Trailing 3-1 in the 7th inning, Seaford mounted a comeback with the go-ahead hit coming on an RBI single by TJ Harrington. Seaford won 6-4 to improve to 13-0 on the season to defeat previously undefeated Mepham @GCsports pic.twitter.com/rtXfMQYhde
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) April 29, 2023
This one might’ve been a non-league game but that doesn’t make a difference to the players. Make no mistake, pursuing a perfect season still matters and both Seaford and Mepham entered with unblemished records as the calendar approaches May. We covered Mepham’s win on Tuesday over MacArthur and they were able to finish the sweep. Seaford swept Locust Valley – including a perfect game by senior RHP Billy Kind, so both teams approached Friday’s non-league game which raised money for Hopes for Warriors with the intention to win.
Seaford grabbed an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning on an infield single by starting pitcher Justin Jaskolski who drove in catcher Stephen Ierides. That lead would not last long, though, as Mepham tied it up in the home half of the first inning on an RBI groundout by Kieran Kehoe.
They would take the lead in the bottom of the third on an RBI single by third-place hitter Steven Mulqueen, and they added another on an RBI ground put to score leadoff extraordinaire Mike Cucinella.
Both sides would play great defense until the top of the seventh when the action really occurred.
Sean Seligman was on in relief for Nick Walker – who did an outstanding job during his 3 innings of relief. At this point, the drizzle had turned into a heavy rain. Berthel led off the inning with a double to right field, and he came around to score when Chris Viggiano hit a routine grounder to short and the wet conditions made it difficult to throw the ball and it escaped past the first baseman to make it a 3-2 game. After a ground out for the first out, Billy Kind hit a well-struck ball to right field, but certainly a playable one, the right fielder misjudged it and it went to the fence allowing the tying run to score and Kind sprinted all the way to third. It was very costly, as Ierides was hit by a pitch and TJ Harrington ripped an RBI single to left, but once again the wet conditions proved to be hell as it got past the left field and allowed Harrington to go to third and Ierides and Kind to score. Sean Costello grounded out to third and Harrington scored and suddenly it was a 6-3 ballgame. Finally the inning ending on a line out to Trey O’Neill at short.
Final: Seaford 6, Mepham 4
WP: Chris ViggianoTJ Harrington go-ahead hit in top 7. Seaford overcame 3-1 deficit in 7th
Seaford improves to 13-0 pic.twitter.com/kIY36gKZb7
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) April 29, 2023
Chris Viggiano, who recently committed to USMMA came back out to shut it down in the 7th. He walked the leadoff batter and allowed consecutive one-out singles to load the bases. The next batter Jaiden Zoller hit a grounder to first that Nick Apollo handled unassisted but the runner beat the throw home to make it a 6-4 ballgame. Now with the tying run in scoring position, Viggiano had to bear down and that’ exactly what he did as he coaxed a comebacker to the mound for the final out.
It was an incredibly exciting game and it’s a shame that someone had to lose and get that first L in the loss column. It is important to note, though, that this is not a conference game so neither team is impacted in the standings that determine playoff seeding.
