Cautela's RBI single in seventh gives MSIT a 3-2 victory over Susan Wagner
Kevin Flood, April 18, 2009 2:30 p.m.

The McKee/Staten Island Tech-Susan Wagner showdown lived up to expectations Saturday with the visiting Sea Gulls taking a 3-2 decision on Frank Cautela's seventh-inning RBI single.

"On paper you kind of expected this type of low-scoring game," said MSIT coach Mike Grippo, whose team is 5-0 in the PSAL. "Wagner's pitcher (Mike Pellicano) and our guy (Ryan Mannello) are the same type of player. They throw strikes, field their position well and don't beat themselves. The paper thing doesn't really mean much normally, but today it played to form. It was a well-pitched game, both defenses were sharp, and it was going to come down to one play or one at-bat."

That at-bat came in the top of the seventh when John Duffy got things started with a lead-off single through the box.

Ian Gutch dropped a bunt to try to push the runner into scoring position, but Pellicano bounced off the mound, fielded the ball, wheeled and got the lead runner on a bang-bang play at second.

Gutch stole second on the next pitch, but was still there with two outs after Mike Murphy popped out.

Cautela was down 1-2 in the count before he delivered the winning run with a sharp line drive to left.

"Pellicano is tough because he changes speeds, is always around the plate and his breaking ball is pretty good," Cautela, a sophomore, explained. "He had me behind in the count so I was just trying to put the ball in play. He threw me a low fastball, and I turned on it. It was definitely the biggest hit of my high school career. It felt great."

The Sea Gulls took a 1-0 lead in the third on singles by Murphy and Cautela and an infield out, and went up 2-0 in the fourth when Joe Trezza singled, moved to third on Duffy's double, and scored on a fly to right.

The Falcons (5-1 PSAL) tied the score in the fifth on a single, two hit batters and an infield error.