Rausch and Longwood HC Ryan McSherry spoke to Axcess Baseball after the game following the Lions’ dominant win, while the rest of the team enjoyed the victory in the background. pic.twitter.com/fBYRABZwHA
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 17, 2018
Longwood (16-5) and Sachem North (11-11) started an elimination game Tuesday afternoon in the Suffolk AA playoffs. However, after four and a half innings of play, a rainstorm forced the remainder of the game to be played Thursday. In the end, Longwood’s offensive dominance on Tuesday was enough to keep the team alive with a 14-4 win over the Arrows.
Sachem North got to Lions’ starter Jared Vanderhoof early. Three of the first four batters got on base to start the top of the first, then Frank Arena worked a walk to give Sachem a 1-0 lead. But in the bottom of the inning, Longwood responded. With two outs, Bobby Pollock sent a fastball over the right field fence to even the game at one apiece. Then Kyle Rausch and Vanderhoof each got on base, setting up Danny Owens. Owens would crank the ball to the right-center field gap and score both runners.
Longwood led 3-1 after one inning and added on in the bottom of the second. Matt Encizo hit the Lions’ second homer of the afternoon, this time a two-run shot to left field. Three batters later, Rausch singled to bring home Pollock.
After putting together six runs through two innings, Longwood was just getting started. Encizo got his third RBI with a double, then Jose Matos came up next and singled to get his first RBI. Two batters later, Rausch continued the offensive dominance by crushing a three-run home run to extend the lead to 11-1.
Sachem North started to regain some momentum in the top of the fourth. Two runs got across with only one out and the Arrows threatened with runners on the corners. Patach took off for second base and forced Pollock to throw. On the throw, Jake Lynott tried to steal home, but good Longwood got the ball to Pollock in time to make the tag and get the out. The Lions got out of the inning only allowing the two runs, making it 11-3 going into the bottom of the fourth.
Before the bottom of the fourth could start, the bright skies turned to grey and rained started pouring down, causing the umpires to suspend the game. The last three innings were played on Thursday and unfortunately for Sachem North, those would be the team’s last three innings of the season. The Arrows scrapped together one run while the Lions scored three on the extra day, leading to the 14-4 Longwood win.
Longwood’s next game is tomorrow against Half Hollow Hills East. Our Digmi Player of the Game is Kyle Rausch, who went four-for-four with four RBIs, including a three-run homer in the five-run third inning.
