The score was 2-1 in favor of Plainedge going into the top of the sixth Thursday, in what seemed to be a classic pitcher's duel in game two of the Nassau County A-I Quarterfinals. Then came that top of the sixth.

Plainedge exploded for seven runs in the top of the sixth, and held off a late rally to eliminate Big Red from the playoffs in the best of three series at Glen Cove, 9-3. Plainedge advances to the best-of-three seminal against the winner of Wantagh and North Shore, while Glen Cove finishes the season 7-14.

"I mean, you have to give the credit to Plainedge. Rich [Maccarone] was pitching great," said coach Carmine Rotolo of his starting pitcher. "He was pitching a great game. His velocity was up, and he just wasn't getting enough calls on the curve. But they just hit the ball, so you have to give them credit."

The score was 1-1 heading into the top of the fifth. With two outs and runners on first and third after an error, a walk and passed ball, the Red Devils pulled something off that is rarely seen in any level of baseball: a steal of home. The gutsy call paid off, as Glen Cove was caught completely off guard.

"I saw him coming down the line, and the guys were just sleeping," said Rotolo, who said his team actually won a game on the same play in a pre-season scrimmage. "But that was a great coaching move. I'm just glad we didn't lose on that."

The momentum from the play seemed to carry over to the next inning, when the Red Devils would do its real damage. The seven-run sixth inning was capped off by a three-run homer by Plainedge's Joe Pugliese, a shot that cleared the 328-foot sign in right center by a good 15 or so feet. 

Big Red tried to get a rally going in the seventh, with a single by Peter Cappiello and a double by Michael Iannetta, but the team came up short as their season would come to a close. Rotolo said he's proud of his boys, and thinks they should keep their heads up because they have a lot to be proud of.

"We were ranked 10th in the power conference, and we ended up seventh," said Rotolo, whose team upset Clarke in the first round, 5-0. " And we're doing it 12 deep. We don't have too many dedicated guys, the other guys carry 20, so we have to rely on a small amount of people, and they came up big."

Big Red has the bulk of its lineup returning next season, though the team will lose Maccarone and Cappiello, two key players from this season.

"We do have experience coiming back," Rotolo said. "Losing Maccarone and Capiello will hurt, but we have enough experience in the lineup to go into the next year. And we have guys like [Bobby] Mcdonald that have thrown a good amount of innings, but I'm looking forward to summer ball, getting these guys out there and trying to get them better."

Glen Cove will most likely see an easier schedule next year as well as the Nassau conference alignments will go back to enrollment-based groupings, instead of the current system in place, the controversial ability-based groupings.

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