Jason Romance helps Massapequa top Farmingdale, forcing a deciding Nassau Class AAA Game 3
Massapequa's Anthony Di Nello celebrates with Jason Romance after he hits a solo homer in the 2nd ining at the Nassau County High School baseball finals between Massapequa and Farmingdale Class AAA game #2 in Farmingdale on Friday, May 30, 2025 Credit: Neil Miller
Massapequa was held scoreless in an excruciating one-run, eight-inning loss to Farmingdale to open the Nassau Class AAA baseball championship series Thursday night.
But its bats could not be kept at bay for long.
No. 2 Massapequa erupted for eight runs in the first two innings — five in the first and three in the second — and all nine starters recorded a hit in Friday’s 10-4 win over top-seeded Farmingdale in Game 2 of the best-of-three series at Farmingdale State.
“Last night's game was a fight, so we came out here like this could be our last game,” said senior first baseman Jason Romance, who went 2-for-4 with a solo homer and two RBIs. “So let's go out there and put up runs, and let's fight and let's win this game and force a Game 3, which honestly we are really confident for.
“The way we swung the bats today, keep on doing that. We got a great shot. They're a good team, but we keep doing the things we're doing, we should be good.”
Game 3 will be at a to-be-determined time Sunday at Farmingdale State.
Despite a 1-0 Game 1 loss that ended on a walk-off balk, Massapequa coach Tom Sheedy believed his team was loose entering Friday’s game.
“The bus ride going home last night was good,” Sheedy said. “The bus ride coming today was good. Their (warmup) was good. They're ready to play. They know what's at stake.”
John Neary (2-for-5) hit a leadoff single in the bottom of the first for Massapequa (17-8). After a lineout, Romance walked and Thomas Harding hit an RBI ground-rule double to give Massapequa a 1-0 lead.
Mikey Smar had an RBI single, AJ Conza (2-for-4) hit a two-run triple and Vincenzo Della Porta (three RBIs) had a run-scoring walk to make it 5-0 after one.
Romance’s solo shot to leftfield and Della Porta’s two-run ground-rule double extended the lead to 8-0 through two.
Farmingdale (19-4-1) cut it to 8-4 after Eli Sierra (3-for-3) crushed a two-run homer in the fourth and Ive Mills and Angel Cartagena each had fifth-inning RBIs.
Massapequa righthander Jackson Tucholski allowed four hits and four runs (two earned) in 4 1/3 innings for the victory. Jack Corrigan, who entered with the tying run on deck in the sixth inning, pitched a perfect final 1 1/3 innings for the save.
“Some guys have been with us for three years,” Sheedy said. “They won two years ago when Erik Paulsen hit the (walk-off grand) slam. They lost in the semifinals (last year), not getting here for the first time in 10 years. And now they're back.
“Every year at the end of the year, I write a whole thing, and the last sentence is always: Compete for a county championship.
Ben Dickson joined Newsday’s high school sports staff in 2023 after graduating from Maryland, where he covered several of the Terrapins' teams.
