Friday, May 27, 2016: Connetquot scores breakthrough lacrosse win

   Leading off today: G.Q. Grippo scored the biggest goal in school history 1:24 into overtime off a feed from brother Collin Grippo to lift Connetquot to a 13-12 win over Smithtown East in the Section 11 boys Class A lacrosse semifinals Thursday.

   The Thunderbirds advance to the Suffolk County final for the first time and will face Ward Melville on Wednesday. When the teams met April 26, Collin Grippo scored the OT winner off a feed from his brother.

   "It feels great. As my brother said we're having a hell of a time out here," G.Q. Grippo told Newsday after his four-goal effort. "We're doing everything we can. All the seniors wanted this for so many years and it's great to see them get there."

   Connetquot rallied from an 11-7, fourth-quarter deficit. G.Q. Grippo converted a rebound with :28 left in regulation to tie.

   Smithtown East's Gerard Arceri (24-of-29) won the overtime faceoff to give the two-time defending champs possession, but senior defenseman Dan Lewis batted down a pass and scooped up the ground ball to start the transition.

   Luke Eschbach had five goals in the loss.

   Sectional baseball finals: Several championships that were many years in the making were nailed down on baseball diamonds across the state Thursday.

   Windham-Ashland-Jewett earned its first Section 4 baseball championship since 1974 by defeating Deposit 5-1 for the Class D title. Winning pitcher Anthony Savasta turned in a complete game, allowing three hits with five strikeouts and one walk.

   Alden ended a 32-year drought with a 7-2 win over Springville for the Section 6 Class B-1 crown. Sophomore Tom Bednarski fanned 13 batters and slugged a three-run triple. The Bulldogs will meet six-time defending Class B-2 champion Fredonia on Saturday for a berth in the NYSPHSAA tournament.

    • If there's a worse boys sports league in any sport in the state than Rochester City Athletic Conference baseball (other than McQuaid), it's escaped my attention for at least a quarter of a century. But Rochester East is on the verge of a historic effort.

   The Eagles were rained out Thursday and will now play Webster Schroeder on Friday in Batavia for the Section 5 Class AA championship. East is the first Rochester public school since 1980 to reach a Section 5 final.

    • On Wednesday, 17th-seeded Brewster beat Tappan Zee 8-0 in the Section 1 Class A semifinals. It was the fourth straight playoff win after a 9-11 regular season.    Girls lacrosse: Cicero-North Syracuse, ranked 11th in New York in Class A, scored a 10-8 win over No. 3 West Genesee in the Section 3 semifinals to set up a final against top-ranked Syracuse CBA.

   Goalie Lauren Gilbert made 12 saves.

   "We finally put a game together," coach Lloyd Hamilton, whose team dropped a pair of 9-5 games to the Wildcats in the regular season, told Syracuse.com.

   Coach accused: The parent of an East Islip varsity softball player has filed a notice of claim against the school

NYSPHSAA boys lacrosse NYSPHSAA girls lacrosse NYSPHSAA baseball NYSPHSAA softball Past years' brackets

district that accuses the softball coach of retaliating against her daughter after the parent complained about fundraising requirements, Newsday reported.

   The notice of claim by Jocelyn Agosto alleges her daughter was made to perform a "punishment drill" in March that consisted of sliding for "approximately 45 minutes." The drill caused her to "bleed profusely" and suffer a broken tailbone, according to the notice of claim.

   Four days earlier, according to the claim, the parent complained to athletic director about a series of fundraisers mandated by coach Jason McGowan. The notice of claim, which reserves the right to file a future civil suit, seeks unspecified medical expenses and repayment of about $1,000 that Agosto says she was required to contribute to fundraisers over two years, the paper reported.

   Quick turnaround: Less than a day after backing away from a non-binding commitment to Syracuse, Buffalo Bennett linebacker Isaiah McDuffie said he plans to play for Boston College beginning in 2017.

   McDuffie disclosed the new commitment Wednesday on Twitter, The Buffalo News reported.

   "It was a better opportunity," he said in a tweet. "I love the staff."

   Extra points: Geneva eighth-grader Ryan Fishback, who recently qualified for the second straight year, will miss the upcoming NYSPHSAA tennis championships at Flushing Meadows due to an injury, the Finger Lakes Times reported. Fishback, who suffered a broken foot this week, is a two-time Section 5 Class B champion.