West Islip beats Ward Melville to force Game 3 in Suffolk Class AA baseball semifinals

There will be a deciding Game 3. And the West Islip baseball team has a couple of guys to thank for the opportunity.

Closer Brad Battaglini would be one of those players. He allowed one run over three innings of relief and worked his way out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth inning as host West Islip came back for a 5-4 win over Ward Melville in the second game of the best-of-three series in the Class AA semifinals.

Jack Altieri drilled a two-out, run-scoring double to key West Islip’s three-run rally in the bottom of the sixth for a 5-4 lead. Altieri’s drive down the leftfield line scored Joe Donarumia for the lead.

West Islip (20-5) will travel to Ward Melville (19-6) for Game 3 Friday at 4:30 p.m. The winner will meet Connetquot (19-5) in the Class AA championship best-of-three series that begins Saturday at the higher seed.

“We didn’t get to use Brad as much as we would have liked to this season because we threw nine shutouts,” West Islip coach Shawn Rush said. “We’ve been waiting to use him in a big spot. And with the season on the line he came through.”

Battaglini allowed a long leadoff home run to Ward Melville catcher Anthony Pascale in the fifth that gave the Patriots a 4-2 lead. Pascale’s blast cleared the centerfield fence some 390 feet from the plate. It didn’t faze Battaglini.

“I couldn’t believe it because it was a great pitch and down in the zone,” the hard-throwing Battaglini said. “I couldn’t let that bother me. I had to help us defend our county title.”

Battaglini did not allow another hit but walked two batters and hit two.

“I just missed a few spots,” he said. “But we got the important outs.”

Coaches had to be strategic in this game, as it was the completion of a game suspended in the bottom of the second inning on Wednesday afternoon. Ward Melville led 1-0 at the point of stoppage when thunderstorms rolled through Long Island. West Islip had runners on first and second with two outs and an 0-and-1 count on leadoff man Nick Siano when play resumed.

Ward Melville coach Lou Petrucci elected to go with Chris Vivenzio instead of continuing with starter Ethan Farino, who went 1 2/3 innings on Wednesday. Rush went back to starter Mike LaDonna, who pitched two innings on Wednesday.

When play resumed, Vivenzio induced Matt Walsh into an inning-ending groundout to preserve the one-run lead.

Ward Melville added to its lead when Max Nielsen crushed a two-out solo home run off LaDonna to make it 2-0. But West Islip answered with a run in the bottom of the third. LaDonna singled and scored on a two-out double by Donarumia to make it 2-1.

The game swayed back and forth through the middle innings. The Patriots added another run in the fourth. Brian Silverio singled and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Justice Spencer before Brady Doran lined a single to right for a 3-1 lead.  

The resilient Lions responded with a run in the bottom of the fourth. With two outs, Siano singled and scored on a long double by Walsh to get within 3-2.

“It’s great baseball and if someone wants the county crown, they’re going to have to earn it,” Rush said. “Our guys have a lot of pride and we’re not going down easy. We’re going to battle.”

The winning rally started when Anthony Cinquemani was hit with a pitch and Tim Weber followed with a run-scoring double to center. Donarumia singled to move Weber to third and with one out a soft groundout allowed Weber to score and tie the game at 4.

Altieri followed with the game-winner.

“I went up there relaxed and confident,” Altieri said. “And I barreled one up. It’s a big win.”

By Gregg Sarra

gregg.sarra@newsday.com@Gregg_Sarra

Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.