by Tucker Terranova
Massapequa is back on top ! They defeat Farmingdale, 12-0, in Game 3 of the Nassau AAA Finals to capture the County Championship ??
They face the winner of Connetquot-Sachem North in the Class AAA Long Island Championship next Saturday at Farmingdale State College at 7pm pic.twitter.com/2sQ1wOZdsE
Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) June 1, 2025
The empire has struck back.
After a loss to Port Washington in the 2024 Nassau County Class AAA semifinals ended Massapequas six-year run of county championships, the Chiefs returned to the mountaintop Sunday morning, routing top-seeded and reigning champion Farmingdale, 12-0, in game three of the best-of-three championship series.
Massapequa rallied after dropping the opener 1-0 in eight innings due to a balk-off. After being held scoreless in game one, the Chiefs offense erupted for 22 runs over the next two contests. It was a full-team effort 15 different players reached base in the do-or-die contest while six drove in runs.
Ive really liked our teams approach, said head coach Tom Sheedy, whose squad has now captured 13 county titles this century. About a month ago, our guys fully bought into what weve been teaching, and everythings been positive since. We tell them all the time weve got the answers to the Regents tests. These kids studied them and used it to win a championship.
The main catalyst in the Chiefs offensive barrage was Mikey Smar, who tallied two hits and five RBIs in the win. The junior third baseman reached base in four of his five plate appearances.
Mikey Smar discusses his 5-RBI day which helped Massapequa clinch the Nassau Class AAA Title. pic.twitter.com/QUYhkGcEEa
Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) June 1, 2025
It was personal for me all day, said Smar, a returning member of last years team. After getting intentionally walked, I was just thankful to get going just like all of our guys did today.
Massapequa struck early, plating a run in the first on a bases-loaded walk from AJ Conza. They added two more in the second Caiden Erkers wind-blown fly ball dropped into no-mans land for an RBI double, and he later came around to score on an error to make it 3-0.
That lead would prove more than enough for Jack Scannapico, who got the start on the mound. The right-hander was back in a familiar spot, having also pitched the game three clincher against Plainview-Old Bethpage in the semifinals.
Scannapico settled in quickly, tossing five scoreless innings of four-hit ball.
I was just trying to throw strikes, said Scannapico, who earned the win. My goal was to get ground balls and trust my defense to make the plays behind me.
His only jam came in the third, when Farmingdale led off with back-to-back singles. But Scannapico escaped unscathed, thanks in part to a highlight-reel, sprawling catch by shortstop John Neary who ran well into left field to make the grab.
That was a crazy play, Scannapico said. Off the bat, I didnt think anyone had a shot at it. Then John came flying out of nowhere and made the catch he definitely saved a run.
The catch sparked the offense in the fourth, as Massapequa tacked on three more runs. Smar punched a two-run single up the middle, and Conza followed with a liner to left to extend the lead to 6-0.
The bats stayed hot in the fifth. Erker drove in a run with a double to the right-center gap, then Smar roped a two-run double to the right-field corner pushing the lead to nine.
The Chiefs plated another trifecta in the seventh, with RBIs from Chris Sultana, Vincenzo Della Porta, and Smar his fifth of the game to put it away.
For Massapequa, the win was the culmination of a year-long mission. From the moment their six-year run ended, theyve had their sights set on today.
We knew we made some mistakes last year and had a chance to bounce back, Scannapico said. We fixed what needed fixing in practice, focused on what we could control, and kept last year in the back of our minds as motivation.
No one knows the importance of team culture better than Sheedy and his staff something he praised after the win.
Weve built the culture into what we want it to be, said coach Sheedy. Win or lose, were proud of what weve created. If you dont love this game, this isnt the place for you. But if you do, God love you, youre exactly where you belong.
With the win, the Chiefs advance to the Class AAA Long Island Championship against Connetquot next Saturday at Farmingdale State College at 7 p.m.