Dayton Baseball State Tourney Run Ends

Dayton's improbable state tournament run came to an end in a tough 4-3 loss to High Tech in the NJSIAA North 2, Group 1 sectional semis.

The 11th-seeded Bulldogs basically played two games in one, first finding themselves down 3-0 after two innings, and then just 90 feet away from tying the game after clawing back to within a run in the top of the seventh inning.   

The Bulldogs seemed to be fighting uphill all afternoon but kept the contest close, thanks to the gritty performance from ace pitcher Ross Goldfarb. The senior righty didn't have his best stuff but did just enough to get out of jams—including stranding two Lasercats in the bottom of the sixth when High Tech was poised to break open the game.

Goldfarb finished his six innings allowing four runs—three earned—on five hits, with five strikeouts, and five walks.  

Head coach Mike Abbate was appreciative of Goldfarb for fighting through his malaise.  

"I'll give Ross credit because he'll be the first to admit he had nothing out there [yesterday]," said Abbate. "He was walking guys all over the place and hitting batters but he battled for seven innings. He kept us in there."    

Indeed Goldfarb kept Dayton in the game with his guile until the Bulldogs bats finally awakened in the top of the fourth inning. Until then, Dayton was held in check by Tech's ace, Jose Arismendi, who didn't allow a hit until the fourth.  

It was nip-and-tuck from the fourth inning-on, as Tech scratched and clawed to retake the lead, 4-3, after Goldfarb's walk troubles contributed to giving up the eventual game-winning run, in the bottom of the fourth. Jorge Gonzalez led off the inning with a hit-by-pitch and then promptly stole second and third. A laced one-out single to rightfield scored Gonzalez and proved to be the difference.

Dayton then had its turn for the dramatic in the top of the seventh, as Chaz Bohannon led off the inning with a smoked triple to leftfield. With no outs, and the tying run 90 feet away, Abbate was almost certain it was Dayton's destiny to pull out yet another heart-stopper.

"Good for Chaz because we've been working extra together on minor adjustments with his hitting, and these last three games, he's been hitting the ball really well," Abbate said. "But with a man on third and no outs…we just didn't get it done."   

Goldfarb said although he was disappointed in the loss, the season is still a victory for Dayton baseball. 

"We'll put this game behind us, move on, and go get those two tough games against Brearley and try to win the conference," he said. "It felt great to be in the states this long but to still be in the running for a conference title is all you can ask for."   

Prior to this season, it was unfathomable that Dayton would play so deep into the spring, especially following a two-win campaign in the previous year. Regardless of what happens in their conference-deciding matchups with Brearley, this was the most successful season in over five years.  

According to Abbate, however, his players were in no mood for silver linings following the Tech game.     

"It's hard at this time of year to want to hear about moral victories but they definitely competed," he said of the somber Dayton dugout. "We battled and had a great run but just fell a little short. We said this [Monday] at practice. You can walk off this field and whatever the outcome is, you have no regrets, because we left everything on the field."     

Abbate then turned his focus towards Brearley.   

"I told them they have until the end of the bus ride back home to mourn this loss," Abbate said. "We just want to come back [Wednesday] and play our best against a rival and try to get two on them to win the conference. It's in our own hands and that's all we could ask for."   

If the Bulldogs knock off Brearley in consecutive Wednesday matchups, they'll have completed the most improbable and successful turnaround-season perhaps ever in Dayton baseball history.