Call it the home-court advantage for Long Beach senior Daniel Kreyman.
Albany Academy senior Matt Kandath's bid for a third straight singles title at the NYSPHSAA tennis championships fell short Saturday as Kreyman avenged last year's loss with a 7-6 (9-7), 2-6, 6-3 victory at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
Kreyman has worked as a ballboy for the U.S. Open at the facility the past five years and lost to Kandath there last spring, 6-4, 6-2. "It hasn't even hit me yet," Kreyman told Newsday. "I've been looking forward to this match ever since."
Saturday’s match marked Kandath's first high school loss in more than two years and his first postseason setback. Kandath would have been the first player in tournament history to win three straight singles titles. He will attend Stanford in the fall. Kreyman will continue his career at Wake Forest.
The first set lasted nearly an hour and a half as neither player could break serve and both saved set points in the tiebreaker. Kreyman won the set with a forehand pass down the line, then broke Kandath for the first time en route to a 3-1 lead in the third set.
Kreyman rallied to defeat Sebastien Fauchet of Harley-Allendale Columbia , 1-6, 6-2, 6-2, to reach the final. Kandath cruised past Jon Raude of Cardozo, 6-1, 6-1, in the other semifinal.
In the doubles final, Bryan Roberts and Zack Dean of Commack downed Bryan Chow and Chris Frost of Niskayuna, 6-1, 6-2. Between singles and doubles, the fifth-year varsity players went 62-0 for Commack as seniors this season.
Because of rain on Thursday, the doubled finalists were playing their fifth match in two days. Roberts and Dean beat David Goldberg and Jake Gorobetz of Scarsdale in the semifinals, 6-3, 7-6 (8-6).
Baseball: Making up for lost time in Section III
* Cicero-North Syracuse eliminated two-time defending champion Utica Proctor, 5-3, on Sunday in the rain-delayed Section III Class AA baseball semifinals. The Northstars took a 5-2 lead in the sixth inning on a single by Steve Salamone and a two-run single by Aaron Hidreth. Proctor responded with a run in the seventh but left the bases loaded as C-NS shortstop John Howell chased down a grounder in the hole and made the throw to first base.
* Skaneateles routed Holland Patent, 15-3, in the Section III Class B semifinals as Zach Augustine went 3-for-5 and drove in six runs. The big blow was a bases-clearing double in the second inning, and teammate Sean Cooney added a bases-loaded triple in the seventh. Next up, the Lakers will try to avenge two regular-season losses when they play the final on Tuesday vs. Westhill, which is riding a 15-game winning streak.
* Fabius-Pompey has reached the Section III Class C-2 final against Watertown, surviving a stretch of 11 games in 18 days after a swine flu scare shut down all games and practices at the school for a two-week stretch.
* Paul Ryan's two-out double in the top of the 13th inning scored Joe Klenchik and carried fifth-seeded Binghamton past fourth-seeded Union-Endicott in a Section IV Class AA quarterfinal, 5-4.
U-E grabbed the early lead as pitcher Pete Roma's two-run double keyed a four-run second inning, but Binghamton responded with four runs over the next three innings. There was no more scoring until Ryan's decisive hit drove in Klenchik, who had doubled to lead off the 13th inning and moved up on a sacrifice.
Wayne Bonsell threw six scoreless innings and struck out three to earn the win. He worked out of bases-loaded jams in the ninth and 10th.
* Sometimes you just have to throw tournament seedings right out the window. No. 16 seed Lewiston-Porter beat No. 1 Iroquois in the Section VI Class A first round, 9-6. Alex Nelson went 2-for-4 and drove in three runs for Lew-Port, which got a seven-hitter and four strikeouts from Jake Janeczko.
Girls Lacrosse: Long day ends on positive note for Nyack
* Caroline Chesterman's fifth goal of the game, midway through the third overtime, carried Nyack to a 16-15 victory over Rye in the Section I Class C final. Nyack's only senior was playing on an ankle sprained two days earlier in the celebration after the semifinals and arrived on crutches. Her winner came 1:37 into sudden death.
It was the second time in three years that Rye lost the Section I final in triple overtime. The Garnets had overcome a six-goal deficit in regulation and tied the game again with seven seconds left in the second mandatory three-minute overtime.
Molly O'Brien scored seven goals in the loss.
* A season that began with losses to large-school foes Union-Endicott, Binghamton and Ithaca by a combined seven goals has turned into an 11th straight Section IV championship for Corning East.
The Trojans' latest title and 12th straight trip to the state tournament came courtesy of a 17-7 win over Corning West in the Class C final. Trey broke to leads of 3-0 and 10-4 in the first half to seize control. Kelly Reilly finished with a game-high five goals and an assist. Kaitlyn Reilly made 10 saves in goal.
Softball: Perfect ending to the Section XI season
* Nicole Flint pitched her second perfect game of the season as Brentwood beat Bay Shore, 3-0, to win the Section XI Class AA crown for the first time. Colleen Rivers doubled home two runs in the second inning to give Brentwood all the offense it would need.
* Niskayuna avenged two regular-season loses by beating Shenendehowa in the Section II Class AA quarterfinals and ended the Plainsmen's run at six straight championships. Molly O'Donnell hit a grand slam in the fourth inning and Rachel Annello scattered eight hits during an 8-3 victory.
Boys Lacrosse: Corning East coach hits milestone
* Corning East opened the Section IV playoffs with a 20-6 romp vs. Horseheads to give coach Bob Streeten 500 career wins. The Trojans are in pursuit of their 25th consecutive sectional championship and 30th overall.
Corning East, the second-ranked team in Class B and seeking its first state title since 1990, scored seven straight goals to break open a 6-4 game. Cody Lucas led the Trojans with four goals and three assists. Jordan Frysinger added two goals and four assists and Mitch Keefer recorded a goal and five assists.
Odds and ends
* Gregg Uffner had 19 assists as Bellmore JFK defeated Roslyn, 25-18, 22-25, 25-21, 25-19 in the Section VIII boys Class B final to become the first school in Nassau County history to win both girls and boys volleyball titles in the same school year, according to volleyball coach Allen Ma.
* Troubled former North Babylon star running back Jason Gwaltney, a near-legendary Long Island standout, is off the C.W. Post roster, coach Bryan Collins told Newsday. Collins said Gwaltney was not following the required offseason conditioning program.
Gwaltney led C.W. Post in rushing with 709 yards in six games last season but was suspended twice. The former scholastic standout played his freshman year at West Virginia but left after an injury and issues with grades. He later attended Nassau CC but never played on the team and returned twice to West Virginia, leaving the last time when it became apparent he would not be able to regain eligibility.
John Schiano, who has written about high school sports in western and central New York for more than 25 years, covers New York for MaxPreps. He may be reached at johnschianosports@gmail.com.
