It’s tough to have a more competitive, intense baseball game between two Suffolk County powerhouses than the one we just saw at Ward Melville to send the Patriots into the Class AA semifinals next week. Trailing 6-5 in the bottom of the sixth, right fielder Matt Franco crushed a game-winning three-run home run to left center field to give Ward Melville an 8-6 lead, one that they would not relinquish. The game was the definition of back-and-forth as the Patriots jumped out to an early 1-0 lead on a solo home run by Ethan Farino in the first inning. They added to that in the bottom of the third when Brady Doran led off with a double to right center field and advanced to third when Matt Maurer laid down a perfect bunt and reached first safely. After a walk to Ethan Farino, Anthony Pasca...
Drake Eggleston fires a 90-MPH fastball past James Myler and Ward Melville holds on, 3-1, to end Longwood’s 7-game winning streak pic.twitter.com/ydecyfY71N Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) April 13, 2018 This one had playoff intensity from the first pitch. It had an ejection before most fans even made their way to a seat and it had excitement right up until the last pitch, when flame-throwing closer Drake Eggleston (UPENN-commit) fired a 90-MPH heater past James Myler with two runners on to slam the door shut on a crucial 3-1 victory over the upstart Longwood Lions. Everyone in attendance was on edge with the potential go-ahead run at the plate. Everyone except for Eggleston. “I knew what I had to do and I just focused on that,” said Eggleston. “I was pr...
Final: MVP Beast 8, Premier Baseball 0 (5-inning mercy) WP: Jake Krzemienski Ristano: 3-for-3, 2 RBI pic.twitter.com/YR8LpE6hIP Axcess Baseball (@axcessbaseball) October 5, 2017 It is not uncommon for Long Island teams to struggle in national tournament against elite teams, especially in a tournament such as Perfect Game‘s WWBA Underclass World Championship. Someone forgot to tell MVP Beast that, as they mercied Premier Baseball, a team from Texas, by the score of 8-0 in five innings. Head Coach Pete Kritikos was not surprised one bit by his team’s performance. “The guys that have been with us since they were 11-years-old just know what to do,” said Kritikos. “And to be honest with you, we’ve been there before. Whether we’ve won or lost, we&...