Final: Oceanside 13, Massapequa 0
WP: Brendan McFall (CG, 2 hits, 6 K)Dylan Judd: 3-R HR
McFall is our @DigmiNation player of the Game #TipYourCap #LiveDreamBe pic.twitter.com/VJBRrugd5r
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) April 17, 2018
If today was a test for Oceanside, they got an A+.
The undefeated Sailors entered play with a perfect 7-0 record, but were facing their biggest challenge yet–facing the reigning Class AA Long Island Champion Massapequa Chiefs.
The Sailors dominated in all facets of the game; cruising to a 13-0 victory with the exclamation mark coming in the top of the seventh inning on a long three-run HR by UMASS-Amherst commit Dylan Judd.
The game was long over by that point, as the Sailors offense scored early-and-often against Chiefs’ RHP Christian Denave, and their starter, Brendan McFall was lights-out from the first pitch of the game. The Tufts-commit was named Axcess Baseball Conference MVP in 2017, Preseason All-Long Island in 2018 and has picked up right where he left off for the undefeated Sailors–firing a two-hit shutout with six strikeouts.
They got going in the top of the third inning when No. 9 hitter Noah Eisel lined and single to left field to start the inning off. The following batter, St. John’s commit Jake Lazzaro reached on an error by the third baseman, which allowed Eisel to scamper to third. On the next batter, they executed a double steal with Eisel scoring on the throw to second base. The next two batters were retired, but Judd ripped an RBI single to right field to extend the score to 2-0.
McFall responded with a 1-2-3 inning to get his offense back to the plate.
They opened the game up in the fourth inning when the first three batters reached base safely and then they executed the rare squeeze play with the bases loaded by Bernie Diaz who reached first base safely and extended the lead to 4-0. The following batter, Frank Trotta, broke the game open with a two-run double to right field to extend the lead 6-0.
That knocked out Denave, and the reliever retired the next three batters, but the damage was done for the inning.
They did, however, to continue to pile on. In the fifth inning, Eisel ripped a bases-loaded double to make it 9-0, Jake Lazzaro’s sac fly extended it to 10-0 before Judd’s moon shot scored the 11th, 12th and 13th run.
All the while. McFall continued to pile up zeros and sit down the dangerous Chiefs lineup featuring three Div-I commits (Nick Schwartz, Johnny Castagnozzi and Travis Honeyman) as well as LIU Post-commit Andrew Primm.
After all was said and done, the Sailors improved to 8-0 on the season and appear to have a real chance to win the title this season with an All-County pitching staff and a deep lineup featuring several dangerous bats. The numbers speak for themselves; through 8 games they have averaged 10.25 runs per game with an ERA of 1.75.
The Chiefs drop to 4-3 on the season, as they have certainly not played to their potential but also have been snakebitten with injuries. Ace Nick Collins is rehabbing from a rotator cuff injury which could–at best–have him ready for the postseason and their No. 2 pitcher, Chris Desousa, is out for the season and attempting to avoid Tommy John Surgery.
Things have not come easy for the Long Island Champs, but they will certainly attempt to prevent their rivals from taking their throne as the county champs.
Right now, however, it’s hard to imagine anyone succeeding at that.
