OTD
OTD: Joseph O’Connell’s Strong Relief Work Proves Crucial for Shelter Island
by Chris Sacchi Some shenanigans from fellow Shelter Island Bucks around Joseph O’Connell, but he stays focused to talk with @SachChristopher about over 4 innings of work out of the bullpen to earn the win in a 9-6 victory over the @WHAviators pic.twitter.com/e5ywjaMvnJ — Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) June 25, 2019 The Shelter Island Bucks led for most of Monday’s game against Westhampton, and took down the Aviators by a 9-6 score. Jeff Long for Shelter Island and Westhampton’s Ryan Smith was the starting pitching match up, but both players did not make through the fourth inning. In a battle of the bullpens, Shelter Island came out on top, led by right-hander Joseph O’Connell. O’Connell entered with a 4-1 lead in the bottom of the third inning, with two outs and runners on second an...
Road Warriors Return to the Top of the League, Use Power to Halt Red-Hot Ospreys
One week ago, the Long Island Road Warriors hit their first brick wall of the season. They dropped a key game to Westhampton, who they have been trading on-and-off with for first place in the HCBL, and proceeded to go on a three-game losing streak. It was unfamiliar territory for the defending league champions after starting the season winning seven of their first eight games. But that was last week. This week, the narrative is back to what Neal Heaton and his unit are accustomed to. The Road Warriors (11-4-0) are atop the HCBL after picking up a 6-4 victory over the North Fork Ospreys (6-8-2) on Wednesday. The win for Long Island is their fourth in a row. Coming into Wednesday’s contest, the Ospreys flipped the script on their season. They started the summer without a win through their fi...
OTD: Max Nielsen Captures 52nd Carl Yastrzemski Award
(Editor’s Note: Max Nielsen announced yesterday that he has decided to transfer to University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). He played his freshman season at UCONN but decided to transfer to Saint Anselm’s but has since changed his mind. He had Tommy John surgery last month and will likely miss the 2021 season.) When he was in sixth grade, Max Nielsen remembers going to the Ward Melville varsity baseball games watching Anthony Kay star for the Patriots. That was in 2013 when the southpaw was dominating Suffolk County hitters and leading the Patriots to the Long Island Championship. Six years later, it was Nielsen who was the key piece to the Patriots claiming the League I title and making a deep postseason run once again into the semifinals of the Suffolk AA postseason....
OTD: Center Moriches Achieves Perfection
For the past two seasons, Center Moriches has dispelled the theory that baseball is a game of failure. After yesterday’s 11-1 victory in the New York State Class B State Championship against Schuyersvile, the Red Devils captured their second straight title to cement themselves into the history books. They are the first team to finish a season undefeated (26-0) since Bayport-Blue Point in 2013–who also was able to pull off the distinction of back-to-back State Championships the next season. They have also not lost a game since April 18, 2018. Any way you slice it, this is truly a special group. In this game, they jumped out ahead immediately with a three-run shot by catcher Alec Maag. The Axcess League MVP has been the straw that stirs the drink all season and has been playing on another le...
OTD: Wantagh Wins Class A NY State Title
Being the No. 7 seed entering the postseason? No problem. Not having a two-time All-State pitcher available in the postseason? No problem. Facing an undefeated Queensbury team in the NYS title game? Psh. The Wantagh Warriors defeated Williamsville East to capture their first Class A NYS title since 1998. Starting pitcher Bobby Hegarty, who fired a one-hitter against Mount Sinai to capture the Long Island Championship went the distance, although he did struggle in the early going putting the Warriors in a 5-1 hole. They clawed back with a three-spot in the fourth inning and tied the ballgame in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Anthony Fontana that scored Jimmy Joyce. The game was tied going to the ninth inning when Joyce smacked the go-ahead home run to left field that put them three outs a...
OTD: Massapequa Overcomes 5-0 Deficit, Wins Third Consecutive LIC
Massapequa holds on, 7-6, to win the Long Island Class AA Championship for the third consecutive season ! pic.twitter.com/KEF44EkuVo — Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) June 8, 2019 Once again, Massapequa has done it. They are your back-to-back-to-back Class AA Long Island Champions. This time, they defeated Connetquot 7-6 in one of the best games of the year. In a rather curious decision, neither team decided to throw their ace for the Long Island Championship. Connetquot jumped on the board first in the bottom of the 2nd inning, thanks to a Jared Yalon RBI. Yalon came through once again for the Thunderbirds in the bottom of the 4th inning with a 2 RBI double. This put Connetquot in front 5-0. When it seemed like Massapequa was down and out, they most certainly weren’t. With the bottom...
OTD: The Greatest Dogpile in History Follows Brock Murtha’s No-Hitter
Brock Murtha’s no-hitter sends Sayville to the N.Y. state championship for the first time in program history! pic.twitter.com/HOYA7iindr — Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) June 9, 2019 f you watched the Class AA Long Island Championship earlier in the day at St. Joseph’s, you were fortunate to watch a game filled with high drama, intensity, scoring changing and ultimately, a three-peat. The Class A Championship was just as intense but for the opposite reasons. Brock Murtha, Notre Dame-commit and consensus top player in the 2020 class on Long Island, struck out nine in a no-hitter to deliver Sayville their first Class A LIC in program history. They defeated Clarke (23-3-1) by a score of 1-0 with the lone run scoring in the top of the seventh with two outs on an RBI single by Jack Davis....
OTD: Connetquot Captures Suffolk AA Championship
Connetquot is the 2019 Suffolk AA Champs ! They will face Massapequa in the Long Island Championship on Saturday pic.twitter.com/DVn38w3IzF — Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) June 4, 2019 When Connetquot made a deep postseason run into the Suffolk AA Final Four last season, many felt that they had overachieved. Everyone except the players, who felt they should’ve won it all. One year later, they have climbed the mountain top and captured the AA County Championship for the first time since 2015. They did so with a 14-1 victory against No.1 seed Ward Melville and ace Max Nielsen. The T-Birds and their high-octane offense had been held in check in Game 1 by Ryan Hynes, but defeated Ethan Farino yesterday. They faced UCONN-commit Max Nielsen, who was coming off an 18-K master piece on Frid...
OTD: Clarke Captures First County Championship Since 2013
FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2013, THE CLARKE RAMS ARE COUNTY CHAMPIONS!!!! FINAL: Clarke 7 Division 0 pic.twitter.com/pWdOtzXJB7 — Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) June 3, 2019 For the first time since 2013, the Clarke Rams are Class A County Champions. On Monday afternoon, Clarke blanked Division, 7-0, in the do-or-die game three. From the start of this game, it was never really close. Judging by the atmosphere on both sides of the stands and the pitching match up, it seemed this was going to be a close game. However, it never was. Colin Diez was handed the ball for Division and Chris Lydon got the start for Clarke. In the bottom of the 1st, Matt DeStefano gave Clarke an early 1-0 lead on a sacrifice fly to left field. Chris Lydon helped himself out, driving in a run in the bottom of the...
OTD: Wantagh Gets to Morrell Early, Repeats As Long Island Champions
THE WANTAGH WARRIORS ARE BACK TO BACK CLASS A LONG ISLAND CHAMPIONS! FINAL: Wantagh 4 Shoreham-Wading River 2 pic.twitter.com/JFdQ2tqOgN — Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) June 3, 2017 Much like they have for the past two seasons. Wantagh‘s star players shined when it mattered most. This time it was in the Long Island Championship, defeating the 24-1 Shoreham-Wading River WIldcats 4-2. From the first pitch of this championship contest, the atmosphere could’ve been mistaken for a Wantagh home game. The first pitch of this game was driven for a lead off double over the left fielder’s head courtesy of Anthony D’Onofrio. This was just the beginning. When the first inning was all said and done, Morrell was forced to throw 32 pitches and allowed four earned runs, handing him his worst outing...
OTD: Fontana Deals, Leads Wantagh To Third Consecutive Long Island Championship
THEY HAVE DONE IT AGAIN. Wantagh completes the three-peat as Class A Long Island Champions! FINAL: Wantagh 4 Rocky Point 2 WP – Anthony Fontana (Complete Game) pic.twitter.com/9HcJj90Tin — Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) June 2, 2018 Nobody knows how to win championships better than Wantagh. On Sunday, the Wantagh Warriors defeated the Rocky Point Eagles by a score of 4-2 to capture their third consecutive Class A Long Island Championship. The highly anticipated pitching matchup between Joe Grillo and Anthony Fontana was everything that was expected, as both starters produced for their team. However, Fontana got the best of the Rocky Point lineup. He went the distance, allowing no earned runs on four hits. “This is incredible, three years in a row I could cry right now this is o...
OTD: Commack Captures First County Championship Since 1997
Commack does it!! They are the 2017 Suffolk Class AA Champions ! Commack 8, West Islip 6 WP: Jake Krzemienski pic.twitter.com/00g1i7pt9V — Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 31, 2017 One week before the season, the Commack baseball team didn’t know who their Head Coach would be. This was a team coming off a 14-win season and a playoff run with arguably the best staff on Long Island. Three months later they are celebrating their first Suffolk County Class AA championship since 1997 after their 8-6 back-and-forth victory over the reigning Long Island Champion West Islip Lions. Senior Pete Theodorellis, who tied the game up at 6-6 in the sixth inning with a double off the fence–and fired 8.2 IP yesterday–never wavered in his optimism with this team. Even during that period of confusion ...
