Final: Smithtown East 7, Hills East 2
WP: Ben Kennedy (5 IP, 2 R, 4 Ks)Matt Wild: 3-for-3, RBI double
Kurt Schneider: 3-for-3, double, HRSmithtown East improves to 6-0 pic.twitter.com/u6414gOpL0
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) April 18, 2022
It takes contributions up-and-down the lineup if you have championship aspirations and that’s exactly what Smithtown East has been receiving thus far in 2022. The Bulls have raced off to a 6-0 start, thanks in large part to an offense that has been outstanding so far.
They defeated Hills East, 7-2, led by 3-for-3 performances from both their leadoff batter, Matt Wild, and their seventh place hitter, Kurt Schneider. Their starting pitcher, Ben Kennedy, showed toughness through five innings of work – escaping a bases loaded jam in the fifth inning to preserve the lead while the game was still close. He struck out four, allowing two runs to improve his record to 3-0 on the season.
Kennedy noted that despite the early start time and chilly conditions, he did not alter his preparation or game plan in any way.
In regard to their offensive production, he said, “We have like the same team as last year – we’ve just been really consistent at the plate and coming up with really big hits. One through nine in the lineup are all batting over .300. The bottom of the lineup has honestly gotten the bigger hits,” he added.
B1: Christian Villacci gives Smithtown East a 2-0 lead with a 2-R single to center to score Matt Wild and Luke Ciminiello pic.twitter.com/BRGf7vZaUz
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) April 18, 2022
Smithtown East was facing a tough customer in Hills East RHP Ari Gluck who had gotten off to an outstanding start to the season, allowing just 1 ER over 19 IP with 30 Ks. But they wasted no time getting on the board in the bottom of the first. A leadoff single by Matt Wild was followed by a single by Luke Ciminiello. After a strikeout of James Ackerman, Christian Villacci ripped a two-run single through the drawn-in infield to make it 2-0 in favor of the Bulls. After a bloop single by Chris Goohs, Kyle Popko hit a sac fly to score Villacci and make it 3-0.
It turns out that’s all the run support that was needed, but Hills East did make a game of it in the middle innings.
They got on the board in the top of the third on an RBI single by Aubrey Jean-Louis to score Joey Castro, who led off the inning with a bunt single and stole second. Kennedy was able to escape the inning on a popout to third base.
Gluck went 1-2-3 in the fourth inning but Kennedy did the same in the home half.
Things got interesting in the fifth when Joey Castro hit a grounder to shortstop that was thrown away which allowed him to get to second. After a sac bunt got him to third, another error put runners on the corners with one out. That brought up the hard-hitting Connor Bunce who ripped an RBI single through the left side to make it a 3-2 game. A grounder back to Kennedy was handled unassisted, but a walk to Ryan Plocker loaded the bases for Luke Villa. Kennedy was able to bear down and make a pitch when he needed to – striking him out on a curveball to end the jam.
That was as close as the T-Birds would get – the Bulls went to work in the fifth inning starting with Schneider’s double to right center. a bloop double by Jerry Suppa brought him in. After an infield pop out, Wild hooked an RBI double inside the right field line to make it 6-2.
B5: 3 doubles and RBI single has given Smithtown East a 6-2 lead
RBI doubles by Jerry Suppa and Matt Wild, RBI single by Luke Ciminiello pic.twitter.com/NAVpPOTLly
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) April 18, 2022
Jack Troise came on in relief in the sixth inning and worked around an error and a walk to strike out two batters. The Bulls added an insurance run in the home half of the sixth on a solo shot by Schneider to left center field.
Matt Wild came on in relief in the seventh inning and struck out two batters to slam the door to move Smithtown East to 6-0 in conference play. They are certainly not lacking in confidence. When asked what their goals are the rest of the season, Kennedy emphatically stated, “to go undefeated.” They still have the rest of this series against HHHE before playing a makeup game against Huntington before three-game sets against Newfield, Centereach and Connetquot.
