High school central

Wheatley found itself down in the sixth inning of game two of the Nassau Class B championship series and turned to an unlikely candidate with the game on the line.

Sophomore right hander Mike Carney was called upon to make his first varsity appearance in the most stressful of situations.

“He couldn't wait, he was anxious to get in and he loved it,” Wheatley head coach Paul Paino said....

Long Island Lutheran’s Boogie Brozoski and North Babylon’s Brianna Jones will spend Memorial Day weekend trying out for the USA Women’s Basketball U16 team at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. Brozoski and Jones, who both just finished their sophomore seasons, are two of 100 players who applied and were accepted to tryout for the team, along with 32 other players who were...

Here are my Suffolk Class AA second round picks for softball. All upcoming games below take place at 4 p.m. Wednesday at the higher seed. Longwood and Deer Park start at 4:30 p.m.

@AA1 Bay Shore over AA8 Riverhead

Runs won’t be easy to come by against Michelle DeVito. The Marauders ace right-hander was sharp in her 2013 postseason debut, pitching a one-hit, complete-game shutout, while...

After Clarke dropped the first game of the best-of-three quarterfinal in Nassau ‘A’ to league foe and No. 14 Valley Stream North the Rams needed to make a statement.

Despite being seeded 11 spots higher, Clarke had its back up against the wall in the quarterfinals again. In 2012 No. 16 Plainedge upset the Rams en route to an unlikely state semifinal run.

“They were only a 14 seed because...

Entering the playoffs as the No. 13 seed and needing to win two elimination games just to make it into the Class A quarterfinals was not anything out of the ordinary for Plainedge.

That’s because the Red Devils entered the playoffs as the No. 16 seed in 2012 and went all the way to the state semifinals.

“We know that once you make the playoffs any team can win,” head coach Colin Fratrik...

Syosset starting pitcher Jake Laine has had a heck of a week.

The Braves senior ace was dominant on Monday in No. 7 Syosset’s 1-0 win over No. 10 Farmingdale in the first round of the playoffs. Laine went the distance and allowed only two hits, striking out seven and walking none. But most importantly he was efficient – his masterpiece was completed in under 60 pitches.

Fast-forward...

Bayport-Blue Point (22-0) entered Friday's Class A winners bracket semifinal against No. 4 Miller Place having allowed only seven runs in its last eight games.

This time, it was their bats and some timely relief pitching that did the work in a 12-7 win.

Mike Alliegro capped a four-run fourth inning with an RBI single for BBP that put them in front 9-2, a seemingly insurmountable deficit...

Four teams in Class AA and A will have the opportunity to advance in the winners’ bracket of their respective classes. On the flip side, seasons will be on the line as six elimination games will be played across both classifications. Class B and C also begin their tournaments.

Class AA

Four teams have advanced undefeated through the first two rounds of Suffolk’s double elimination tournament...

Dominique Soto didn't have much of a choice but to go behind the plate for the Miller Place softball team prior to its League VI game against Eastport-South Manor on May 1.

Soto, who is the Panthers’ regular third baseman, was tapped to play catcher by coach Danielle Hazen not only because she was capable, but because there was no one else to help fill the void.

“We knew she could do...

Island Trees finished the regular season on a six-game winning streak and were looking strong as they once again headed into the postseason.

But they faced an uphill battle as the No. 15 seed with a single-elimination game against Floral Park Monday before having to play with its back up against the wall Tuesday as well.

Consider the hill climbed, as Island Trees won both single-elimination...