Oceanside rolls in three-game sweep

Senior Dan Lombardo and junior pitcher Jake Santamaria helped Oceanside break out the broom against Plainview-JFK in a Conference AA-II baseball series last week.

In the finale of a three-game set, Lombardo smacked a three-run double as well as a two-run single, and Santamaria scattered four hits and three walks while striking out 10 to earn his first varsity win, 10-2, on the road April 18. Freshman shortstop Kyle Martin continued to sizzle with three hits, two runs scored and an RBI.

“We’ve been playing pretty well and the attitude of the kids is great,” Sailors coach Mike Postilio said. “We’ve been solid in every area.”

Oceanside’s offense, which produced 32 runs in the series, rallied with two outs in the top of the second inning to stake Santamaria with a four-run cushion. Martin singled home senior Jason Weiner, who laced a leadoff single, to make it 1-0. The stage was set for Lombardo after senior Connor Pasetti was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Lombardo roped a double that one-hopped the fence in left and plated junior Pat Broder, Martin and Pasetti.

“Dan came up with some clutch hits,” Postilio said of Lombardo. “He hit the ball hard.”

The Hawks got their only two runs in the bottom half of the inning, the first on a wild pitch and the second on a single by Dominick Palumbo. But Palumbo became Plainview’s third runner in the first two innings to be caught stealing by Oceanside senior catcher Brian Lau. “Brian’s had a great year behind the plate and he’s also hitting over .300,” Postilio said. “He’s done a tremendous job handling the pitchers.”

The Sailors (6-2 record) increased their lead to 6-2 in the fourth when Lombardo singled home Broder and Martin to chase Plainview starting pitcher David Kosakavich. The Hawks never threatened against Santamaria thereafter. “Jake was a little shaky early and rushing his delivery, but once he settled down and found a rhythm he really took control,” Postilio said of Santamaria, who didn’t allow a hit over the last five innings.

Santamaria’s performance followed another dominant outing by senior southpaw James Long. In the middle game of the series at home April 16, Long fired a four-hit shutout with no walks and six strikeouts for his third win in four starts. The Sailors supported him with eight runs, including five in the fifth highlighted by senior Francis Rapp’s two-run double. Senior Peter Bell had a two-run single in the third.

“James has been dominant, no doubt about it,” Postilio said of Long, who also has wins over Syosset and Farmingdale. “He’s taking the mound with the mentality that nobody’s going to hit him. There’s really nothing more we can ask of him.”

In the April 15 series opener, Weiner and Lau homered and senior Andrew Hauser drove in three runs to lead a 14-10 victory. Junior Tom Pallatto picked up the win in relief.

Oceanside opens a three-game set against Baldwin on the road Monday at 4:30 p.m.