Sean Mileti, Anthony Scarabino power big win as Connetquot eyes top two seed in playoffs

Connetquot arrived at Smithtown East for a baseball game on Thursday that held a lot more meaning to the visitors from Bohemia.

The young Thunderbirds showed up in hot pursuit of a top two seed and a quarterfinal bye in next week’s Suffolk Conference II playoffs. The Bulls had already secured a postseason berth.

In the end, Connetquot secured an 8-1 win behind a 12-strikeout, complete game by senior Sean Mileti and three hits and two RBIs by sophomore Anthony Scarabino.

At the start of Thursday’s play, Huntington led Suffolk II at 14-3 and Connetquot was next at 12-3. The Thunderbirds will close the regular season with a home doubleheader Sunday against Whitman and Northport, makeup games from their recent four-day quarantine after a false positive COVID-19 test.

Connetquot coach Rob Burger called the makeup games "a joke," and he wasn’t laughing.

"I just think it’s criminal that we actually have to be put in that spot, considering that we have to throw arms and that puts us at a significant disadvantage, whereas other teams played on Saturday and we weren’t given that option," Burger said. "But we’ll do what we’ve got to do."

A bye would buy them an extra day, until Wednesday. Smithtown East (9-9), meanwhile, will next play a road quarterfinal Tuesday. "I think we’re a dangerous low seed," coach Ken Klee said.

SEE PHOTOSPhotos: Connetquot vs. Smithtown East baseball

Mileti was in command of his fastball against Klee’s team. The Molloy-bound lefty (4-1) tossed a one-hitter or a two-hitter, depending on the point of view.

Smithtown East scored Owen Shortell’s misplayed but untouched drive to right as an RBI triple with two outs in the seventh. Connetquot had it as an error. Either way, an error to start the inning made it an unearned ending to Mileti’s shutout bid.

"It’s all right," Mileti said. "We still got the win. That run means nothing to me, to be honest."

Scarabino sliced an RBI double the other way to left to highlight a three-run third.

Then the lefty hitter lined an RBI single to left in a four-run fourth. He also singled to left in the sixth. He had popped up with the bases loaded in the first.

"So I got a lot of adversity early and felt a big challenge," Scarabino said. "I just made a quick adjustment for my next three at-bats."