Thomas Costarelli's two-hitter leads East Islip in Suffolk Class AA winner's bracket final
Thomas Costarelli of East Islip tips his cap to his teammates after a complete game shutout in a Suffolk Class AA playoff game against Eastport-South Manor on Monday at Eastport-South Manor. Credit: Michael A. Rupolo Sr.
Thomas Costarelli is an elite athlete.
His athleticism was the difference between East Islip and Eastport-South Manor in Monday’s Suffolk Class AA winner’s bracket baseball final in Manorville.
Costarelli fired a two-hitter with two walks, a hit batsman and eight strikeouts in second-seeded East Islip’s 2-0 road win over previously undefeated and top-seeded Eastport-South Manor. His final pitch, an 89-mph heater, produced his last strikeout and stranded runners at first and second.
“He reached back for that little extra there in the last inning,” East Islip coach Sal J. Ciampi said. “He didn’t have his ‘A’-level breaking stuff today and still managed to shut them down. He’s the definition of a complete athlete — a kid that does everything well.”
Costarelli’s defense was a key to the win. He fielded his position like a Gold Glove recipient, recording an assist in innings three through six. Those four plays buoyed the East Islip defense.
A sampling of that defense: Costarelli grabbed a hard grounder up the middle, spun and fired to shortstop Chris Lamacchia to turn a 1-6-3 double play to end the third inning. He snared a high chopper destined for centerfield and turned it into a routine out in the fourth. He charged off the mound to scoop a bunt attempt for a hit and recorded the out at first in the fifth. And he sprinted off the mound to backhand a grounder toward second base to pick up an out at first in the sixth.
“He’s a great player,” Eastport-South Manor coach Jim McGowan said. “We knew what needed to be done to win this one. We could not put down pivotal bunts to help manufacture runs and East Islip came up with two two-out run-scoring hits to beat us. We’re a young team and we battled.”
Despite not having a senior in the starting lineup, Eastport-South Manor had won 22 games in a row. The Sharks were forced into the loser’s bracket of the double-elimination tournament and will host No. 4 East Hampton at 4 p.m. Tuesday, with the winner taking on East Islip (21-2).
East Islip scored a run in each of the second and third innings. Michael Tramaglini led off the second with a single and moved to second on a two-out single by Chris Rizzo. Lamacchia singled to left to drive in Tramaglini for the 1-0 lead.
“We needed a clutch hit, and he left a curveball up in the zone,” Lamacchia said. “And it found the hole. It was important to get the lead with Thomas on the mound. We have so much confidence in him.”
Lucas Patton added a two-out RBI single in the third to make it 2-0.
It was all East Islip could muster against Eastport-South Manor starter Logan Walsh. He went the distance, allowing five hits and four walks (three intentional), and struck out five.
Costarelli’s final punch-out was timely. On deck loomed Eastport leadoff man Brady McGowan, who had been on Costarelli in all three at-bats. He drilled the first pitch of the game for a line-drive single, reached by error and was robbed of a hit in the sixth by Lamacchia.
“It was good to finish it where we did,” Ciampi said. “I didn’t want McGowan coming up again.”
Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.
