[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNunBApHEOw]
When the pop up off the bat of Nick Vitale came down and landed into the glove of the second baseman, the Connetquot Thunderbirds could rejoice as the 2015 Suffolk County AA Champs for the second time in four seasons. This time it was by virtue of a 6-0 shutout of No. 2 seed Ward Melville which concluded a high-intensity three game series.
The jubilant emotions were met with grief, however as the Thunderbirds were still mourning the loss of star pitcher, John Hennge’s father, Walter, who passed away suddenly on Saturday.
“I made a promise to John Hennge that I would win this game,” said starting pitcher Travis Bruinsma, who won his Long Island leading 12th game of the season with a three-hit shutout.
How about the nerves? Pitching in front of hundreds of spectators in the biggest game of his career surely must have brought upon a feeling of trepidation.
“I wasn’t nervous, I knew I was going to win this game,” he added.
That type of confidence is what allowed Connetquot and their ace to cruise through the Suffolk County and enter the Long Island Championship against MacArthur at 24-4.
The offense wasted no time in backing the bravado of their ace pitcher.
In the top of the first, Marc Wangenstein led off the game against sophomore Ben Brown with a hard-hit single. After a sacrifice bunt, Dave Brehm reached on a hit through the left side to put runners on the corners. Cleanup hitter Brandon Morse smoked a two-run double to left center field to put the Thunderbirds on the board and give them a lead they would not relinquish.
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| Photo Credit: Vinny Messana |
They added two runs in the third inning when they compiled five consecutive hits–which chased starter Brown after 2.1 IP. After a run scoring wild pitch that scored Brehm, League II MVP Aaron Gagliano smacked an RBI single to drive in Morse, who singled on the previous at bat.
All the while, Bruinsma cruised and barely allowed the Patriots as much as a runner in scoring position. After a brief scare in the third inning on his own throwing error, he settled down and had a 10-pitch fourth inning with two strikeouts.
Ward Melville reliever Joe Barbieri came on, weathered the storm and threw a smooth fourth inning but allowed a run in the fifth inning on an RBI bloop single to Cole Clark to increase the lead to 5-0.
After walking the leadoff batter in the 6th, Bruinsma induced yesterday’s hero, Dominick Lamonica into a 6-4-3 DP.
In the seventh inning against the middle of the Patriots’ order, Bruinsma relied on his vicious curveball to get the first two outs and then carved his name into the annals of Long Island baseball lure with an infield pop up to conclude his three-hit shutout.
He threw only 90 pitches and struck out 6 batters.
The Patriots end their season just shy of their goal and with a 21-4 record. Both teams had a tremendous season but Connetquot had the biggest difference maker in the playoffs–No. 2.
