Christian Gobbi's two-run single, Lucas Hubner's strong pitching lead Smithtown East baseball to second league crown
Lucas Hubner of Smithtown East delivers a pitch in the first inning of a Suffolk League III matchup against host Northport on Monday. Credit: Michael A. Rupolo Sr.
The Smithtown East baseball team giveth and it taketh away.
The Bulls allowed three first inning runs courtesy of three walks and a bad hop two-run single to spot Northport a short-lived lead.
The defending league champions clawed their way back into the game with a four-run third inning and runs in the fifth and sixth to beat Northport, 6-3, and clinch the Suffolk League III title Monday. It was the Bulls second straight league crown.
In the third, Jack DeRosa and Mason Nasta drew bases loaded walks to cut a 3-0 deficit to 3-2 before Christian Gobbi drilled a two-out, two-run single into leftfield for the lead.
“He’s one of our better hitters and he made some nice adjustments after a tough first at bat,’ Smithtown East coach Rob Christiansen said. “This was not one of our better performances, but we found a way. It certainly was a character check, and I like the way we responded to some adversity. That will help us in a deep playoff run.”
Smithtown East starter Lucas Hubner settled down after the first inning. His final stat line was blurred by nine walks, but he was also overpowering through six innings and finished with nine strikeouts. He allowed only the first inning bad hop single.
“I think I was overly excited and overthrowing at the start,” said Hubner, who improved to 5-1. “Once I got through the first inning, I found a nice groove.”
The Bulls extended the lead when Dom Suppa added a one-out sacrifice fly in the fifth and Charlie Pipia doubled home a run in the sixth for the 6-3 margin.
Smithtown East (15-1, 17-1) needed to go to reliever Andrew Tufo with one out and the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh. Hubner, who is committed to Dartmouth, had retired 10 of 11 heading into the final inning.
But in the seventh, he walked two and Northport loaded the bases on an infield error as Hubner’s pitch count rose to 124.
Tufo came on for the two-out save inducing a pop up and a ground out to clinch the title.
“He came on in a big spot and threw strikes,” Christiansen said. “And the defense closed it out.”
Northport (13-5, 11-5) starter Andrew Keaveny struck out six of the first eight batters and then ran into control issues in the third inning. He walked four and allowed two hits as the Bulls took the 4-3 lead.
“Our losses have come in games where we don’t throw strikes and limit the free passes,” Northport coach Sean Lynch said. “The challenge is to play solid defense and let opponents put the ball in play.”
Keaveny pitched five innings and allowed five runs on three hits with eight walks and eight strikeouts.
“It was good to get this one and win the league title,” Christiansen said. “Now we can get ready of the playoffs.”
Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.
