Massapequa loses to Ketcham in state Class AAA baseball semifinals
Massapeua pitcher Jackson Tucholski against Ketcham in the state Class AAA semifinals on Friday in Binghamton. Credit: Newsday/David Trotman-Wilkins
BINGHAMTON — The Massapequa baseball team can never be counted out.
With its season on the line Friday in the state Class AAA semifinals, it was no surprise that Massapequa gave itself a chance in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Trailing by two runs, Massapequa had runners on first and second with none out, but Ketcham closer Tyler Durkin settled in. He struck out consecutive batters before inducing a groundout for the final out of Ketcham’s 4-2 victory over Massapequa at SUNY Binghamton.
Ketcham (21-3), which advanced to the state final for a third straight season, will face Section II’s Saratoga Springs (20-6) on Saturday at 10 a.m. at Mirabito Stadium.
“It wasn’t a very good performance by us,” coach Tom Sheedy said. “We threw the ball all over the field. We struck out looking about half a dozen times. We had bases loaded with nobody out in the first inning and only got two runs out of it . . . And I still thought we were going to win.”
In the final frame, pinch hitter Thomas Connelly lined a leadoff single to center and John Neary followed with an infield single.
“Neary on first base is one of our fastest runners, so a ball in the gap ties the game,” Sheedy said. “Unfortunately, we didn’t get it done, but that’s why you play these games.”
Massapequa opened the scoring in the first inning when Thomas Harding (2-for-4) singled home Neary. Anthony Conza’s one-out single drove in Caiden Erker to give Massapequa a 2-0 lead.
Ketcham tied it with two runs in the third and scored two in the fourth to take the lead, capitalizing on two of Massapequa’s four errors.
After facing eight batters in the first, Ketcham pitcher John Esposito found his groove. He allowed two runs and five hits in six innings, striking out eight and walking three to earn the win.
“He started to get comfortable with his curveball and I think that helped him relax a little bit,” Sheedy said. “A couple of guys got hits off the curveball in the first inning, but he kind of got in his rocking chair and got comfortable. We didn’t really challenge him in the middle innings. He was always in control of the count. My hat’s off to him.”
Massapequa’s Jack Scannapieco allowed no earned runs in 3 1⁄3 innings of relief, striking out two.
Massapequa (19-9), which started the season 5-5, won its 11th Long Island title and seventh Nassau championship en route to its state semifinal appearance.
“It was a very fun season,” said Harding, a senior and St. John’s commit. “We started off slow, but we started to hit and we didn’t look back. It was a great year. I’m just gonna miss the team, getting along and bonding with everyone.”
“I’m proud of their resiliency and their growth and maturity,” Sheedy said. “Realizing what the result will be when you put the work ethic in instead of being a bunch of clowns. They changed that all on their own and they ended up with the season they ended up having.”
Matt Lindsay is a high school sports reporter who joined Newsday in 2022 after graduating from Stony Brook University.
