by Mike Merolle
FINAL SCORE: 5-1 Massapequa. Travis Gfrerer shuts the door in the 7th and Massapequa’s win streak extends to 6 wins. pic.twitter.com/H72QNyp3Hr
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 2, 2024
Two red-hot schools clashed in the Conference AAA-I duel on Thursday. Farmingdale (9-4) visited Massapequa (11-3) who extended their winning streak to six games after winning 5-1.
Massapequa’s Jackson Tucholski and Farmingdale’s Lorenzo Cimino had good outings for their respective side. Tucholski allowed one run on two hits and struck out five batters in four innings pitched. Cimino struck out five batters and allowed three earned runs on three hits in four innings.
T1: Angel Cartagena hits a solo shot in the first to make it a 1-0 Farmingdale lead. pic.twitter.com/Tkq5zoNHQf
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 2, 2024
Angel Cartagena got Farmingdale on the scoreboard in the top of the first with a solo shot to left field. Tucholski closed the inning with a strikeout, his second of the inning. In the bottom of the frame, Massapequa loaded the bases with two hit-by-pitches and one walk with no outs, but Cimino retired the side with a flyout and two strikeouts.
Joe Swinarski blasted an RBI double in the bottom of the second to tie the game. Swinarski’s efforts weren’t done as he stole home on a wild pitch making it 2-1 Massapequa. The Chiefs weren’t done there as Jason Romance hit a two-run double giving Massapequa a 4-1 lead.
“I was just going up there trying to be aggressive. Jumped on the first pitch, drove it to right center for a two-RBI double. Felt great,” Romance told Axcess Baseball.
The pitchers kept the game quiet until a balk with the bases loaded in the bottom of the fifth allowed Pat Maninno to score making it 5-1 Massapequa. Travis Gfrerer closed the game on the mound in the seventh inning for the Chiefs to give them their 11th win of the season.
Although there were five runs scored by Massapequa, the Farmingdale pitching staff only allowed four hits in the game. Massapequa only surrendered three hits allowing one run. The arms on the mound were the story of the game, nonetheless, the Chiefs remain hot and Romance expects more to come.
“Everyone’s just buying in and doing their role. We just want to keep it going,” he said. “We’re gonna win it all, that’s our goal.”
