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Sports

Sayville Edges Out Islip In Class A First Round

Hewson's two-run homer provides barely enough support for Butler.

After having their way with League VI for most of the regular season, the Golden Flashes nearly became the latest upset victim in the first round of the double-elimination tournament.

However, the top team in the Class A playoffs, unlike Lindenhurst and Smithtown West--the top highest seeds in the Class AA bracket, survived a late rally by Islip and held on for a 2-1 victory.

Islip's Matt Naldone kept the Golden Flashes off balance all day with a variety of off-speed pitches. He allowed just two runs on six hits and no walks. He also struck out three.

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"He did a pretty good job, but I still think that we did not take the approach we do on a daily basis and that’s stay below the hands and hit the ball on the ground and line drives,” said Sayville head coach . “Way too many pop ups over the last couple of games, so we’re going to focus tomorrow in practice in hitting the ball down on the ground because I was not happy with our offensive performance today."

Naldone held the usually potent Sayville (19-2) bats down for most of the day, with the exception of Mike Hewson, who smoked a two-run homer on a 1-1 pitch in the third inning, accounting for all of his team's runs.

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"I was actually anxious to hit the ball, get it in play," said the Sayville slugger. "I was looking for a fastball, but was ready to adjust to the curveball. I got a fastball, and I was able to hit it out."

He finished the day 3-for-3 including a double off the top of the fence in right center field to lead off the bottom of the sixth.

"Hewson’s one of the best players in New York State and he showed it right there," said Cox. "He hit a ball out, he might have gotten out in front a bit but he got enough of it to get it out of the yard and help us out. That was the difference in the game."

Sayville's pitched a complete game, taking a shutout into the sixth inning. He allowed one run on five hits and four walks and struck out two. After cruising through five and two-thirds, he got himself into a jam with two outs in the sixth.

Butler walked the Buccaneers' Tyler Murphy, who then came around to score on a double down the left field line off the bat of Mike Grudzinski. He then hit Matt Busch with the next pitch, and the runners advanced to second and third on a passed ball.

On a 2-2 pitch, Butler floated a curveball that broke back over the inside part of the plate to the right handed Ryan Feminella. The home plate umpire disagreed. Butler spun around in disbelief and walked Feminella, before finally striking out Derek Rodriguez to end the frame.

"I think there was a call that should’ve went our way, and it kind of affected him a little bit," said Cox. "He refocused and got us back in here, but he can’t let his emotions get the best of him. He’s got to stay composed. And in the last inning he did."

News & Notes:

  • Hewson's 10 home runs lead all of Long Island. He and Butler will play together next year at Fairleigh-Dickinson University.
  • Shortstop Mike Rahn was 2-for-3 with a pair of singles and a run scored.
  • According to Butler, the umpire confessed that he was wrong on the pitch to Feminella after the game.
  • The Golden Flashes will face Kings Park on Friday at 4 p.m. at "The Swamp." The winner of that game will play on Monday at 11 a.m. at the home field of the higher seed in the Class A semifinals.

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