Adelphi-commit Kendall Kendrick pitched the game of his life – 1 hit shutout with 10 strikeouts against perennial powerhouse West Islip to deliver Newfield their first county championship in program history. They will face South Side on Sunday in the LIC pic.twitter.com/DCGrDLMjTY
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) June 18, 2021
When Eric Joyner took over the Newfield varsity baseball program, he brought a winning pedigree from the football team that had won County Championships in 2011 and 2015. It was a much-needed facelift for a program that hadn’t reached the postseason since 2005.
Problem was, they didn’t have quite enough talent or leadership in the program. In 2018, they finally broke the playoff drought but ran into two very tough teams (Connetquot and Smithtown East) in the playoffs. Three years later, they reached the mountain top – they defeated perennial powerhouse West Islip in the Suffolk III Championship in front of their home faithful, 2-0.
It was an incredibly enjoyable baseball team between one program that has established itself as one of Long Island’s best over the past decade, and another program still looking for their first taste at a championship. Adelphi-commit Kendall Kendrick, who had struggled with his command this season, chose the right day to have the performance of his lifetime. He took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, and wound up firing a one-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts over a talented West Islip team that has won Class AA Championships in 2008, 2014, 2016 and 2018.
The game was scoreless through five innings, as Kendrick and West Islip LHP Jake Rivera refused to blink. It seemed Newfield would get on the board in the third when they loaded the bases with one out thanks to singles by Chris Bartho, Dom D’Allesandro and Steve Lumme but Rivera was able to bear down and record a strikeout and fielder’s choice to end the inning.
If it didn’t at least cross your mind that West Islip would find a way to scratch across a run – you haven’t paid much attention to high school baseball over the past decade. Time and time again, West Islip had been counted out – or at least overlooked by teams in their own league – and each time they find ways to get runners on, over and in just when they need it most. But that big hit never came. Kendrick allowed a leadoff single to Jake Rivera in the sixth inning which was their first of the game. He got a pop out from Matt Marmo, struck out Alex Czarnomski and Frank Rega in succession to end the inning.
In the home half of the sixth, Alex Czarnomski came on in relief of Rivera. He walked Mike Medina and Evan Hughes to start the inning. The next batter ripped one to third base that looked like it would be a hit off the bat, but it was right at the third baseman who stepped on third for the first out of the inning. Pinch hitter Josh Jacobs stepped up and he absolutely crushed one to left field – at any other field it’s long gone but there’s no fence at Newfield just it rolled all the way to the softball field. Both runners scored easily but West Islip executed a perfect relay to nail Jacobs at the plate. The out tempered the enthusiasm somewhat but regardless, it was a two-run triple and Newfield was now just three outs away.
For the first time in program history, Newfield is the county champs !
Kendall Kendrick strikes out 10 in a 1-hit shutout over West Islip.
They advance to the Long Island Championship where they will face the winner of South Side-Manhasset pic.twitter.com/AEcrFCDDp4
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) June 18, 2021
As Kendrick said in the video, he had no doubt he would get the job done.
“After that it was cake – I knew I was gonna get it done, I had to,” he said.
And he certainly did. Kendrick struck out two in the seventh including the final batter to slam the door on the victory.
For Newfield, it’s a program that has had countless talented players over the years. They’ve had talented rosters but never seemed to be able to get over the hump. A big turning point for the program was the emergence of Kyle Johnson. It seemed once he stepped foot on the varsity field, the team began to believe in itself and they were taken more seriously from the rest of the league. By 2018, they were a popular pick to win the League Title. We covered their clinching game against rival Centereach in April 2018 in which Johnson threw a complete game. At that time, he seemed more relieved than excited, because they no longer had to deal with the burden of a long playoff drought. They had come agonizingly close at points over the years, only to fall apart in the final week of the season. No longer were they going to fall short. That 2018 team had a terrific pitching staff, led by Kyle Johnson, Bobby Vath, Ryan Wappaus, Chandler Giovinco, Mike Manzolillo and others, but as it turns out – the player with the highest ceiling was freshman Dylan Johnson. He wound up committing to St. John’s and has had an amazing career for the Wolverines. In 2019, after Giovinco went down with a UCL tear, he was just a sophomore and put the team on his back nearly getting them to the playoff by himself. This season he put it all together and is a finalist for the coveted Carl Yastrzemski Award – which would be the first in program history. He has batted close to .500 and is 5-0 with 3 saves and 0.75 ERA. Those are certainly worthy of winning the award.
For now, they have unfinished business. Kendrick pitched them to the Long Island Championship, but Dylan Johnson wants to win them the Long Island Championship. He will be on the mound in front of what promises to be a huge turnout at St. Joseph’s Complex in Patchogue against South Side HS who defeated Manhasset in the Nassau III Championship.
