Annunziata powers Eastport-South Manor

It was a display of power that left the Kings Park coaching staff in awe. Eastport-South Manor freshman Mat Annunziata, who homered in the first game of a three-game series, added two more mammoth home runs Wednesday in Kings Park.

Annunziata crushed a three-run homer well beyond the right field fence in the first inning to give Eastport-South Manor the early lead on its way to an 8-6 win in a Suffolk League V baseball game. And with the Sharks clinging to a 6-5 lead in the sixth, Annunziata drove an outside fastball over the left-centerfield scoreboard for a solo home run as first-place Eastport-South Manor stayed unbeaten at 7-0.

"He's already a polished hitter and he's just 14 years old," Eastport-South Manor coach Todd Skala said. "The first time we saw him in the cage, the ball just exploded off his bat. He has tremendous hand speed."

Kings Park coach Mike Luzim was equally impressed.

"In the first at-bat, we tried to throw him inside and he adjusted his hands and turned on the pitch," Luzim said. "Then we go away in the zone and he drove the ball the other way with power. He swings very hard and doesn't get cheated."

Annunziata's older brother Anthony, a junior second baseman, was 3-for-4 with a triple and three runs scored.

"He's the home-run hitter, and I'm the gap guy," said Anthony, who also made a spectacular diving play at second base in the fifth as Kings Park tried to rally. "It's great having him on varsity. We pick each other up in tough times and we're there for each other. Our whole team has really come together as a family and that's why we're doing so well."

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Kings Park (5-4) battled back to 3-2 with two unearned runs in the first off starter Joe Palmeri. The Kingsmen made it 5-5 in the fourth when Shane O'Leary singled and eventually scored on a groundout. But the defense failed to support starter Joe Guercio, who let up seven runs -- only two of which were earned -- in six innings.

"We've been too sloppy on defense, and that's costing us games," Luzim said.

Anthony Annunziata led off the fifth with a triple off the right field fence. He scored the go-ahead run on a groundout before Mat Annunziata drilled his second home run for a 7-5 lead.

"It seems like Mat hits a home run every game," said Eastport's David Griffiths, who got the win with 2 2/3 innings of one-hit relief. "It gets everyone so pumped."

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Righthander Logan Frati earned the save, allowing two hits in 11/3 innings. The final out came on a grounder to Mat Annunziata, who stepped on third base to seal the win.

"I'm hitting the ball hard to all fields," said Mat, who has four home runs and a .540 average. "And we're winning games."