Max Nielsen strikes out 18 batters to send Ward Melville to the Suffolk County AA Finals ! pic.twitter.com/RtJrqe4y4p
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 31, 2019
With a trip to the Suffolk AA Finals on the line, Ward Melville LHP Max Nielsen delivered the game of his life.
The UCONN-commit struck out a school-record 18 batters in an 8-0 victory over West Islip to advance to host No. 3 Connetquot in a best-of-three series beginning tomorrow.
After allowing the first two batters to reach base in the top of the first, a caught stealing and two strikeouts allowed him to escape unscathed.
Facing 6’5″ RHP Anthony Cinquemani, the Ward Melville offense wasted no time. Matt Maurer doubled on a shallow pop up to left field, Ethan Farino was hit by a curveball and catcher Anthony Pascale laced an RBI single to put the Patriots on the board. Nielsen helped himself with an RBI single to extend the lead to 2-0.
That was all he needed, but the Patriots added three more runs in the second inning on an RBI triple by Justice Spencer, RBI single by Brady Doran and another RBI single by Pascale to open up a comfortably 5-0 lead.
They allowed added three runs in the fifth inning on an e2 and a two-run double by Alex Russo.
Nielsen, a finalist for the coveted Yaz Award, struck out the side in the third, fifth, sixth and seventh innings. He allowed just four base runners after the first inning and was generally over powering.
Bobby DiCapua pitched three great innings of relief for the Lions on two-days rest when his team needed him most.
The No. 1 Patriots will host Connetquot tomorrow with Ethan Farino on the mound. It is a rematch of the 2015 Finals in which the T-Birds came away in a three-game series. The Patriots are fortunate to have pitching depth but the question becomes; how soon can they get Nielsen back on the mound?
Sally Aversano
Magnificent article! Wishing Max Nielsen all the best that he so deserves. What talent! What a gift he has!