Dominick Galeotafiore, Kyle Brindisi lead Bethpage to playoff win
Bethpage’s Dominick Galeotafiore gets two RBIs during a Nassau Class A baseball first-round playoff game against Bellmore JFK on Monday at Bethpage. Credit: Patrick E. McCarthy
Dominick Galeotafiore was amped. After his two-run single in the bottom of the fifth, he stood on second base after advancing on the throw home and flexed toward the dugout.
His big hit extended No. 8 Bethpage’s lead to four runs over No. 9 Bellmore JFK in a 10-3 win on Monday in the first round of the Nassau Class A baseball playoffs.
“It was a hype moment because I [drove in] two runs,” said Galeotafiore, who gave Bethpage a 7-3 lead. “It was a turning point for our team.”
Bethpage’s Dominick Galeotafiore gets two RBIs during a Nassau Class A baseball first-round playoff game against Bellmore JFK on Monday at Bethpage. Credit: Patrick E. McCarthy
Galeotafiore went 3-for-4 with three RBIs, two runs scored and a stolen base. Sean Seely went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, two runs and two stolen bases for host Bethpage (15-6). Kyle Brindisi pitched six innings, striking out five against Bellmore JFK (12-8-1).
Brindisi had a shutout going through four innings. With two outs and two on in the fifth, he allowed an RBI single to Eli Lowenstein before Ryan Yormack crushed a two-run double.
Bethpage led 5-3 entering the bottom half of five. Brindisi said he got in his head, and head coach Rob Fisher told the team to just focus on winning the inning.
“We play to win every inning,” Fisher said. “Win or tie every inning, you win the game. Even though we gave up those runs, we can still come out and win the inning.”
The Golden Eagles’ offense exploded for five runs in the fifth, the key hit a two-run double by Seely. Brindisi returned to the mound with a 10-3 lead and made quick work of the Cougars in the sixth.
Brindisi and Galeotafiore said to keep the momentum going in the next round, the team just needs to maintain the same approach and not get ahead of themselves.
“We just got to trust ourselves,” Brindisi said. “Don’t try to hit home runs. Everything up the middle or the other way, and we’ll be good.”
Bethpage next faces No. 1 Division (21-0) at Division Avenue High School at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Division swept the three-game series on April 10-13 by a composite score of 34-9, including one shutout. Fisher said having played Division before, his players won’t be shell-shocked.
Brindisi is ready for the opportunity even if he doesn’t have the home-field advantage on his side this time.
“We just got to tune them out,” Brindisi said. “They can get loud. We’ll probably have some fans going there to try to bring the momentum.”
