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Mustangs drop game to Wantagh, 3-1, after winning program's first county title

The Mount Sinai baseball team huddle outside the dugout. The Mustangs fell to Wantagh, 3-1, in the Long Island championship game. Photo by Alex Petroski

Pitching and defense were the keys to the Long Island Class A baseball championship game Saturday. In the end, Wantagh had just enough of each, and Mount Sinai was left to wonder what might have been.

The Warriors defeated the Mustangs 3-1 behind a complete game, one hit, zero earned run pitching performance by senior Bobby Hegarty at the Police Athletic League Complex in Holtsville. Hegarty got the best of Mount Sinai senior Sam Kessler on the mound. Kessler also went seven innings; scattering five hits and one walk while striking out seven.

Mount Sinai senior starting pitcher Sam Kessler hurls the ball off the mound. Photo by Alex Petroski
Mount Sinai senior starting pitcher Sam Kessler hurls the ball off the mound. Photo by Alex Petroski

“He’s been tremendous all year long,” Mount Sinai head Coach Eric Reichenbach said of his pitcher after the loss Saturday. Kessler pitched the Mustangs to the championship game with seven innings of two-hit ball to close out a two-game sweep of Rocky Point in the Suffolk County Class A championship series on May 26.

“It’s another game where basically he dominated,” Reichenbach said. “He didn’t give up an earned run. We didn’t play stellar defense behind him, and that’s kind of been our bread and butter all year long — pitching and defense.”

The fact that the Mustangs’ “bread and butter” failed them will probably make Saturday’s result a little tougher to swallow. The Warriors scored the first run of the game in the third inning after an error and two singles loaded the bases with one out for senior designated hitter Will O’Brien.

O’Brien hit a shot to deep left field, which was run down by Mount Sinai outfielder Paul Gomes. The eighth-grader made an outstanding running catch, slamming into the fence for the second out. O’Brien was credited with a sacrifice fly. After a stolen base, sophomore Anthony Fontana singled to right field to put Wantagh up 2-0. Both runs were unearned.

“I thought I didn’t have my best breaking ball early in the game,” Kessler said after the game. “I think that’s where I got in trouble in that third inning a little bit. I made the adjustments, but it was just one of those days. Not much you can say — they played good and came out here and beat us today.”

Kessler settled down and retired 12 of the next 13 Warriors hitters. Mount Sinai answered the Wantagh rally in the bottom of the third, getting men on base via an error and a single. With one out and men on first and second, Wantagh failed to turn a double play and an errant throw by Wantagh second basemen Mike Derham allowed the Mustangs to cut the lead in half. Hegarty didn’t allow another base runner after the third. He retired the final 12 Mustangs he faced to secure the Long Island championship.

Mount Sinai’s Sam Kessler takes a strike from Wantagh’s Bobby Hegarty. Photo by Alex Petroski
Mount Sinai’s Sam Kessler takes a strike from Wantagh’s Bobby Hegarty. Photo by Alex Petroski

“Hats off to the other team, and to Hegarty,” Reichenbach said. “He threw a nice game. Sometimes you’ve got to tip your cap.”

Wantagh scored their third run on Mount Sinai’s third error of the game in the seventh inning.

The Mustangs captured their first-ever Suffolk County Class A championship title this season, though, so Saturday’s disappointing result didn’t stop Mount Sinai from reflecting on a special season.

“It’s hard now because the game just ended, but it’s still a tremendous accomplishment by the school and these kids,” the head coach said. “We’ve never won a Suffolk County championship before. We got one this year and it’s just unfortunate we won’t be going any further.”

Kessler will head to West Virginia University to pitch in the Big 12 Conference in the fall.

“It’s a great season all around,” Kessler said. “We took this team farther then we’ve ever been before. It’s a shame things ended the way it did. There’s a great group of guys here and they’ll be back next year.”

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Northport's Jake McCarthy fires the ball to first base for the out. Photo by Bill Landon
Northport's Nick Palmerini hurls a pitch from the mound. Photo by Bill Landon
Northport’s Nick Palmerini hurls a pitch from the mound. Photo by Bill Landon

By Bill Landon

Another strong pitching performance by Northport’s Nick Palmerini, leading to a 6-3 win Tuesday, helped the baseball team force a decisive game three for the Suffolk County Class AA title.

The Tigers got off to a rocky start, going down two runs in the opening inning, but battled their way back with a sacrifice fly to right field off the bat of junior outfielder Frankie Stola to plate senior shortstop Joe Stockman to trail by one. Northport missed an opportunity to tie the game, and stranded two runners to end the inning.

“We were really aggressive early in the count,” Stockman said after the win. “We struck out a lot in our last game, so we tried not to get too deep into the count, and we got some base hits when it really counted. Tomorrow we just have to come ready to play and we’ll just keep doing what we’ve been doing, getting bats on the ball.”

With runners on first and second, the Tigers went back to work in the bottom half of the second inning. This time, Stockman did the damage at the plate when he ripped the ball through the gap to bring senior pitcher and first baseman Dan Heller home to tie the game. With junior pitcher and shortstop Alex Reuter on third, junior second baseman George Sutherland stepped into the batter’s box. With two outs and a full count, Sutherland jumped on a fastball, drilling it to right field to score Reuter to give the Tigers their first lead of the game. Stola smoked an infield hit to the shortstop and wound up on first on a throwing error as Stockman crossed the plate to keep the rally alive.

Northport's Jake McCarthy fires the ball to first base for the out. Photo by Bill Landon
Northport’s Jake McCarthy fires the ball to first base for the out. Photo by Bill Landon

Junior third baseman Jake McCarthy’s bat spoke next. He drilled the ball deep into the outfield to bring Stola home safely for a 5-2 lead.

“I think we had more confidence after seeing a guy like [Ray] Weber throw [in Saturday’s loss] that prepared us for this game,” McCarthy said. “We were ready for some good pitching, and the home crowd really does affect the game. It really gets us pumped up.”

With one out, West Islip threatened in the top of the inning with a sacrifice fly to right field that put two runners in scoring position, but Palmerini did what he’s done all season and fanned the final batter.

Northport’s margin began to shrink in the top of the fourth when the Lions, with two outs and a runner on second base, drove the ball home to make it a two-run game.

The tension built as West Islip loaded the bases. If the pitching ace was nervous though, he didn’t show it. Palmerini painted the corners and pitched his way out of the jam, as the Lions went down swinging.

“I’ve got a good team behind me so I had to relax and throw strikes,” Palmerini said. “They’re a tough team and the change in our lineup made us wake up, so we changed our game a little bit. For tomorrows’ game, we have to mentally stay focused.”

Tigers player Dan Heller makes a grab at first base. Photo by Bill Landon
Tigers player Dan Heller makes a grab at first base. Photo by Bill Landon
George Sutherland takes a cut for Northport. Photo by Bill Landon
George Sutherland takes a cut for Northport. Photo by Bill Landon

McCarthy’s bat added an insurance run with a shot to dead center field that cleared the fence and then some, to give the game it’s final 6-3 score.

“It was a straight fastball first pitch, and I was expecting that,” McCarthy said.

West Islip stranded two runners in the top of the fifth, went three up and three down in sixth and although the Lions didn’t go down quietly in the final inning, Palmerini, nearing his maximum pitch count, struck out the last two batters for a complete game where he allowed just six hits and one walk while striking out 11.

“We tweaked the lineup today … because our leadoff guy’s been struggling a bit,” Northport head coach John De Martini said. “We were down 2-0 immediately, so we put the ball in play and they made some miscues, but we got some gutty pitching. I’m just so proud of these guys.”

Northport was scheduled to travel to West Islip for the decisive game three on Wednesday.

The Northport baseball team is all smiles after its game-two win over West Islip in the Suffolk County championship series. Photo by Bill Landon
The Northport baseball team is all smiles after its game-two win over West Islip in the Suffolk County championship series. Photo by Bill Landon
Dan Heller catches a pop-up for Northport for the out. Photo by Bill Landon
Dan Heller catches a pop-up for Northport for the out. Photo by Bill Landon
Northport's Frankie Stola gets under a fly out. Photo by Bill Landon
Northport’s Frankie Stola gets under a fly out. Photo by Bill Landon

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Catcher DL Rodriguez and outfielder Nick Curcio hug it out in celebration of their7-0 Class AA semifinal win over Smithtown West that will send them to the Suffolk County finals. Photo by Bill Landon

By Bill Landon

Northport players hug it out in celebration of their7-0 Class AA semifinal win over Smithtown West that will send them to the Suffolk County finals. Photo by Bill Landon
Catcher DL Rodriguez and outfielder Nick Curcio hug it out in celebration of their7-0 Class AA semifinal win over Smithtown West that will send them to the Suffolk County finals. Photo by Bill Landon

Northport’s No. 8-seeded baseball team blanked No. 5 Smithtown West, 7-0, to advance to the Class AA county championship behind pitching ace Nick Palmerini, who shut down the Bulls by throwing six shutout innings to lead his team to victory Wednesday.

Senior Joe Stockman started off swinging for the Tigers, as the shortstop ripped the ball down the right sideline for a stand-up double in the first at bat. Junior pitcher and third baseman Jake McCarthy drew a walk, and junior second baseman George Sutherland stepped into the batter’s box. A passed ball at the plate advanced both runners into scoring position, and Sutherland smacked the ball through the gap to bring Stockman home for an early lead.

Smithtown West had several opportunities, but stranded all runners on base.

Nick Palmerini pitched six shutout innings. Photo by Bill Landon
Nick Palmerini pitched six shutout innings. Photo by Bill Landon

Again, Stockman’s bat spoke as he went drove the ball to the opposite side of the field for his second double of the game. Junior outfielder Frankie Stola was up next, and was hit by a pitch and sent to first base.

“The rain delay wasn’t a distraction — we stayed focused, we had a great practice yesterday,” said Stockman of the game being pushed from Tuesday to Wednesday. “[Smithtown West] a good team and great competitors, but we had a great pitcher on the mound both days and we did what we needed to do to get the win.”

Just like in the bottom of the first, Smithtown West’s passed ball pitch put both runners in scoring position in the third. Sutherland had a base hit, plating Stockman, and junior outfielder Matt Lindley found the gap to score Stola for a 3-0 advantage. After Lindley stole second, senior pitcher and first baseman Dan Heller’s bat cracked as his base hit brought Sutherland home. Senior first baseman Tom Neary stepped up to the plate, and after taking the first two pitches, he jumped on the third and kept the rally alive when he rocketed a shot over the right-field fence for a home run and 6-0 lead.

“They had tough pitching in that first game so we had to stay focused mentally at the plate, have good at bats and get the little things done,” Neary said. “We won’t take a day off; we’ll stay focused in practice. We can’t afford to lay back — we’ve got a tough opponent coming up — so we have to work just as hard as we’ve been working.”

Smithtown West had seen enough and a change was made at the mound. The Bulls went through three pitchers on the afternoon in an attempt to stall Northport’s onslaught, which it did.

Second baseman George Sutherland drives in a run. Photo by Bill Landon
Second baseman George Sutherland drives in a run. Photo by Bill Landon

Palmerini retired the order in the top of the next two innings, and Northport threatened in the bottom of the fifth. After plating another runner, Northport put runners on first and second, but an infield heater was fielded for a clean double play to retire the side.

Desperate for a run, Smithtown West advanced both runners into scoring position on a passed ball at the plate. With one out, the runner at third took a healthy lead, and junior shortstop Nick Trabbachi drilled the deep to right field for the sacrifice fly. Lindley, the right fielder, caught the ball on the run and fired the ball toward home plate. The runner on third hesitated, and Lindley’s throw to the plate hit its mark in time to force the runner back to third.

“I was hoping he would go, but he held up and we got out of that inning,” Lindley said. “My pitcher just sets it up every time and we’re always ready for the play. It’s pure adrenaline. [We’re] so excited to make it to the counties.”

Although neither team faced each other in the regular season Smithtown West head coach Al Nucci said Northport was everything he thought they’d be, and then some.

“They threw strikes, they didn’t walk anyone, they challenged us, they were very aggressive and they attacked us early in the count,” Nucci said. “They’re a tremendous hitting team and they strung their hits together. I think they have a very good chance to win the county.”

Palmerini pitched his way out of a jam, stranding two runners to retire the side.

“I had to work back in counts — I got into a little bit of trouble,” Palmerini said. “Their one through four batters are very good, so I had to throw a lot of off-speed pitches and mix it up more than usual.”

First baseman Dan Heller attempts a pickoff. Photo by Bill Landon
First baseman Dan Heller attempts a pickoff. Photo by Bill Landon

McCarthy took over at the mound for Smithtown West’s final shot at the win, and sat the batters down in order.

Northport will travel to No. 2 West Islip for the first of a three-game series on May 28 at noon. The second game will be May 30 at Northport at noon.

“These guys are a loose group — they expect to win and they go out and play to win,” Northport head coach John De Martini said. “I thought we played great defense, we hit the ball well, and more than that, we got some awesome pitching. The kids have done that all year long.”

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Comsewogue's Dave Heller slides home safely. Photo by Bill Landon

By Bill Landon

Comsewogue's Jordan Lisco makes the tag against a Miller Place player at first base. Photo by Bill Landon
Comsewogue’s Jordan Lisco makes the tag against a Miller Place player at first base. Photo by Bill Landon

Miller Place struggled to keep pace with Comsewogue’s baseball team, as the Warrior bats did the talking in their Class A opening-round playoffs Tuesday afternoon. The Panthers tied the game, 1-1, early on, but 13-5 Comsewogue showed why it’s the League VI champion, as the team wore down Miller Place’s defense and put its opponent away 8-2.

“They’re a tough team, but we came out and played great,” Comsewogue catcher Justin Virga said. “We hit the ball well, played great defense behind our pitcher and we pulled out a win. Today was a hard-fought game.”

Comsewogue wasted no time. Jake Sardinia drew a walk that moved teammate John Braun over to second base, as Jordan Lisco stepped into the batters’ box. Lisco drilled a ground ball through the gap that brought Braun home for the early lead.

“Today we hit the ball, played defense and that’s all you can do,” Lisco said. “We hit the ball with runners on base, which is something we’ve struggled with.”

The Panthers answered back in the top of the second when Cole Francis, on a passed ball at the plate, advanced to third base. Teammate Kevin Kelleher layed down a perfect bunt that plated Francis to tie the game.

Comsewogue's Dave Heller slides home safely. Photo by Bill Landon
Comsewogue’s Dave Heller slides home safely. Photo by Bill Landon

Comsewogue bats cracked in the bottom of the inning, and Bryan Hurley drove the ball through the gap, sending David Heller, the go-ahead run, to second. With Joseph Ciancarelli at the plate, a passed ball moved both base runners into scoring position. Ciancarelli chopped an infield dribbler and Heller came sliding home, eluding the tag, for the 2-1 advantage. With Hurley on third, Ciancarelli stole second and Braun smacked the ball deep through the infield, bringing Hurley home for a 3-1 lead with one out in the bottom of the third. Then, Ciancarelli found his way home on a sacrifice fly for a three-run lead.

“They came fired up on their home field, so they weren’t just going to give it to us,” Miller Place head coach Rick Caputo said. “Honestly, I’m disappointed in the way my guys played. I think we missed a lot of opportunities, I think we played our worst game of the year and we saved it for the first round of the playoffs.”

Miller Place threatened in the top of the third inning when Matt Paghidas and Tyler Schrimpf advanced to second and third, respectively, on another passed ball. Schrimpf crossed home plate to make it a two-run game, but that was all the team could muster.

The Panthers pressured again in the top of the fifth with base runners at the corners, but the runner on first stretched his lead a little too far, and Comsewogue picked him off on an infield pop-up that was caught, to retire the side.

Mike Stiles fires a pitch from the mound for Comsewogue. Photo by Bill Landon
Mike Stiles fires a pitch from the mound for Comsewogue. Photo by Bill Landon
Thomas Bell hurls a pitch from the mound for Miller Place. Photo by Bill Landon
Thomas Bell hurls a pitch from the mound for Miller Place. Photo by Bill Landon

With runners on first and third, the Warriors looked to put the game away in the bottom of the sixth inning when Ciancarelli chopped an infield heater to bring Hurley home for a 5-2 lead.

Miller Place made a pitching change as Christian McPartland relieved Thomas Bell on the mound the rest of the way.

“My control wasn’t there all game — my curveball started working later in the game, but they’re a great hitting team and they were putting the ball in play and making things happen,” Bell said.

It was a busy sixth inning for the Warriors, and they weren’t finished yet. Mike Stiles proved he was as deadly at the plate as he was from the mound, and ripped a fastball deep into the outfield, bringing Ciancarelli and Sardinia home with a stand-up double to break the game open, 7-2.

“I knew they were a good hitting team, so I had to get ahead, mix up my pitches and it worked out in the end,” Stiles said. “We hit the ball pretty well, we played pretty good defense — it was a little sloppy in the beginning, but I knew the team had my back.”

Justin Virga smacks the ball for Comsewogue. Photo by Bill Landon
Justin Virga smacks the ball for Comsewogue. Photo by Bill Landon

Lisco brought Stiles home with a deep sacrifice fly for a six-run lead.

With gas left in the tank, Stiles made short work of the Panthers in the final inning, retiring the side in order for the victory.

“We swung the bats well today, so I was pleased with how we hit the ball and as the game went on, we protected our lead,” Comsewogue head coach Mike Bonura said. “I wasn’t happy with our defense — we booted the ball around early in the game, which is uncharacteristic for us, because we’ve been throwing the ball and fielding the ball well all year. Mike [Stiles] did a great job for us. We play again tomorrow, so we have to go right at them, same recipe — come out and play solid baseball and don’t make it too difficult.”

No. 2 Comsewogue expected another strong pitching performance when Braun took the mound against No. 6 Mount Sinai Wednesday, but results were not available at press time.

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Logan Doran brings home Dominic Lamonica just before the tag to give the Patriots an opening-round playoff win

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The Ward Melville baseball team piles up on Dominic Lamonica in celebration of the Patriots' ninth-inning win. Photo by Bill Landon
Ward Melville's Ben Brown was taken by Philadelphia Phillies in the 33rd round of the Major League Baseball draft. File photo by Bill Landon
Dominic Lamonica attempts a pick-off at first. Photo by Bill Landon
Catcher Tom Hudzik scoops the ball from the dirt. Photo by Bill Landon
Brandon Lee makes a leaping catch and gets the tag at second base for the out. Photo by Bill Landon
Troy Davern lunges back to first on the pick-off attempt. Photo by Bill Landon
Nick Vitale turns the double play. Photo by Bill Landon
Matt Hudzik pitched three scoreless innings in relief for Ward Melville, and improved to 5-0 with the win. Photo by Bill Landon

By Bill Landon

With both teams tied at four runs apiece, it wasn’t until the bottom of the ninth inning when Ward Melville’s Logan Doran smacked an infield grounder that sent teammate Dominic Lamonica racing and diving for home plate just ahead of the tag, to win the opening round of the Class AA playoffs, 5-4, against Half Hollow Hills West Monday afternoon.

“This is a great bunch of kids they play hard all the time and that’s a great baseball team over there — Hills West, they’re well-coached by a Hall of Fame coach, but our kids did a great job,” said Ward Melville head coach Lou Petrucci. “We battled back and we didn’t panic when we were down 3-1, and the kids got some clutch hits.”

Ward Melville’s Lamonica also struck first for his team, when he hit the ball to right field, driving in Brandon Lee for a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning.

After starting pitcher Ben Brown let up just one hit in the first three innings, Hills West made him pay in the top of the fourth.

With a runner on first, Hills West drove the ball deep to center field that bounced over the fence, triggering a ground-rule double that put both runners in scoring position. A single to right field plated both runners, to give the Colts a 2-1 lead, but Lee followed with a pick-off at second for the second out to stop the bleeding. It didn’t last for long though, as the Colts smacked a shot to deep right field for a sliding triple, and the next batter drove the runner home.

“We’ve had games like this one all year long — fighting right to the end — so when we come into big moments like this we’re more prepared than other teams,” Lamonica said. “[Hills West is] a great team. Their pitching was phenomenal — they have one of the best pitchers in Suffolk County. We were able to barrel a few balls off of him, get a few runs and they were able to do the same against Ben [Brown].”

The Patriots went back to work in the bottom of the fourth, and Troy Davern started it off when he ripped an infield heater, and after a defensive bobble, beat the throw to first. Tom Hudzik stepped into the batters’ box next and drilled a long ball to right center field that bounced over the fence for the second ground-rule double of the game — moving Davern over to third. Nick Rizzi’s bat spoke next, and he hit an infield grounder that seemed to be a sure out, but Hills West made a throwing error to first, which plated Davern and Hudzik to tie the game 3-3. Rizzi stole second base, but was left stranded when the Colts retired the side.

With a runner on first, Hills West hit a stand-up double that put the runners in scoring position. The Colts finished the job with a rip to shallow left field that knocked in the opponent on third, to give the team a 4-3 edge in the top of the fifth.

The Patriots missed the opportunity to take the lead, and went down swinging with two runners on base. But Ward Melville was able to plate one more in the bottom of the sixth inning to make it a new game, and Tom Hudzik’s twin brother Matt took over the mound looking for the win.

“I’ve been in this situation multiple times this season, and every time I go [out there] I just have to throw strikes,” Matt Hudzik said. “I’ve got seven guys behind me that I know will make plays for me.”

Ward Melville missed another opportunity when the Patriots drew a walk to load the bases in the top of the eighth, and went down swinging.

After Matt Hudzik pitched three scoreless innings, the game came down to the bottom of the ninth.

“Matt Hudzik has been stalwart — he’s got five wins [now] out of the bullpen,” Petrucci said. “It was a great [showing by] Matt Hudzik and Ben Brown, who kept us in the game.”

Lamonica led off the inning with a routine pop-up that nobody called for, and the wind blew the ball as it dropped down for a charity single. Davern followed by drawing a walk, and after a strikeout, both runners advanced on a wild pitch. With runners on second and third now, Doran stepped into the batters’ box with two outs.

“I was in the same situation in the last game I played, and I didn’t get it done,” Doran said. “But I knew I’d get it done today in a big game.”

Lamonica, with a healthy lead, waited as Doran battled in the box, fouling several pitches before the count was full. Then, Doran drilled a ground ball up the middle to the shortstop, who fielded it cleanly and threw to home plate. But Lamonica had the lead, and beat the throw home for the game-winning run as the players rush to the diamond to pile up in celebration.

“You really don’t know the magnitude of the situation you’re in until you’re out of it,” Matt Hudzik said. “And it’s a great feeling once you’re out of it.”

No. 6 Ward Melville advances to take on No. 3 Smithtown East on the road May 17, at 4:15 p.m.

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Ben Resnick tags the Sachem North runner out at second base. Photo by Bill Landon

By Bill Landon

The Kings Park baseball team had to sweep its remaining five games to even make the playoffs, and did, winning the five games in nine days to achieve a 10-10 record to send the Kingsmen into a postseason Class AA outbracket matchup Saturday afternoon. No. 19 Kings Park traveled to No. 14 Sachem North, and although the game remained close, at 2-0, most of the way, the Kingsmen couldn’t bring its base runners home, and fell 4-0, ending their season.

Chris Kenavan drills the ball to deep right field. Photo by Bill Landon
Chris Kenavan drills the ball to deep right field. Photo by Bill Landon

“I knew they were going to come out swinging,” Kings Park head coach Mike Luzim said of Sachem North. “And in the spot that they needed to, they came up big.”

The Flaming Arrows broke the ice in the bottom of the second inning with a deep shot to right field for a stand-up double that drove in two runs. Kings Park countered by making contact, but its opponent’s defense was able to make the plays to keep Kings Park scoreless.

After a lead-off walk by A.J. Fenton in the top of the fifth, Kings Park threatened when Ben Resnick also drew the walk to represent the tying runs on base. With two outs and two runners on, Jack Feibusch drilled one deep to left center, but Sachem North’s center fielder tracked it down in stride to retire the side.

Kings Park’s Ben Sacks took over the mound the rest of the way, but the Kingsmen’s bats went silent.

A.J. Fenton makes it back to first base safely after a pick-off attempt. Photo by Bill Landon
A.J. Fenton makes it back to first base safely after a pick-off attempt. Photo by Bill Landon

Luzim said he knew it was going to be a tough game, sighting both teams’ similar records.

“We kept them off-balance for a bit, but when we walked two and they hit that double that kind of capped it,” he said, adding that the opposing pitcher was the toughest his team had seen all year.

With runners at the corners, Sachem North smacked in another run to take a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning. The Kingsmen went three up, three down in the top of the sixth, and the Flaming Arrows scored once more in the bottom of the inning to end the scoring.

“They’re a tough team,” Kings Park senior Chris Kenavan said. “We can play better than we did. It’s not the outcome we wanted, but in the end, we made a good run.”

Jack Feibusch makes a play on a hit that dropped into center field. Photo by Bill Landon
Jack Feibusch makes a play on a hit that dropped into center field. Photo by Bill Landon

Sachem North threatened, but got greedy on a single that the team tried to stretch to a double. Kings Park’s Resnick made the tag to throw the sliding runner out at second, to end the inning.

With their backs against the wall, Kings Park took to the plate for the final time. Again, contact wasn’t the problem, but a fly ball to the center fielder followed by a long drive to right field secured the first two outs, and the game ended with an infield pop-up.

Senior pitcher Mike Tully said that he expected his team to hit better, adding that that was the difference-maker in the game. His teammates agreed.

“Our plan coming into the game was whoever made the fewest mistakes would win the game,” Kings Park senior Jake Shickler said. “They’re a tough League II team — we definitely didn’t do our job hitting-wise and we made too many mistakes.”

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Centereach's Sean McGuinness scoops up an infield dribbler. Photo by Bill Landon

By Bill Landon

With rain coming down, Centereach took to the field against Huntington and the Blue Devils stepped into the batter’s box first for a League IV baseball matchup Tuesday afternoon in Centereach.

Huntington's Luke Eidle releases a fastball. Photo by Bill Landon
Huntington’s Luke Eidle releases a fastball. Photo by Bill Landon

Huntington (1-11 in conference play) struck first when, on a Centereach throwing error, Brian Donnelly crossed the plate for the first run of the game.

Centereach’s Victor Corsaro doubled, representing the tying run in the bottom of the inning, and teammate Kyle Cerbone ripped one through the gap to even the score with two outs.

The rain grew steady though, and when the umpire behind the plate charged the infield to cover the ensuing play, he slipped and fell in deteriorating conditions.

“I saw him slip the first time and he warned me about the field conditions, and I said to him ‘we’ve had this conversation before,’” Centereach head coach Mike Herrschaft said. “This field can’t take a lot of rain and you can see how it’s getting slick out there at shortstop.”

Huntington managed to score another run in the top of the second to take a 2-1 lead, and the Cougars went back to work at the plate. Centereach (2-10) popped the ball up shallow in the infield and the plate umpire approached the play and fell a second time. The official was slow to get up. After a brief conference between both coaches, the umpires left Nick Corsaro in the batter’s box with his team trailing by one with two outs.

“The umpire called the game because of unsafe conditions on the field,” Huntington head coach Bill Harris said. “Where the field transitions to the grass, he slipped and fell.”

Centereach's Matt Hirsch hurls from the mound. Photo by Bill Landon
Centereach’s Matt Hirsch hurls from the mound. Photo by Bill Landon

The game was suspended after an inning and a half, so the balance of the game will be completed at a later date.

“I saw him slip the second time and he said he didn’t want to see one of the kids slip and get hurt,” Herrschaft said. “You can’t argue with that, but this is the first time I’ve known a game to be called because of unsafe conditions for the umpires. The kids are wearing spikes and the umpires are wearing sneakers.”

Herrschaft added that both teams will take the mound Friday afternoon for a scheduled matchup and then complete the suspended game for the doubleheader at home.

Centereach traveled to Huntington on Wednesday for game two of the three-game series, but results of that game were not available by press time.

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The Warriors' Dave Heller dashes for first base. Photo by Bill Landon

By Bill Landon

Comsewogue opened its League VI season with a 7-0 win against last year’s archrival Westhampton, at home Tuesday afternoon, letting their bats do the talking. Pitching ace Mike Stiles went the distance, shutting out the 1-2 Hurricanes.

Mike Stiles hurls a pitch during his 13-strikeout performance for Comsewogue. Photo by Bill Landon
Mike Stiles hurls a pitch during his 13-strikeout performance for Comsewogue. Photo by Bill Landon

Stiles, a senior, was as damaging from the plate as he was from the mound. He threw a four-hitter with one walk and struck out 13, and drove in senior John Braun from third base to give his team a 1-0 lead.

With two outs and two runners in scoring position, the Warriors threatened, but were unable to bring either runner home, settling for a one-run lead to open the second inning.

Stiles dished a three up, three down performance at the top of the inning, and Comsewogue went back to work in the bottom of the second.

Dave Heller’s bat spoke next, as he smacked a lead-off single and stole second base on the next pitch.

“Today we hit well,” Heller, a junior, said. “We usually struggle with that, but today we were able to hit the ball. We played solid defense like we usually do, and when you can do both, you win ball games.”

Senior Jake Sardinia found the gap in right field to drive Heller home, and the Warriors extended their lead, 2-0.

After a walk put runners on first and second, Justin Virga, Comsewogue’s junior catcher, did his job with a sacrifice fly to right field to advance both runners. With two outs and a full count, Comsewogue senior Jordan Lisco laid off a pitch for the walk and took first to load the bases. With the count 3-0, Stiles followed Lisco’s lead by taking a pitch for the walk, forcing in a run. With two outs, Comsewogue’s bats cracked again. This time, it was Comsewogue junior Vincent Velazquez, the designated hitter, who belted one deep to right field over the outfielder’s head, driving in Sardinia, Lisco and Stiles for a 6-0 advantage.

Vincent Velazquez connects with a pitch, driving in three runs for the Warriors. Photo by Bill Landon
Vincent Velazquez connects with a pitch, driving in three runs for the Warriors. Photo by Bill Landon

“I kept thinking to keep my hands inside the ball and not to try to do too much with it,” Velazquez said. “He gave me a fast ball and I did what I could with it. It felt good and the ball came off the bat.”

Stiles made short work of the next three Westhampton batters, fanning all three for a quick inning.

The Hurricanes, with their first real threat of the game in the top of the fourth, put two runners on base with one out, but the Warriors turned a double play to escape the inning unharmed.

The Warriors couldn’t score in the bottom of the inning, but Stiles remained consistent from the mound and retired the side in the top of the fifth to keep the shutout intact. Stiles did it again in the top of the sixth inning.

“They’re a tough team,” Stiles said of Westhampton. “I had to pound the zone, throw strikes, but it was cold. The seventh inning was a little tough because my hands were cold, but I had a little left, so it was OK.”

Jake Sardinia makes a grab in the outfield for Comsewogue. Photo by Bill Landon
Jake Sardinia makes a grab in the outfield for Comsewogue. Photo by Bill Landon

With Heller in scoring position, Sardinia drove a sacrifice fly to deep right field, plating Heller for the 7-0 lead.

Fresh off a nonleague win against League I’s Longwood, Comsewogue head coach Mike Bonura is pleased with what he’s seen from his players so far,

“It was a nice win for us — just the way we went about it,” he said. “With our pitching and our defense, that’s what our team does.”

With their last at bat, the Hurricanes would not go quietly and opened the seventh with a stand-up double with one out. A rare walk left Westhampton with runners on first and second, but Comsewogue’s defense came through in the clutch, turning a second double play to put the game away.

Bonura said the key to the victory was twofold.

“Today’s game started with Mike Stiles from the mound — he was just cruising,” the head coach said. “And we swung the bats well on a day that was tough to hit in very cold conditions with the wind blowing in our faces. That’s the type of team we have here and I’m happy with how we’re starting.”

Comsewogue traveled to Westhampton Wednesday, but results were not available by press time. The Warriors are back in action today, at 4 p.m., to host Westhampton in the third game of the series.

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Troy Davern hurls a pitch. Photo by Bill Landon
Troy Davern hurls a pitch. Photo by Bill Landon

By Bill Landon

Despite being the League I champion from last year, Ward Melville has some unfinished business on the baseball diamond as the Patriots look to avenge their Suffolk County title loss from last spring. Losing six seniors to graduation, the squad has some pretty big shoes to fill, but is confident that returning starters will be able to do just that.

Between the varsity and junior varsity team, the Patriots are 58 players strong, which is a testament to the baseball culture that permeates all who wear the green and gold — due in part to its famous 2009 graduate, Mets starting pitcher Steven Matz. The lefty pitching sensation doesn’t stray far from the Ward Melville campus, and has become a galvanizing force for the Patriot players.

“Our pitching staff is going to be one of our strong points again at Ward Melville, and that’s been a standard for the last seven years,” Ward Melville head coach Lou Petrucci said. “Steven Matz put baseball on the map here at Ward Melville. We’ve had tremendous success here. The kids look up to Steven. Steven comes back here and works with the pitchers; it’s exciting for the school, the community, Long Island and baseball fans in general.”

Tom Hudzik winds up to toss the ball across the gym. Photo by Bill Landon
Tom Hudzik winds up to toss the ball across the gym. Photo by Bill Landon

Ward Melville finished last year with an impressive 24-4 record, but fell in the County Championship to Connetquot, 1-5, 4-3, 0-6.

Senior first basemen Dominic Lamonica said despite losing seven seniors, his team has worked hard in the offseason to offset the loss.

“Losing Joe Flynn, one of the best players Suffolk County has seen in years, definitely hurts us, but we have a bunch of talented guys and we’ve been waiting for this to come,” Lamonica said. “We want revenge, because losing in the county [finals] was a horrible feeling.”

Petrucci said he likes the look of his pitching staff, adding that he expects big things from Ben Brown, a junior who went 7-1 last season.

“We lost those seniors who were very vocal in our dugout,” Brown said. “But I think we have the players here that can step in and fill that void.”

Petrucci said the team is going to rely heavily on Troy Davern, Alex Betz and Frank Merlino, and added that Max Neilsen, a ninth-grader, is challenging for a starting role.

Senior shortstop Nick Vitale agreed with Brown that last year’s seniors were the core of the offensive lineup, but is feeling optimistic about his team’s chances this season.

“We have pretty big shoes to fill, but most of last year’s starters are still here this season,” he said. “Losing those starters is big, but I think we’ll be fine.”

Joe Rosselli makes contact with the ball during an indoor practice. Photo by Bill Landon
Joe Rosselli makes contact with the ball during an indoor practice. Photo by Bill Landon

Lamonica said he thinks Commack has a lot of good arms, and sees Longwood and Sachem East as being possible League I threats, but said you never know what will happen.

The Patriots scrimmaged six times before their season opener against Commack on Tuesday, where Ward Melville shut out its opponent 4-0. Although Wednesday’s game results were unavailable by press time, the team travels to Commack today, at 4:15 p.m., for the final game of the series.

In the win, senior Pat Morelli made his first varsity start and drove in two runs to lead his team. He had an RBI single at the bottom of the third to make the score 3-0. Brandon Lee and Lamonica each went 2-for-2, and Davern tossed two scoreless innings to earn the save.

“We just have to stay within ourselves,” Lamonica said. “We’ve got a bunch of talented guys here and a bunch of returning starters, so if we all play within ourselves and play as clean as we can, I think we’ll be good to go this year.”

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Anthony Rivera make a catch in the infield. Photo by Bill Landon

By Bill Landon

Having lost seven seniors from last years’ squad, there are big shoes to fill on the Centereach baseball lineup that the new senior leadership will be looking to fill this season.

A.J. Glass hurls a fastball from the mound. Photo by Bill Landon
A.J. Glass hurls a fastball from the mound. Photo by Bill Landon

The Cougars looked loose and the camaraderie was easily heard as three different batting teams drilled through a simulated scrimmage. In-between batters, nets shielded the players on the first and third baselines as they batted ground balls to the infielders. Head coach Michael Herrschaft, who was thankful for the good weather compared to years past where snow forced the teams indoors, manned the electric ball launcher — firing high fly balls to the outfielders, and not a minute was wasted.

Herrschaft said this year will be a test as to who can step up and make a difference at this level of play.

“It’s a lot of unknowns, because they haven’t proven themselves [at the varsity level],” the coach said. “They’re going to have to step it up and show that they can handle it at this level.”

Having missed the postseason last year, the Cougars are looking to make a run this season.

Senior pitcher and first baseman A.J. Glass said that despite some tough League IV competition he is optimistic about his team’s chances.

“When we take the field I’d like to think that we’re the team to beat in this league, but West Islip has a very good team,” Glass said. “They’ve proven themselves many times — they swept us last season and we don’t want to let that happen again. We want to show them that we’re playoff contenders just like they are.”

The Cougars will size up their competition in three scrimmages before their league opener. They’ll host Longwood for a scrimmage on March 18, take on crosstown rival Newfield on March 21 and play Longwood again, this time, on the road, two days later.

“Right now this early in the season, you don’t know what you have until you see them facing varsity-caliber kids,” Herrschaft said. “Of the seven seniors that graduated from last year, most of them were starters, so it is a new group.”

Matt Traube snags the ball up high for the tag at second base. Photo by Bill Landon
Matt Traube snags the ball up high for the tag at second base. Photo by Bill Landon

Nick Juvelier, a senior who didn’t try out for the team last season, likes his team’s chances with each returning player being a year older and a year stronger.

“We have to bat as well as we did last season, because most of our seniors last year batted over .300, and our juniors didn’t,” he said, adding that a positive he sees is sophomore Nick Corsaro, who will be a starter this season.

Kevin Amaya, a junior, minimized the loss of the seniors from a year ago because he knows the sophomores and juniors on the squad have a special bond.

“The underclassmen always look up to the seniors, but we’ve all been playing together as a squad, juniors and sophomores, since I was in seventh grade,” he said.

Centereach opens their season on the road against North Babylon March 29 with the first pitch scheduled at 4 p.m.

“If their infield play and their bats equal their character,” Herrschaft said, “it’s going to be a fun season.”

Having lost seven seniors from last years’ squad, there are big shoes to fill on the Centereach baseball lineup that the new senior leadership will be looking to fill this season.

The Cougars looked loose and the camaraderie was easily heard as three different batting teams drilled through a simulated scrimmage. In-between batters, nets shielded the players on the first and third baselines as they batted ground balls to the infielders. Head coach Michael Herrschaft, who was thankful for the good weather compared to years past where snow forced the teams indoors, manned the electric ball launcher — firing high fly balls to the outfielders, and not a minute was wasted.

Herrschaft said this year will be a test as to who can step up and make a difference at this level of play.

“It’s a lot of unknowns, because they haven’t proven themselves [at the varsity level],” the coach said. “They’re going to have to step it up and show that they can handle it at this level.”

Having missed the postseason last year, the Cougars are looking to make a run this season.

Senior pitcher and first baseman A.J. Glass said that despite some tough League IV competition he is optimistic about his team’s chances.

Anthony Rivera drives a ground-ball hit. Photo by Bill Landon
Anthony Rivera drives a ground-ball hit. Photo by Bill Landon

“When we take the field I’d like to think that we’re the team to beat in this league, but West Islip has a very good team,” Glass said. “They’ve proven themselves many times — they swept us last season and we don’t want to let that happen again. We want to show them that we’re playoff contenders just like they are.”

The Cougars will size up their competition in three scrimmages before their league opener. They’ll host Longwood for a scrimmage on March 18, take on crosstown rival Newfield on March 21 and play Longwood again, this time, on the road, two days later.

“Right now this early in the season, you don’t know what you have until you see them facing varsity-caliber kids,” Herrschaft said. “Of the seven seniors that graduated from last year, most of them were starters, so it is a new group.”

Nick Juvelier, a senior who didn’t try out for the team last season, likes his team’s chances with each returning player being a year older and a year stronger.

“We have to bat as well as we did last season, because most of our seniors last year batted over .300, and our juniors didn’t,” he said, adding that a positive he sees is sophomore Nick Corsaro, who will be a starter this season.

Kevin Amaya, a junior, minimized the loss of the seniors from a year ago because he knows the sophomores and juniors on the squad have a special bond.

“The underclassmen always look up to the seniors, but we’ve all been playing together as a squad, juniors and sophomores, since I was in seventh grade,” he said.

Centereach opens their season on the road against North Babylon March 29 with the first pitch scheduled at 4 p.m.

“If their infield play and their bats equal their character,” Herrschaft said, “it’s going to be a fun season.”

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