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Sports

Pearl River Defeats Tappan Zee in Billy Kayser-Chris Bello Memorial Game

This meeting between the Pirates and the Dutchmen was about much more than a baseball game.

The game may not count in the standings but it could have been the most significant game of the year.

Pearl River defeated Tappan Zee 5-3 in the Billy Kayser-Chris Bello Memorial Game on Thursday evening.

“We’ve always had a tournament in memory of Billy but this year there were some scheduling conflicts,” said Miller. “I called (Tappan Zee Coach) Mark Stanford and suggested a wood-bat memorial game for the kids instead of the tournament and he agreed.”

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Just as the sun began to set people began to congregate around the field at Veterans Memorial Park in Orangeburg. Friends and families of present and past Dutchmen and Pirates were on hand for the special affair.

“It’s just great to see everyone come out for these two schools, get together and play this game,” said Diane Kayser.  “It keeps the memory alive and proves that nobody forgets them. Coach Miller makes sure that Billy is never forgotten.”

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The Pirates stood aligned on the first base line and the Dutchmen stood on quietly on the third base line as Pearl River coach Bruce Miller called for a brief moment of silence. After that, it was time to play ball.

T.J. Clifford, Dutchmen shortstop and cousin of Billy Kayser, led the game off by getting on base and scoring, which was fittingly driven in to score the game’s first run. Pearl River was sloppy defensively to start the game but limited the damage to two first-inning runs.

The Pirates got on the board in the third and tacked on another in the fourth to tie the game 2-2 but it was the fifth inning where they posted a crooked number and gave themselves a 5-2 lead.

Just as the Pirates were doing their damage offensively, Mike Scarinci got into a zone of his own. Scarinci came on in the fifth and struck out six of the first eight batters he faced. After allowing a single run in the bottom of the seventh Scarinci struck out the final batter of the game and sealed the victory for Pearl River.

“It’s been about two weeks since I’ve thrown so I knew I had a lot in the tank,” said Scarinci. “There were three innings left and I knew I could give it 100 percent on each pitch.” “This is the biggest game of the year in a lot of ways. It means a lot to so many people and it’s great to see the Kaysers out here watching us play and having a good time.”

Neither team excelled offensively. Both teams did their scoring with the help of defensive mistakes

“We fell behind early but were able to overcome our mistakes,” said Miller. “After we got back into the game, we played well until they eventually made a few mistakes of their own and we were able to capitalize.”

Tappan Zee coach Mark Stanford was not exactly pleased with how his Dutchmen played, but focused on bigger issues after the game.

“Pearl River and Tappan Zee kids and families know each other and this game means a lot to everyone,” said Stanford. “ Our shortstop (T.J. Clifford) is related to the Kayser family; people have a lot of emotions invested in this game.”

Clifford got on base in three of his four at bats, scored a run and stole a pair of bases, but he too was focused on more than baseball after the game.

“It is hard to think that it has been eight years since Billy [passed] and I am just worried that he could be forgotten,” said Clifford. “This game makes people remember and it is nice to know that people still think about him.”

Kayser died April 3, 2003 from injuries sustained in an automobile accident. He was a junior at Pearl River at the time, just over a month shy of his 17th birthday. Bello, a 2001 graduate of Tappan Zee, was also killed in a car crash.

At the end of the day it wasn’t the 5-3 final that stood out on the scoreboard; it was the name of Billy Kayser and the memory of Chris Bello that people walked away with.

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