Massapequa Coast moves one step closer to Little League World Series with first-round win in Metro Regional
Members of the Massapequa Coast 12U baseball team head for the Little League World Series Metro Regional tournament in Bristol, Conn., on Friday in Massapequa. Credit: Howard Schnapp
BRISTOL, Conn. — The Massapequa Coast 12U baseball team is one step closer to returning to the Little League World Series.
Behind a one-hitter by pitchers Ryan Land and Harrison Smith, Massapequa defeated Smithfield (Rhode Island), 10-1, in the first round of the Metro Regional Championship on Saturday night at Breen Field. Massapequa will face East Hanover (New Jersey) in the semifinals at 1 p.m. on Monday on ESPN.
Smithfield’s lone hit was a leadoff home run by Connor Curtis in the fifth inning that cut Massapequa’s lead to 3-1. Under the bright lights and in front of the intimidating ESPN+ cameras, Land responded by retiring the next five batters he faced.
Land struck out nine batters on 65 pitches in 5 2⁄3 innings. He was replaced by Smith, who needed just one pitch to induce a comebacker for the final out.
“It’s just another day in the park for Ryan,” manager Jon Henchy said. “He just dominates. He keeps the other team off the board and our defense does its thing.”
Said Land: “We were up 3-0, so I just shook [the home run] off. I knew we were going to score more runs, so it didn’t bother me.”
Land was right, as his team put together a seven-run, two-out rally in the bottom of the fifth. Carter Kemper worked a bases-loaded walk to drive in Louis Cracco and give Massapequa a 4-1 lead. Land followed with a two-run double to right-centerfield before Gavin Weiss lined a two-run single to left. Brady Hunt capped the rally with a two-run double down the leftfield line, sending Massapequa’s fans into a frenzy.
“It was just relief,” Land said. “We didn’t get a hit until the fourth inning, so that inning really boosted our confidence going into the next game.”
Hunt scored the first run of the game on a wild pitch in the second inning. Later in the inning, Matteo Pipia added another run on another wild pitch.
“I knew that we were going to work the count and make their pitcher throw wild,” Hunt said. “It happened at the right time and I just stole home.”
In the fourth, Pipia tapped a spinning grounder in front of the plate and hustled down the line to force an errant throw, allowing Weiss to score.
“I think today will put other teams on notice,” Henchy said. “We saw New Jersey play earlier. They’re similar to us — scrappy with good pitching. This is why we’re here, to play these tough games and try to scratch one more out.”
