by Tucker Terranova
(Photo: Catherine Scarantino)
The final Saturday game of our coverage of the Nassau County Championships featured a pitching duel between A-1 #1 Wantagh and A-2 #1 Clarke in the opening game of their best-of-three set.
Christian Danzilo describes his gutsy save to lock down a 4-3 win for Wantagh. pic.twitter.com/s2cKMy3zyW
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 25, 2024
How they got here:
After winning their division with a 20-3-1 record, Wantagh has taken care of business in the playoffs, currently possessing a 4-1 record in postseason play while defeating North Shore and Plainedge.
Also winning their division with a 20-3 record, Clarke’s playoff run can only be described using one word: domination. Possessing a +35 run differential coming into game 1 and only allowing 11 runs so far, Clarke is battle-tested and ready to go.
Final: Wantagh 4 | Clarke 3
Christian Danzilo was sensational in relief and escaped the jam pic.twitter.com/KjJJhTW5NS
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 25, 2024
Tale of the Tape:
Starting the series off right, anchored by big-time performances from Christian Manzilo and Paul Fontana, Wantagh defeated Clarke by a final score of 4-3.
The inaugural two frames of this afternoon’s contest were all chalk, as neither team mustered a true scoring opportunity.
This all changed in the top of the third, as the Wantagh offense settled into form. Cole Spinelli kickstarted the rally with a single before being retired on a fielder’s choice. Jack Tate worked a walk, bringing up Fontana with runners on the corners.
Fontana ripped a fastball into right field, scoring AJ Bardi easily and Tate on a bang-bang play at the plate, giving Wantagh a 2-0 lead.
Paul Fontana opens the scoring in the 3rd with a 2RBI single pic.twitter.com/evdbosxJGW
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 25, 2024
Although Tate struggled with control early on, walking four batters through three innings, he managed to hold Clarke hitless until the bottom of the third.
Clarke, however, capitalized in the third inning after James Beckworth walked and advanced to third on a throwing error by Bardi. Beckforth then scored on the next pitch via a sacrifice fly, cutting Wantagh’s lead in half.
In the top of the fifth, Berasti lost his command, walking five batters and throwing two wild pitches, each of which allowed a run to score. This sequence led to his departure from the game, with Wantagh taking a 4-1 lead and being only nine outs away from a win.
Tate settled in after the third and was stellar for Clarke. In total, the right-hander lasted six and a third innings on 124 pitches, surrendered three runs on six hits, punched out five and walked seven.
However, going into the seventh inning down 4-2 with their backs against the wall, Clarke refused to go down quietly.
They made Wantagh pay for leaving Tate in the game, as he was hit for consecutive doubles followed by an infield single, bringing the score to 4-3 with the winning run on first base.
Tate’s struggles persisted as Clarke loaded the bases with only one out, prompting Wantagh to pull their starter for Christian Danzilo.
Danzilo, faced with what must have been the highest-stakes save of his life, with the bases loaded and only one out, rose to the occasion impeccably.
“I had to want the moment,” Danzilo said in a postgame interview with Axcess Baseball. “I went out there with all the confidence in the world.”
Danzilo struck out the first batter he faced before inducing a pop-up to short, securing the win for Wantagh.
“They trust me and I trust them,” Danzilo said. “Our guys have been making plays for me and the staff all season.”
Game 2 of the series will be at Farmingdale State College tomorrow with first pitch slated for 10 am.
