Bases loaded, two-out, 3-2 count, one-run lead against the reigning New York State Class A Champs from Wantagh.
Gianni Sozio was on for the save and was facing Charlie Interrante–one of last year’s playoff heroes. After just missing with a 2-2 breaking ball he induced a ground out to SS to end the game to slam the door on the 2-1 victory for Bethpage.
Final: Bethpage 2, Wantagh 1 pic.twitter.com/CkOHhfloh8
aXcess Baseball (@axcessbaseball) April 19, 2017
“I was really nervous to be honest with you,” said Sozio directly following the game. “Legs were shaking–but the only thing on my mind was the win. They’re a great team with great hitters–and of course I had to face the top of the lineup which is never easy to go through. They have solid ballplayers one through nine but the top is just insane,” he added.
It was All-State catcher Trevor Fagan (Sacred Heart-commit) who got Wantagh on the board in the first inning with an RBI double to score Jimmy Joyce (Hofstra-commit). The ball was hit so hard on the ground that the shortstop dove for it and it still got between the outfielders. It scored Joyce, who hit a two-out double in the right-center field gap to get the rally going.
Trevor Fagan rips an RBI double to score Jimmy Joyce and Wantagh takes a 1-0 first inning lead pic.twitter.com/TZYDKcDoif
aXcess Baseball (@axcessbaseball) April 19, 2017
Bethpage starter Kyle Issing settled down after that. He fired shutout baseball for the next five innings, navigating his way through a lineup that is arguably the best on Long Island, featuring four Div-I players in Anthony D’Onofrio, Joyce, Fagan and Anthony Fontana. He finished with four strikeouts while allowing six hits and two walks.
“Emotions were definitely high but I was just trying to make my pitches and keep them off balance with my off-speed and do my job,” said Issing.
The Golden Eagles tied the game off Wantagh starter Brendan Haas in the third inning on an RBI single up the middle by Gannon Kenney-McGowan (Stevens-commit) to score Carmine Szynal who doubled down the left field line.
The score remained tied 1-1 until the sixth inning when Mark Rossini hit a one-out single to right-center field. After another single by Bryan O’Boyle, Narbutt smacked the go-ahead double to left field–just narrowly missing a three-run shot to send the home team and crowd into a frenzy.
“I was just waiting for my pitch–I knew he would come up with a fastball again because he stopped throwing his curveball. I just saw it and–I didn’t even feel it off the bat–I just knew it was a shot. I thought it was gone. I rounded first base and I had images in my head of pumping my fist,” he added.
That knocked Haas out of the game and Wantagh brought in hard-throwing LHP Fontana to put out the fire. He did his job by inducing an infield ground out and a strikeout to elude further damage.
The Warriors would not go down without a fight, though.
After Sozio retired D’Onofrio for the first out, John Conroy drew a walk and Joyce smacked another double to right-center field to bring up Fontana. They decided to load the bases with an intentional walk. Sozio struck out Fagan on a nasty breaking pitch before getting Interrante to end the ball game.
With the victory, they improve to 7-2 on the season, while the champs drop to 9-2.
