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Updated: Mon., Jun. 7, 2010, 3:38 AM
Ace in the hole: Gurman pitches Lehman back to 'A' final
By ZACH BRAZILLER
Last Updated: 3:38 AM, June 7, 2010
Posted: 2:34 AM, June 7, 2010
Less than 24 hours after Saturday’s punch-in-the-stomach loss sent Lehman to the brink of elimination, the Lions returned
to the College of Staten Island loose.
They knew the ramifications: win or many of their careers would end in painful fashion, just shy of the PSAL Class A
championship game. So why were they so carefree
Coach Adam Droz summed it up well in his pregame speech.
“Our No. 1 is going out there,” Droz said, referring to senior Tyler Gurman. “We have a great shot.”
Gurman made it seem routine, going the distance on the mound and homering at the plate in a best-of-three seriesdeciding
10-6 victory over No. 4 Madison. Gurman’s third playoff win and second against a city power – he beat No. 1
Monroe last Tuesday – pushes the eighth-seeded Lions back to the city final for the first time since 2002.
“It’s just amazing, it’s a crazy feeling,” Gurman said. “But it’s not over. That’s why I’m not crying right now.”
Lehman (18-4), indeed, will meet No. 3 Tottenville next Friday at MCU Park in Coney Island to determine the city
champion. The Pirates swept No. 2 George Washington this weekend.
He was effective, if not dominant, allowing three earned runs, scattering nine hits, and striking out four. He was typically
consistent at the dish, driving in Lehman’s third run with a solo homer over the wall in right-center. He also singled, walked,
and scored twice.
“He has the heart of a lion,” fellow senior Laurence Marsach. “He carries this team with his hitting and his pitching.”
After transferring into Lehman from Iona Prep following his sophomore year, Gurman started at first base last season. He
had a solid junior season for Lehman, but rarely pitched because of the team’s depth on the mound. He was supposed to
be the No. 2 starters, but Marsach, the expected ace, had injury and control problems. Gurman was thrust onto the mound.
“I’ve pitched all my life,” he said, explaining his success.
Gurman’s star shone brightest on Sunday, but he had plenty of help from the Lehman lineup. It banged out 12 hits, six for
extra bases, off four Madison pitchers in breaking double figures for the third straight time.
Third baseman Felix Fernandez and shortstop Jhosse Estrella each had two RBIs, Julio Velazquez added two hits and an
RBI, and Marsach, who struggled so much during the regular season, capping a brilliant offensive series for himself with
three hits and two RBIs. The ninth-place hitter also had two hits and three RBIs on Saturday.
“First three playoff games, from Environmental Studies to South Bronx to Monroe, I couldn’t hit a beach ball,” he said. “But
working with the coaches in the cage, I made a few adjustments. I feel great at the plate now. I didn’t know I could hit this
well.”
Madison (20-2) coach Vinny Caiazza didn’t know his pitching staff could give up so many runs, either. Entering the
weekend, the Knights had yielded just 20 runs in 16 regular-season league games and three postseason victories. It gave
up 32 in three games – 10 Friday, 12 Saturday, and 10 again on Sunday. Even his ace, Eddie Lenahan, who had compiled
a 13-1 record the last two years, couldn’t make it out of the fourth inning on Saturday.
“That team does not swing at a bad pitch, they are very, very disciplined,” he said. “One through nine, they all hit.”
When Gurman retired Chirs Mann on a groundout to Estrella at shortstop, he was mobbed at the mound. The celebration
continued for several minutes, the Lions dumping water on all three of its coaches, then dousing one another.
The celebration isn't over yet. Friday will be a rematch of Lehman’s 3-1 victory over Tottenville in the Monroe Tournament
back in April. Both teams have come a long way since that April afternoon, the Pirates developing into arguably the city’s
top lineup. Gurman isn’t worried; he’s looking forward to the challenge. He held Tottenville down before.
“I think that’s going to be a preview of what’s going to happen,” he said.
zbraziller@nypost.com
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