Demarest got the win they needed – a 10-2 victory over Bergenfield – but it came 72 hours too late.

The game was originally scheduled for May 9, but a steady downpour postponed the game until May 12.

So Demarest, with a 9-10 record, missed the cutoff for entry into the state tournament. To be eligible a team has to have a .500 or better record at the close of business May 11.

The Norsemen came up one win short.

"Unfortunately we can’t control Mother Nature," said Demarest coach Mike Carcich. "I like the feeling that we would have won if we had the opportunity But you never know. Another day could have been a different situation."

Carcich is not about to blame the weather for the team’s shortcoming.

"There were a couple of games that we lost by a run or were winning in the seventh inning," he said. "[In those games] we had a couple of mental mistakes and a couple of errors and gave it away at the end."

Demarest jumped on Bergenfield starter Mike Mirkovic in the first inning. Leadoff batter Brendan Kelly made it all the way to second on an infield throwing error. He advanced to third on a ground out to short and scored when Norseman third baseman Tom Neustein launched a bomb over the head of Bergenfield center fielder Andrew Calore.

"I was just looking for the first fastball for a strike and jumped on it," said Neustein.

Neustein made it to third with a triple and scored on Anthony Corso’s ground ball to short.

The Norsemen missed a chance to blow the game open in the third.

Kelly singled to left and moved to second when Matt Formica was hit by a pitch. Then Neustein hit a ball in the hole between third and short. Bear shortstop Vin Rubinetti fielded the ball but his throw to third pulled Jonathan Lopez off the bag.

Demarest had bases loaded and nobody out with the meat of the order coming up.

But Mirkovic focused in. He struck out Corso and got pitcher Sean Blumenthal on a soft pop up to short as the runners stayed put. When the Bear hurler struck out Rob Orlando the inning was over and the threat went by the board.

"I didn’t come through in the clutch when I should have," said Blumenthal. "[So] I use it out there on the mound and work even harder. We could have folded the game right there. It was only 2-0 and bases were loaded with the 4-5-6 batters coming up. We didn’t come through."

"You can’t have bases loaded and no outs and not get any runs," said Carcich. "That was a blemish on this game."

The Norsemen parlayed two hits and two hit batsmen into three more runs in the fourth. Mirkovic plunked catcher Bryan Paler and Mike Petrucelli dropped a single in front of Bear left fielder Satchel Victory.

Mike Wasserman was credited with a hit when Mirkovic fielded his bunt, turned and fired to first baseman Kadeem Reid. Unfortunately for Bergenfield, Reid was nowhere near first base.

The bases were again loaded with no outs. This time Demarest made the Bears pay.

Kelly blasted a deep drive to center and Paler’s courtesy runner, Taylor Weil, scored. Formica was hit by a pitch for the second time to reload the bases.

"I don’t really think I crowd the plate but I do get hit a lot," Formica said. "This is the second game I have been hit twice in one game. I actually had a streak where I got hit in five straight games. I think it’s because I don’t make that much of an attempt to get out of the way."

Neustein walked to force in the second run of the inning

"We didn’t like it," Neustein said of the bases loaded failure in the third inning. "But it happens. We capitalized with bases loaded later."

Orlando plated the third run with a hot smash to third. On the play Lopez dove for the ball and scrambled to the third base bag just ahead of Formica, completing a force play.

Blumenthal, meanwhile, was sailing along on the mound. He retired the first eight batters, three on strikeouts, before Scott Standish smacked a base hit to right in the Bergenfield third. Blumenthal retired the next batter to end the inning.

"Today I was able to spot my fastball pretty well," Blumenthal said. "Usually when I am able to spot my fastball I have pretty good games. My cutter was looking good and I actually threw my changeup pretty well. It is usually my least effective pitch."

Bergenfield scored a run in the fourth. Brian D’Esposito singled to center with one out, stole second and scored on an infield error. Blumenthal struck out the next four batters he faced and left with Demarest leading 5-1.

In five innings Blumenthal gave up three hits, walked no one and struck out eight.

"I always try to throw strikes," he said. "I am not going to overpower anyone that much. My last couple of outings I’ve had a couple of walks but have never been out of control. I am not a strikeout pitcher. I usually rely on my fielders and they have been doing a pretty good job. Today I hit my spots and struck some guys out."

Carcich pulled Blumenthal because he was looking ahead to the busy week.

"We have four games in a row this week," he said, "so if we pitched him five innings today we could bring him back Friday to pitch another five innings. That was the reason behind that. He was lights out for the first five innings.

"Everyone in the stands was probably wondering why I was taking him out."

Weil relieved and gave up a lead off double to Rubinetti. After a strikeout and hit batter freshman Kyle Grimm blasted a shot to left field that looked as though it was going out. But the wind held it up and Grimm was credited with a sacrifice fly as Rubinetti scored. Weil gave up a hit in the seventh but closed out the game with three infield outs.

"He’s proven to be our number four pitcher," Carcich said of Weil. "He gets relief every now and then. When we have a week of four games when we can’t bring back a starter, he pitches.

"The first inning he was a little shaky but in that second inning he made some adjustments on the mound and did a great job. I couldn’t be any happier with that."

The Norsemen might have lost out on the state tournament but they believe they still have a lot to prove.

"We wish we could have been .500 when states came around," said Blumenthal. "Our season has been going pretty well but we’ve been streaky. I’m pretty proud of the team. We weren’t expected to do anything in the NBIL [where] every team is good."

"We have a little vendetta," said Carcich. "We want to prove to the league why we should have made the states.

"We are trying to go after every game."