Battery Powers Pali to Title

Cook’s Four-Hitter and Sunderland’s Tag Clinch Third Straight League Crown

It was not the best game he has ever pitched, but Tuesday afternoon’s gutsy four-hitter against Westchester might be the most important outing of Cole Cook’s career so far. Palisades High’s junior right-hander worked out of trouble in the fourth and again in the seventh to post a 3-2 victory that clinched the Dolphins’ third straight Western League championship and a berth in the City Section’s upper division playoffs. “The times I struggled it was because I was a little too hyped up,” said Cook, who struck out 12 batters and walked five. “I was overcompensating a little. I just told myself to settle down and start throwing strikes. If you don’t do that, it’s only going to get worse.” As heroic as Cook’s effort was, it may not have resulted in a win but for his catcher, Tim Sunderland. With runners on first and third and two out in the top of the seventh, the Comets gambled by sending both runners on a double steal but Pali first baseman Mitchell Schwartz alertly threw to Sunderland, who tagged out pinch runner Basilio Martinez at home plate to end the game. “We work on that play in practice just in case so we don’t get caught off guard,” Sunderland said. “My job on that play is to block as much of the plate as I can. When he saw that I had it, the guy tried to jump over my glove but I had it with both hands. I wanted to make sure he didn’t knock it loose.” Palisades (17-10 overall, 12-2 in league) plated a run off of Comets’ ace Flavio Ramos in the bottom of the third inning when Matt Skolnik led off with a double and scored on Andy Megee’s single to left field. Westchester (16-9, 11-3) loaded the bases with one out in the top of the fourth and Darrell Hudson walked to force home the tying run and end Cook’s streak of 21 consecutive scoreless innings. The Comets took the lead on a ball in the dirt but Cook struck out the next two batters to keep Pali in the game. “I knew my teammates would score some runs for me,” said Cook, who improved to 4-0 in league starts. “I have a lot of confidence in them.” It didn’t take long for the Dolphins to regain the lead. With one out in the bottom of the fourth, Johnny Bromberg doubled and Garrett Champion followed with a single that moved pinch runner Eric Verdun to third. After Cook walked to load the bases, Skolnik was hit in the back by the first pitch from Ramos, scoring Verdun. Then Bobby Hicks bunted down the left field line to score Champion with what proved to be the game-winning run. “It was important to win a close game like this heading into the playoffs,” Sunderland said. “We’ve been winning most of our league games by big margins so it feels good to know we can pull one out like this.” Although he did not have the best command of his pitches, Cook kept his emotions in check and threw strikeouts when he needed them most. Westchester’s best hitter, D’Arby Myers, popped to first in the first inning, walked in the fourth and struck out in the sixth. Myers homered off of Cook on April 18 at Westchester but Palisades capitalized on five Comet errors to win 14-3 in six innings. “Cole made a lot of quality pitches in clutch situations,” Pali co-coach Tom Seyler said. “He showed his true character out there. He knew what was at stake.” The victory gave the Dolphins a one-game lead over Westchester heading into today’s Western League finale against University at George Robert Field. Even if Pali loses and Westchester wins its last game, the Dolphins will finish in first place because they won all three head-to-head meetings with the Comets. City seedings will be annnounced Saturday and the playoffs open next Wednesday.