Matt Neglia goes the distance to help Hauppauge claim Long Island Class AA baseball championship
Matt Neglia of Hauppauge proudly displays the winning plaque after the LI Class AA baseball final against Division on Saturday, June 1, 2024 in Farmingdale. Credit: Dawn McCormick
The Hauppauge baseball team was ready to storm the field before the ball was even fielded.
With the tying run on third, the winning run on second and two outs in the bottom of the seventh, when pitcher Matt Neglia induced a ground ball to dependable third baseman John Margolies, the Eagles knew they had secured the program’s first Long Island championship with a 4-3 victory over Division in the Class AA title game at Farmingdale State on Saturday.
“I knew I had to get in front of the ball. I was expecting the ball to get hit to me and I was expecting to make the final play,” said Margolies, whose throw to first was perfect. “I was ready for it.”
After Matt Bolton hit an RBI double to the rightfield fence on a 3-and-2 pitch with two outs in the seventh to bring Division within a run, Hauppauge intentionally walked Isiah Marino and a passed ball put runners on second and third. But Neglia induced the grounder to third, and he knew his fellow four-year starter and best friend would make the game-ending play.
“He’s the guy you want the ball hit to with two outs and the game on the line,” coach Josh Gutes said. “John is as steady as they come and that is the Matt we’ve had all year. He’s been lights out for us just like he was today.”
“We’ve been talking about this since freshman year, that this was going to be the year,” Neglia said. “I knew John would be able to do it. I just had to make my pitches, treat it like a normal inning and know we had the talent to do it.”
Despite allowing leadoff singles in five of the seven innings and giving up 10 hits and three walks, Neglia pitched a complete game. He repeatedly pitched out of trouble, helped by a 1-2-3 double play with none out and the bases loaded in the first inning, an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play in the second and two sparkling defensive plays by freshman first baseman Matt Oliveto.
After Hauppauge escaped the bases-loaded, none-out jam with only one run allowed in the first, the Eagles put together five hits in the second to take a 4-1 lead.
Singles by Cole Wood, Kevin Walker and Kyle Magill loaded the bases with none out and Alex Ofgang hit a sacrifice fly to tie it. Vincent Crafa (two hits) ripped an RBI single to rightfield and two more runs scored when Division failed to turn a potential inning-ending double play.
Division’s Aidan Quinn hit an RBI double to the rightfield fence in the sixth to make it 4-2.
Hauppauge (21-4), which hadn’t been to the Long Island title game since 2000, faced a Division team that was making its 17th appearance.
“We knew they had experienced hitters, but our defense along with our pitching is our strongest asset,” Margolies said. “It was the chemistry this team had this year that helped us know we could accomplish this.”
“We had beautiful plays from everyone on the field today,” Gutes said. “Today wasn’t going to change how we thought the season went. There wasn’t one person, players and coaches included, that didn’t think we could win this thing.”
Christian Varela, who pitched a no-hitter in a 2-0 victory over Bellmore JFK that gave Division (22-6) the Nassau title, retired 11 of the final 12 hitters to face him and allowed only two hits after the second inning.
Hauppauge will face Victor (Rochester) in the state Class AA semifinals at Binghamton University on Friday at 7 p.m.
