The Longwood baseball team kept its season alive Wednesday afternoon, sparked by strong pitching performances from Danny Gargano and Tommy Ventimiglia.

The two combined to throw a two-hitter, leading the seventh-seeded Lions to a 1-0 victory over No. 3 Connetquot in Game 2 of the Suffolk AA semifinals. Longwood’s win forces a deciding Game Three, Thursday at 4 pm at Connetquot.

“They were able to throw strikes in the spots they needed to and in the right counts,” coach Ryan McSherry said. “There was a lot of energy.”

Giuseppe Vicidomini drove in James Myler with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the second inning, getting Longwood (18-7) on the board, but it was the Lions’ pitching that stole the show. Gargano threw 5 2/3 innings, striking out three and left a pair of Connetquot runners stranded in the fifth, while Ventimiglia picked up the save, going 1 1/3 and didn’t allow a hit.

Longwood now turns its attention to the next game, looking to keep racking up strikes and a berth to the county finals.

“It was a constant battle,” McSherry said. “But we know how to ground out tight games.”

'We have to do better' Newsday high school sports editor Gregg Sarra talks about a bench-clearing, parent-involved incident at a Half Hollow Hills West basketball game.

'We have to do better' Newsday high school sports editor Gregg Sarra talks about a bench-clearing, parent-involved incident at a Half Hollow Hills West basketball game.

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