Long Island Lutheran reaches NYSAIS baseball final by defeating Fieldston
Long Island Lutheran's TJ Borzumato celebrates with teammates after scoring a run during an NYSAIS baseball semifinal against Fieldston on Monday at Long Island Lutheran. Credit: Sarah Prohens
The visitors in the orange jerseys at Long Island Lutheran for Monday’s NYSAIS semifinal had inflicted some significant baseball heartbreak on the Crusaders the previous two seasons.
Fieldston ousted them in the NYSAIS semis, then beat them on a walk-off squeeze in the ninth in last year’s state final.
“We definitely remembered it from last year, the feeling that it was when we lost on that field,” said Matt Muzikant, their Monmouth-bound ace. “We didn’t want to feel like that again today.”
This time, they were even with the Eagles heading for the last of the sixth. Then they erupted for four runs. Muzikant finished off his six-up, six-down relief outing with a K, and LuHi owned a satisfying 5-1 win.
“The minute that game ended last year, the kids wanted to get right back to work the next day,” coach Shaun Manning said. “… They put in the time. This was earned.”
So the Crusaders (17-7) had their payback against Fieldston (16-4) and a ticket for another swing at the program’s first state title. They will face Horace Mann at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Purchase College.
And Muzikant will be the one with the ball in his right hand.
“I’m really excited for Wednesday to finish this thing off,” the senior said.
It was 1-1 in the sixth. Eagles reliever Jason Denberg hit a batter before issuing two walks with one gone. The bases were packed. Manning sent up pinch hitter Jayden Hauser.
The senior utilityman had missed his junior season due to stress fractures of the L5 lumbar vertebra in his lower back.
First pitch, go-ahead single to right.
“It’s been a long season for me, a lot of ups and downs,” Hauser said. “Just to have a game-winning [RBI], it’s just very nice.”
Timmy Peguero then squeezed in a run and reached on the play. Fred Von Bargen followed by slicing a two-run double to left.
“With a tough team like LuHi, you can’t really give them an inch,” Fieldston coach Tony Marro said. “… We gave them freebies.”
Mathew Garib worked the first five for LuHi and yielded the run and four hits. TJ Borzumato belted an inside-the-park homer to left in the third, tying it for the Crusaders.
So are they going to win this title?
“Oh yeah,” Von Bargen said. “Everyone’s a year older. … Now it’s a seniors and juniors. And it think it really helps, that experience.”
