Danny Gargano, Tommy Ventimiglia combine for Longwood's shutout win

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.”