Carle Place's Roman Sandonato fires shutout, propels baseball team to first title since 2003
Carle Place celebrates its victory over Oyster Bay in the Nassau Class B baseball championship on Sunday in Farmingdlae. Credit: Dawn McCormick
As Carle Place lefthander Roman Sandonato watched a popup land in first baseman Philip Bunt’s glove for the final out, he slammed his arms to the Farmingdale State turf and roared euphorically.
Sadonato turned right and saw catcher Tyler Marquart sprinting toward him before jumping into the pitcher’s arms. A dogpile spilled onto the mound, and the celebration was on.
Sandonato allowed five hits in complete-game shutout, striking out six and walking four to lead No. 2 Carle Place to a 1-0 win over top-seeded Oyster Bay on Sunday morning, completing the sweep in Game 2 of the best-of-three Nassau Class B baseball championship series.
“That was like a movie,” Sandonato said.
Said coach Stephen Laurino: “[Roman and I] just keep saying, ‘We haven't even seen the best of you yet. The best of you is yet to come. You're still really good, but the best of you is yet to come.’
“Today he showed out, man. He refused to come out. He did not want me to take him out. He didn't even want me to think about it. He wanted the ball. He wanted the complete game. Unbelievable performance.”
Carle Place (18-6) earned its first championship since winning the state title in 2003; it lost in the 2022 Long Island Class C championship game after being unopposed in Nassau.
The Frogs will meet either Babylon or Pierson in the LI title game on June 7 at 4:30 p.m. at Farmingdale State.
“I think I was in fourth grade in 2003, and I was obsessed with baseball,” said Laurino, a 2011 Carle Place graduate. “I lived across the street from the field, I'd walk up every day and watch these guys — Billy Simpson, Mike Miele, these legends of Carle Place … It's been that long since we've been here. They all wanted it so bad, and it's just so special.”
Oyster Bay (16-8-1) had runners in scoring position in five different innings, but Sandonato escaped each time.
“I was just making sure my mechanics were fluid and just pounding the zone, that was it,” said Sandonato, who transferred back to Carle Place last fall after attending Holy Trinity. “Just letting them hit the ball. Didn't get a ton of strikeouts, but got the job done — ground balls, popups, that's it.”
Tommy Schoch (2-for-3) hit a first-inning RBI single to drive in Marquart for the lone run.
Oyster Bay starter Connor O’Brien had three strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings. Chase Lordi struck out two in 1 1/3 innings of relief for the Baymen.
“It's such an amazing feeling to do something for our school that hasn’t been done in so many years,” said Schoch, who had a nine-inning complete-game victory in Game 1. “Congratulations to Coach Laurino, too. He really deserves it more than anyone.”
Ben Dickson is Newsday Sports' general assignment reporter. He joined Newsday’s high school sports staff in 2023 after graduating from Maryland, where he covered several of the Terrapins' teams.
