by Eddie Lennon
Oceansides Luke Villella is the Axcess Baseball Player of the Game powered by @GCsports. Villella crushed a go ahead RBI double. Solid 6-4 W for Oceanside. pic.twitter.com/otDo4wRfsP
Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) April 3, 2023
In a thrilling start to the season, Oceanside comes out victorious with an upset win over Massapequa as they win 6-4 in six innings.
Opening up against a powerhouse like Massapequa was not an easy task for coach Mike Postilio and his young Oceanside squad. Massapequa are the five-time reigning Class AA Nassau County Champs and were looking to establish their dominance early in the county. Oceanside had different plans for the evening.
Mike Furst took the mound for Oceanside. He kept them competitive by tossing 4 1/3 innings, striking out five and allowing four runs, only two being earned. His ability to attack the zone helped him get out of a few jams early.
Offensively, Massapequa got on the board first when Eric Corey singled to right to drive in Stony Brook-commit Paul Dulanto, who walked and then stole second. Oceanside took a 2-1 lead in the third off Massapequas George Adams, who tossed 4 innings, striking out 5 and allowing 3 runs, when Patrick Pallentino and Jake Lunenfeld both hit doubles and scored to make it 2-1 through three innings. In the top of the fifth, Michael Vilardi took the lead back for Massapequa with a monstrous double to left to clear the bases and bring in three. Oceanside re-took the lead in the fifth when Lunenfeld drove in Pallentino with a single.
Michael Regan comes up huge in relief in the 5th, striking out the last batter of the inning and stranding the game-tying run on 3rd. We we enter the bottom of the 6th, Oceanside 5, Massapequa 4. pic.twitter.com/oBI3yIcQAV
Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) April 3, 2023
Sophomore Luke Villella stepped up and hit a double, with two runners on. The first scored, but the second runner was caught at the plate. Villellas big hit tied the game and then he eventually scored on an RBI from Junior Sean Varon to take a 5-4 lead in the fifth inning. After Furst ran out of steam in the 5th, Mike Regan came in and he came in pitching clutch. Oceanside needed outs and he got them. He got out of the 5th and then stranded the game-tying run in the top of the 6th with a huge strikeout. In the bottom of the sixth, Davies extended Oceansides lead to 6-4 with an RBI double in the gap.
The seventh inning was started, but then the umpires determined the conditions to be too dark to continue and the final was called after six innings. Oceansides deep lineup and resiliency from a young, tenacious team was the difference maker in their opening day upset win.