Matt Sandoval throws one-hitter in West Islip's win over West Babylon
West Islip starting pitcher Matt Sandoval comes over the top with his delivery during a Suffolk League IV baseball game against West Babylon in West Islip on Wednesday, April 13, 2022. Credit: Peter Frutkoff
Matt Sandoval stepped up on his home mound at West Islip for the top of the seventh, knowing that West Babylon hadn’t come close to denting him for a hit. So was he thinking no-no?
Oh, yes.
“Absolutely,” Sandoval said. “I thought I had it in the bag.”
Ricky Fasitta led off. Sandoval missed with his first pitch, then fired a two-seamer. It leaked over the middle of the plate. Fasitta swung and lined it toward right-center. The baseball touched down cleanly for a single.
“It’s all right,” Sandoval said. “It’s not really about the hits. It’s just about the team.”
Sandoval proceeded to issue two of his three walks before nailing it down. The senior righty finished with a one-hitter in West Islip's 4-0 win Wednesday in the rubber game of the three-game series.
The Lions moved to 5-4 in the tight Suffolk IV race. West Babylon fell to 3-3.
“It was a big game for us,” West Islip coach Shawn Rush said. “We were at .500. We talked before the game as coaches: ‘We’ve got to treat this like it’s the county championship game, like we want.’ (Sandoval) wanted the ball. And he didn’t want to come out. He really showed us just what kind of pitcher he can be.”
SUNY Oneonta recruited him as a catcher, the position he plays in summer ball. He opened last season as the Lions’ starting catcher. But he moved early on to the other side of the battery and went 4-2 with a 1.75 ERA.
“Matt’s an outstanding catcher, but we thought his value to the team was more important as a pitcher,” Rush said. “… I asked him. He said, ‘Coach, I want to pitch.’ It shows what kind of teammate he is.”
Sandoval came in at 0-2 with a 1.90 ERA after losing 3-2 and 4-1. His teammates provided more run support, beginning in the second against Sean McGuire.
Jake Rivera delivered an RBI single. Then Alex Czarnomski sent a two-run double to the left-center gap.
In the fourth, Gavin DiBenedetto tripled and continued home on a throwing error. Sandoval took care of the rest, with five strikeouts along the way.
“He threw strikes,” Eagles coach Victor Manzella said. “He kept our batters off-balance … I don’t like that we didn’t hit today, but I’m happy with this team.”
