Tyler Marinaccio sends Plainview to the semifinals!!!!!
FINAL: Plainview 3 Port Washington 2
WP – Justin Kim
Tyler Marinaccio: Walkoff RBI pic.twitter.com/Sc6syB0Vk6— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 21, 2018
From first pitch of this ballgame until the final pitch, this game had more roller coasters than Six Flags.
In perhaps the most exciting game this season, Plainview JFK squeaked past Port Washington by a score of 3-2 in twelve innings. As a result, they will be moving on to the Class AA semifinals.
If you were to ask any player on either team, they will say this was the longest 24 hours of their lives. The first pitch of the do-or-die game three was at 5PM on Sunday evening. The final pitch of the game came a little after 5PM on Monday evening.
On Sunday evening, this was as evenly matched as it can get. Port Washington got themselves on the board first in the top half of the second inning with an RBI. However, Plainview answered back in the bottom half of the fourth inning thanks to a Tyler Marinaccio home run to right field to tie the game at one.
Due to impressive pitching performances on both sides of the mound, this game would stay tied for quite some time. Zach Herman and Derek Livingston both served as “work horses” as they kept their teams in the ballgame.
After seven innings, things were all knotted up at one run a piece. Therefore, there was some free baseball to be played, and a lot of it.
On both sides of the plate, each team had a significant amount of opportunities to take the lead, but nobody prevailed for either team until the 11th inning. Finally, Port Washington took the lead on an extremely close play at the plate coming from a Jared Schlarlat RBI. Schlarlat finished with two RBI in the contest.
Just when you think it was over, it wasn’t.
Plainview answered back in the bottom half of the 11th courtesy of a Michael Rothstein RBI single, followed by a Michael Cole single. All of a sudden the winning run was 90 feet away and it was all tied up at two a piece.
The Hawks stranded the winning run on third base as sophomore Livingston worked his way out of yet another jam. Due to darkness, this meant that the game wasn’t able to continue into the 12th on Sunday, and would have to be picked up on Monday.
Michael Cole on today’s wild game that will continue tomorrow in the 12th inning with the score tied 2-2 pic.twitter.com/7cmgknvDdM
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 21, 2018
Another day, more free baseball.
Justin Kim got the start in relief on Monday for the Hawks, as he pitched one inning and got himself out of a tight jam to give his team a chance to win in the bottom half of the inning.
“I was brought in for the last out yesterday and I got the job done there and the team needed me to step up. Only if it’s one inning I still have to keep it scoreless so in the bottom half of the inning we can score and my teammates pulled through and we did it,” said Kim.
The hero, Tyler Marinaccio, once again came to bat in a tremendous situation and delivered. Marinaccio stepped up to the plate with the winning run on second base with one out. On the third pitch of the at bat, he drove a fastball to right field that dropped and the game winning run came around to score, ending the 24-hour long wait of advancing to the semifinals.
“I knew that our first two guys would get on base so I knew I would be in a big situation,” said Marinaccio. “I mean, I didn’t hit the ball that hard, I thought he was going to catch it but he didn’t and we came out with the win,” he added.
With the win, Plainview will host Massapequa on Tuesday in a 2017 Class AA County Championship rematch. With all the momentum in the world, expect Plainview to seek vengeance with a chance to advance to their second straight county championship.
