Game Recaps
Pair of Freshmen Lead the Way in 7-3 Victory for Farmingdale
Final: Farmingdale 7, Port Washington 3 WP: Nick Carbone Robbie Manetta first varsity HR pic.twitter.com/ozsjdmQEk1 aXcess Baseball (@axcessbaseball) May 9, 2017 It was a couple of youngsters who played key roles in Farmingdale‘s 7-3 victory over Port Washington today. Catcher Robbie Manetta came to the plate with the Dalers leading 4-3 in the seventh and launched his first career varsity HR over the right field fence to open the game up. He also drew two walks and played well defensively. Freshman RHP Justin Rosner threw very well over five innings, allowing 0 ER with two strikeouts, but he did not factor in the decision as the Vikings tied the game up in the sixth inning against reliever Nick Carbone on an RBI single by Ryan Meth. The Dalers responded right back wi...
Dr. Luga Podesta: Coaches Are Finding Loopholes in Pitch-Count Rules
By Luga Podesta, M.D. Well it’s playoff time and the new high school pitch count rules have been in affect. As expected, coaches have figured out how to manipulate the state rules to their benefits. What we have been observing is that teams are having their ace pitch twice in the same week. The number one starter is used in relief on Monday and pitches only the exact number of pitches that would permit him to come back as the Friday starter. For example, if he pitches 66-95 pitches on Monday, he would be required to rest three nights allowing him to pitch again on Friday. This is all within the NYSPHSAA guidelines, but is it safe or in the pitchers best interest? Is that player getting adequate rest between outings? I doubt it and time will tell, especially since it is playoff time. The nu...
Brock Murtha, Sayville Thwart Rocky Point’s Seventh Inning Rally, Win 5-4
Big-time players love the high-intensity situations. Sayville freshman Brock Murtha has proven to be one of those players, and displayed that by nailing down the save with back-to-back strikeouts with runners on 2nd & 3rd, one out to preserve a 5-4 win over rival Rocky Point. “I love it,” said the freshman fireballer said in regards to having the ball in his hands in the high-leverage situations. “I love the feeling, I love everything. It’s a great feeling,” he added. Final: Sayville 5, Rocky Point4 WP: Anthony Martino S: Brock Murtha pic.twitter.com/WH8CSKoCTG aXcess Baseball (@axcessbaseball) May 8, 2017 Sayville got out to an early 1-0 lead in the first inning when Murtha hit an infield pop up that was dropped by the second baseman with Ryan...
Maritime Wins First Skyline Conference Championship With 14-2 Win Over Mount St. Mary’s
When Charlie Barbieri was interviewing for the SUNY Maritime Head Coaching position, he was asked ‘when do you think you can compete for a championship?’ He responded with “three or four years.” Well, it turns out that statement was a foreshadow as they fulfilled his prophecy with a 14-2 victory over Mount St. Mary’s to win the program’s first Skyline Conference championship. Maritime has done it! They are the 2017 Skyline Conference Champs ! pic.twitter.com/XBjx81XtXs aXcess Baseball (@axcessbaseball) May 8, 2017 “We believed,” said the third-year Head Coach, who has guided the Privateers to a 26-11 record after taking over for a program that was 14-18 in 2014. “It wasn’t false bravado, it was legit. They believe...
Maritime Mauls St. Joseph’s 21-8, Advances to Skyline Conference Championship
SUNY Maritime wasted no time in their Skyline Conference Tournament match up against St. Joseph’s this morning. The Privateers jumped on St. Joe’s pitching from the start and never relinquished the lead. The first run of the game came across on a double down the left field line by Steve Semler, who won yesterday’s fifteen inning marathon with a walk-off sacrifice fly. Thirteen Maritime batters came to the plate in the first, and besides Semler runs were driven in by Brian McLaughlin, Phill Russo, Connor Alwan, Aaron Schiavoni, Antonio Diaz and Matt Costleigh. With an opening frame like that it felt like St. Joe’s was done for before they even had a chance to bat. Head coach Charlie Barbieri said after the game: “We were trying to maybe shoot for two or three r...
Lou Doria, St. Joseph’s Power Past Mount St. Mary
Led by the scorching-hot bat of junior Lou Doria, the St. Joseph’s Golden Eagles took the Skyline Conference tournament game by storm as they posted a commanding 18-4 victory against Mount St. Mary’s on Saturday. Everything was going right for the Golden Eagles as they put up 22 hits offensively and their pitching was efficient. They will move on to play Maritime at 11 am on Sunday morning. The Golden Eagles took control of this one early as they put 11 runs in the first two innings batting through the lineup twice. They sent ten hitters to the plate as they scored six runs in the first inning due to consecutive hits through the middle of the order. The big story, however, was Doria. This kid just flat out rakes. He smacked a pair of two-run homers in his first two at-bats in t...
Maritime Wins Marathon vs USMMA in 15
SUNY Maritime and the United States Merchant Marine Academy tested each other’s endurance, playing nearly two game’s in one in Patchogue today. It was their first game of the Skyline Conference Championship and it certainly was one to remember, particularly for Stephen Semler who won it for the Privateers with a walk-off sacrifice fly in the 15th inning. Semler drove in first and the last runs of the game, he knocked in the first runthe bottom of the first with a ground out to second. Maritime then added a second run that inning on a sacrifice fly by Brian McLaughlin. USMMA had two baserunners erased in the first, but were able to get on the board in the second thanks to an RBI sacrifice bunt from Alex Gambino. However, Maritime came back with three more runs in the bottom of t...
Joe Cottone’s RBI Single Propels Plainedge to Wild Comeback 7-6 Victory
Rob Pinto got really nervous when the ball was in the air, as did the rest of the home crowd. Cleanup hitter, Mark Rossini was already 3-for-3 on the afternoon and the fans had already endured the emotional rollercoaster of the past eight-and-a-half innings. The ball was caught just shy of the fence and he retired the final two batters including a strikeout of Pete Schimmel to put an end to a thrilling 7-6 comeback victory for Plainedge over Bethpage. Final: Plainedge 7, Bethpage 6 WP: Rob Pinto pic.twitter.com/fnXpbNoDR1 aXcess Baseball (@axcessbaseball) May 4, 2017 “I shook his hand when he was running in and said ‘good hit, you scared the hell outta me,” he added. Pinto fired two shutout innings of relief to record the victory in a nine-inning game on&nbs...
Suffolk County Class AA Power Rankings
With just a handful of games remaining in the regular season, the playoff picture is pretty clear. League II remains pretty murky as Sachem North, Bay Shore, Northport and Connetquot all remain alive in the postseason hunt. The rest of the leagues are more clear. With that being said, here’s this week’s top big-school teams. 10. Bay Shore/Northport (10-5, 10-6) I’m doing it again, because not only do they have similar records, but they both beat Commack. I was willing to give the edge to whoever avoided a sweep, but they both did. Like I said last week, I give a slight edge to Northport because I really think the top of their order is underrated and they backed that up. Frankie Stola had a big 2-for-3 game against Commack with three RBI and two runs scored. Sean Klein rec...
Old Westbury and Farmingdale Upset In First Round
Two perennial Skyline Conference powerhouses--Old Westbury and Farmingdale–suffered stunning early exits in the first-round of the Skyline Conference tournament. Both came on their home field. The day began with No. 4 seed Old Westbury taking on No. 5 seed Mount St. Mary’s, who entered with an overall record of 13-26 (9-9 in conference). The Panthers sent Trey Pizzutello to the mound. The Knights got out to an early 1-0 lead on an RBI single by Chris Introcaso to score Nick Rizzo (Smithtown East ’16). The Panthers responded quickly with a run in the the bottom half of the third on an RBI double by Liam Slattery to score Jesse Matos. Pizzutello settled in and was dominant over the next several innings, but he was matched zero for zero by his counterpart, Blake Ke...
Patch Dooley Takes No-Hitter Into Sixth, Hills East Wins 7-4
It’s been one of those seasons where nothing can stop Patch Dooley. Not even 30-40 MPH gusts of wind. “This is probably the worst conditions we played in wind-wise,” said Hills East Head Coach Tim Belz following their 7-4 victory over League III rival Smithtown West. “It’s tough when the ball is moving back and forth, it makes it tough to throw strikes. Another dominating outing from him–no-hitter into the sixth inning,” he added regarding his pitcher who is committed to the College of Charleston. Final: Hills East 7, Smithtown West 4 WP: Patch Dooley pic.twitter.com/VciyH4RFaE aXcess Baseball (@axcessbaseball) May 2, 2017 Dooley, who has already fired a no-hitter this year, was five outs away before Christian Amoruso lined a clean single in...
Andrew Nagel Dominates Manhasset in 3-1 Victory
One of the hot topics in Major League Baseball is pace of play. How can they speed the game up and keep the young fans interested? One way is they can do exactly what Andrew Nagel did in today’s 3-1 victory over Nassau County Class A rival Manhasset. The senior LHP fired a 75 minute complete game that featured no errors, no pitching changes and no pinch-hitters. With his impeccable control, he forced many batters into first-pitch outs and uncomfortable at bats. Final: Garden City 3, Manhasset 1 WP: Andrew Nagel (complete game, 6 K) Rich Marooney: HR pic.twitter.com/dZiLUXzA1x aXcess Baseball (@axcessbaseball) May 1, 2017 “I normally work quick,” said the Amherst-commit. “It’s nice, it keeps the fielders on their feet, try to make everyone stay moving so...
