Massapequa baseball is Nassau Class AA champs for fifth time in last six years
Massapequa's Erik Paulsen triples and drives in three runs during game two of the Nassau Class AA baseball finals against Farmingdale at SUNY Farmingdale on Monday, May 30, 2022. Credit: Peter Frutkoff
Five Class AA championships in six years for the Massapequa baseball program. The only thing to interrupt Massapequa’s glorious run was the COVID pandemic in 2020.
Massapequa put on an all-around performance in Game 2 of Monday’s Nassau Class AA championship series. Junior first baseman Erik Paulsen supplied most of the offensive power with a three-run triple and a run-scoring double to key an 11-1 win over Farmingdale and a sweep of the best-of-three series at Farmingdale State College.
Senior Peter Mannino caught the final fly out to centerfield and the celebration was on.
Massapequa (21-2) will meet Suffolk Class AA champion Commack (24-2) for the Long Island Class AA title Saturday at Farmingdale State College at 4 p.m.
Undefeated lefthanded starter George Adams (5-0) mixed an array of off-speed pitches and kept the Dalers off-balance allowing two hits and two walks through five innings. He allowed an unearned run in the fifth and finished with five strikeouts and 71 pitches for the win.
“He was able to mix his pitches well,” said Massapequa coach Tom Sheedy. “And we got that first run on the board which is so important.”
Massapequa opened the scoring in the first inning when Tim Dorman drew a one-out walk and Tyler Young walked with two outs. Ryan Annunziato followed with an RBI single to drive in Dorman for a 1-0 lead.
Massapequa blew the game open with a five-run second inning. Sophomore catcher Paul Dulanto led off with a double down the leftfield line. Nick Cooney sacrificed Dulanto to third to build on the one run lead. Instead, Farmingdale starter Zack Zarrilli struggled to find the zone and walked Joe Swinarski, Matt Castrogiovanni and Tim Dorman. The third straight walk forced home Dulanto and made it 2-0.
"We were patient and didn’t chase pitches out of the zone,” Paulsen said. “We weren’t anxious like the first game of the series. It was the key to building a big inning.”
With the bases loaded, Paulsen mashed a 2-0 pitch to deliver the crushing blow to deep centerfield, clearing the bases for a 5-0 lead. Tyler Young plated Paulsen with a sacrifice fly to centerfield to make it 6-0.
“It was right down the middle and I hit it well,” Paulsen said. “I was sitting on a fastball. I thought we played with confidence and our approach in our at bats was very good.”
Sheedy said Paulsen has been in the thick of the Massapequa rallies all season.
“He has the baseball IQ and understands everything we throw at him,” Sheedy said of his junior first baseman. “He’s really been fabulous. He’s a joy to have in the field and just a clutch hitter.”
Adams held the Dalers (17-7) hitless through three and a third innings before Steve Licata lined a single to break up the no hit bid. With two outs, Michael Craig drilled a double one hop off the right field fence, but the well-executed relay held Licata at third. Adams struck out Thomas O’Neill to end the threat.
"We did so many things well today,” Sheedy said. “I was especially happy for our seniors, who got into the game. They also work hard all season.”
Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.
