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“He was able to throw strikes with his fastball, changeup and curveball,” Onusko said. “He painted the corners and they were hitting weak grounders and pop flies.”
Rusk, along with Mongelli, Oliver and Austin Casey appeared in the Class B state final four during the boys basketball season. Mongelli also won a Section 9 football title in the fall.
The boys basketball team reached the state final, but lost by 11 points to Olean of Section 6. The football team reached the Class B state quarterfinal, but lost to Section 1’s Westlake.
“It’s awesome to be back here, for the second time (in one year) in the final four,” Rusk said.
And the coach couldn’t be happier for his players.
“The kids are elated,” Onusko said. “This is all icing and gravy, to get to the state tournament. They’re going to enjoy every minute of it.”
A.J. Martelli: amartelli@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4836, Twitter: @AJM_PoJoSports