Lucas Patton's spectacular catch secures win for East Islip baseball over West Islip
East Islip’s Thomas Costarelli struck out 10 batters over six innings against West Islip on Tuesday. Credit: Jonathan Singh
West Islip pinch-hitter Ben Delanoy came to the plate representing the tying run with two outs in the top of the seventh inning. With runners at first and second and his Lions trailing host East Islip by three, Delanoy drilled a 2-and-2 pitch into the right-centerfield gap.
Before the sinking liner could reach earth, junior rightfielder Lucas Patton was in an all-out dive to make a spectacular catch and secure East Islip’s 4-1 win over West Islip in a Suffolk League IV win in Islip Terrace.
The play also made a winner out of starting pitcher Thomas Costarelli, who allowed five hits, one walk and struck out 10 over six innings. Costarelli improved to 6-0 with a 0.25 earned run average.
“Lucas is a great all-around athlete,” East Islip coach Sal J. Ciampi said. “He’s a clutch hitter and just does everything really well.”
Patton went 2-for-3 with three RBI.
The win moved first-place East Islip to 12-1 (14-1 overall) and dropped West Islip to 7-6 in league play.
“We lost to a Division I pitcher and a team that played good defense,” West Islip coach Shawn Rush said. “I was proud of our sophomore pitchers for battling against a top team.”
West Islip starter Ryan Gaffney battled through four-plus innings, allowing four runs (three earned) and five hits. He walked three and struck out two.
East Islip opened the scoring in the first inning when Dylan Casani reached on a fielder’s choice, stole second and scored when Patton lined a single off the glove of diving shortstop Connor Kenefick for the 1-0 lead.
West Islip tied the score in the second inning when sophomore Will Delanoy smoked a two-out solo home run to left.
“It was the first home run I’ve ever allowed at any level of baseball,” Costarelli said. “I knew it was gone when he hit it. The ball was up in the zone and he crushed it. I told him after the game it was a nice shot.”
Costarelli settled in from that point, striking out four of the next five hitters. He struck out at least two in each of the first five innings.
“He didn’t have his best stuff and was still able to battle through the adversity,” Ciampi said. “He was flustered with the strike zone but kept his composure.”
East Islip grabbed the lead in the fourth when the bottom of the order came up clutch. The No. 8 hitter, Chris Lamacchia, singled up the middle with two outs and scored from first base when the nine hitter Matt Pasfield doubled into the left-centerfield gap for the 2-1 lead.
Patton added a one-out, two-run single in the fifth to make it 4-1.
“I was able to find my rhythm and we played great defense,” Costarelli said. “And what a great catch to end the game.”
Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.
