LONGWOOD LIONS
Coach: Ryan McSherry
2017 record: 3-17
Key Players
Jose Matos, C/SS, 5-6, 173, Jr.
James Myler, OF/P, 6-3, 180, Fr.
Dan Owens, P/3B, 6-3, 185, Sr.
Kyle Rausch, OF, 5-11, 190, Jr.
Jarred Vanderhoof, 1B/P, 6-2, 185, Sr.
https://www.buzzsprout.com/134550/629177-special-guest-ryan-mcsherry
On this episode, we are joined by Longwood Head Coach Ryan McSherry. We discussed his experience playing in the JuCo World Series with Suffolk West, how he took Longwood to the postseason in his first year as HC and the young core that he has for the 2018 season.
Longwood 4, Floyd 2: Matt Encizo went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run and Jose Matos was 2-for-4 with an RBI to lead Longwood in its Suffolk I opener. March 28
Longwood defeated Brentwood 4-0 in yesterday’s game. Jon Holmstock pitched 6 innings with 9 K’s, allowing 2 hits and 1 BB. Kyle Rausch was 2-3 with a double, an RBI, and a run scored. He made an amazing catch in centerfield during the 7th inning. Bobby Pollock was 1-1 with 2 walks and 2 runs. March 29
Longwood (3-0) beat Pat-Med 13-3 yesterday. Jon Holmstock earned the win throwing 4 innings with 10 Ks. Danny Owens went 3-3 with a Home run and 4 RBIs. Jarred Sciarrino was 2-3 with 3 RBIs and 2 runs. Matt Encizo was 3-5 with an RBI. Ryan Fitzpatrick went 2-4 with a 2B, 2 RBIs and a run. April 6
Longwood (4-0) beat Sachem East 15-1 yesterday. Danny Owens earned the win, scattering 5 hits across 6 innings with 8 Ks and 0 earned runs. Jarred Vanderhoof was 2-3 with a HR, 2 RBI’s, and 3 runs. James Myler was 2-4 with 4 RBI’s and a run. Matt Encizo went 3-4 with with 2 RBI’s and 2 runs. Kyle Rausch went 2-4 with 2 runs. April 7
Longwood (5-0) rallied from down 6-0 to beat Brentwood 7-6. Danny Gargano came in for relief and threw 3 2/3 innings with 6 Ks to earn the win. Jarred Vanderhoof was 2-4 with with 2 doubles, 1 run, and 2 RBIs. Matt Encizo was 3-4 with 2 runs and 2 RBIs. Encizo’s clutch 2 run home run in the top of the 6th gave Longwood the 7-6 lead. Jake Dannenberg earned the 4 out save. April 10
Longwood (6-0) defeated Brentwood 2-0 yesterday. Jarred Vanderhoof pitch 6 innings with 5 Ks for the win. Matt Encizo’s single in the bottom of the 5th gave Longwood a 1-0 lead. Jake Dannenberg pitched the 7th inning and struck out the side to earn the save. April 11
Longwood (7-0) beat Brentwood 8-3 yesterday. Jon Holmstock pitched 5 innings with 7 Ks. Matt Encizo and Jose Matos led off the game with back to back home runs. Kyle Rausch was 2-4 with 2 runs and made a huge throw home in the 6th to nail the tagging runner. Danny Owens was 2-4 with 1 run and 2 RBIs. Owens hit a 2 run home run in the top of the 7th to extend the lead. Jarred Vanderhoof was 1-3 with 2 RBIs. April 13
Ward Melville Ends Longwood’s 7-0 Start
April 14, 2018
This one had playoff intensity from the first pitch. It had an ejection before most fans even made their way to a seat and it had excitement right up until the last pitch, when flame-throwing closer Drake Eggleston (UPENN-commit) fired a 90-MPH heater past James Myler with two runners on to slam the door shut on a crucial 3-1 victory over the upstart Longwood Lions.
Everyone in attendance was on edge with the potential go-ahead run at the plate. Everyone except for Eggleston.
“I knew what I had to do and I just focused on that,” said Eggleston. “I was pretty amped up–I was ready to go,” he said.
The game started off with Matt Encizo jumping on Matt DiGennaro‘s second pitch of the game for a leadoff double to left center field. He move to third on a flyball to right field by Jose Matos and scored on an RBI single by Myler to give Longwood a quick 1-0 lead out of the gate. They had entered the game at 7-0 and were flying high hoping to continue the streak against their League I rivals.
DiGennaro appeared to struggle with his command as he hit the next two batters and Longwood had an opportunity to capitalize, but in typical Ward Melville fashion, they clamped down and escaped the bases loaded, 1 out jam unscathed.
Longwood’s starting pitcher, Danny Owens, allowed two base runners in the first inning but escaped the jam with a strikeout of Max Nielsen. He was not nearly as fortunate in the second inning, though, when a single by Matt Maurer and a walk to Jimmy Koesterbrought up leadoff hitter Brady Doran. The junior tied the game with a well-struck single to left field. Owens avoided further trouble with a strike out of his brother, Logan.
After a 1-2-3 third inning, DiGennaro ran into some trouble in the fourth inning and the Lions had a golden opportunity to get on the board when Jarred Vanderhoof led off with a hard single up the middle. Danny Owens ripped one over the center fielder’s head but it bounced over the fence for a ground-rule double. This wound up being a crucial moment as it clearly prevented the tying run from scoring. Still, Longwood had a golden opportunity with two runners in scoring position and 0 out. The next two batters were retired without incident and that brought up leadoff hitter Matt Encizo. He smoked one out to left and it turned left fielder Ethan Farinoaround. He located the ball, leaped and made an outstanding snow cone grab to rob an extra-base hit AND two runs from scoring.
“I honestly trusted Ethan out there,” said DiGennaro. “All the guys in the field we’re able to trust,” he added.
That was a huge moment, because the Patriots wound up extending their lead when Maurer was hit in the foot with a pitch with the bases loaded to make it 2-1 and Farino ripped an RBI single to make it 3-1.
DiGennaro was lights-out in the middle innings, he retired 17 of the final 20 batters.
Eggleston came on for the save and the Patriots improved to 6-2 on the season and now trail Longwood by only 1 game for first place in League 1.
Longwood (10-1) clinched its playoff spot with a 5-3 victory over William Floyd! Bobby Pollock delivered the clutch RBI single in the top of the 7th to score Matt Encizo. Encizo was 2-4 with 2 runs. Danny Gargano pitched 2 innings in relief for the win. Jarred Vanderhoof was 2-4 with 2 RBIs. Jose Matos went 2-3 with an RBI.
Longwood (8-1) beat William Floyd 6-5. Jarred Vanderhoof earned the win throwing 3 innings with 5 K’s. Danny Owens was 3-3 with a double, a run, and an RBI. Jose Matos was 2-4 with a run. James Myler went 2-3 with a double and a run. Bobby Pollock was 2-4. Kyle Rausch 1-3 with an RBI and 2 runs scored, while also playing stellar defense in center fielder. Jake Dannenberg came in to lock it down with the 4 out save. April 18
Longwood (9-1) beat William Floyd 12-2 yesterday. Matt Encizo was 3-5 with 2 doubles, 2 runs, and 4 RBI’s. Jose Matos was 2-4 with a double and 2 RBI’s. Kyle Rausch was 2-5 with a double and a run scored. Danny Owens was 1-3 with a double and 3 RBI’s. His double opened the game wide open. Jared Sciarrino was 2-2 with 3 runs, and 2 RBI’s. April 19
Commack 1, Longwood 0: A double by Casey Brown scored Sabrina Sussman in the bottom of the third inning and Justine Korol tossed a four-hitter with four strikeouts for Commack (10-1) in non-league. April 24
Jake Danneberg’s bat and glove are key to Longwood win: Senior righty Jarred Vanderhoof scattered five hits, struck out six in complete game.
Sarra, Gregg. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 25 Apr 2018
Kyle Rafferty smoked a two-out line drive and third baseman Jake Dannenberg was there to make the play. Dannenberg squeezed the drive for the final out, setting off a wild celebration.
Senior righty Jarred Vanderhoof scattered five hits, walked four and struck out six in a complete game effort as Longwood edged Ward Melville, 2-1, to take sole possession of first place on Tuesday in a pivotal Suffolk League I baseball game.
“It was a laser and hit right at me,” said Dannenberg, who also contributed two run-scoring singles. “We needed this win.”
Longwood improved to 11-2 and Ward Melville fell to 9-4. The Patriots had handed Longwood their only two losses of the season.
“Vanderhoof made big pitches all game,” said Ward Melville coach Lou Petrucci.
And when Vanderhoof wasn’t making big pitches the Longwood defense was there to pick him up. The defense turned double plays in the second and fourth innings to stymie Ward Melville’s offense.
“I had good command and the defense has been phenomenal,” said Vanderhoof, who is 3-0. “I’m not afraid to pitch to contact because I know the defense is there to make the plays.”
Longwood took a 1-0 lead in the second. Vanderhoof and Danny Owens drew consecutive walks before Dannenberg laced a one-out RBI single to centerfield for the lead.
” was a late decision to start today and he really came through,” said Longwood coach Ryan McSherry. “We’ve been winning with different lineups and a deep bench.”
Ward Melville tied the score in the bottom of the third. Logan Doran singled with two outs and stole second. Kyle Rafferty lined a single into rightfield to tie it at 1.
“Any time you play at Ward Melville the atmosphere is intense and heated,” McSherry said. “It’s great baseball. We needed to stay focused and finally beat these guys.”
Longwood regained the lead in the sixth. Kyle Rausch reached on an error and moved to second on Vanderhoof’s sacrifice bunt. After Ward Melville starter Max Nielsen recorded the seventh of his eight strikeouts, Dannenberg drilled Nielsen’s first pitch into leftfield just out of the reach of shortstop Logan Doran. Rausch scored the game-winner well ahead of the throw home.
“It was a first-pitch fastball,” Dannenberg said. “It felt good off the bat.”
Vanderhoof ran into some trouble in the sixth but worked out of the jam. He walked Nielsen and Trevor Cronin lined a single to rightfield putting runners at first and second. Matt Mauer flied to deep right allowing Nielsen to go to third.
With the tying run on third, Cronin stole second, as pinch-hitter Drake Eggleston worked the count to 2-2. Eggleston flied to center to end the inning.
“It was a good ballgame,” Petrucci said. “Longwood is a very good team. They executed a little better than we did.”
Longwood 7, Sachem East 4: Danny Owens’ RBI double tied the game in the fifth inning and Kyle Rausch scored the go-ahead run on a passed ball later in the inning to lead Longwood (12-4) in Suffolk I. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 02 May 2018:
Longwood (13-5) beat Pat-Med 1-0 yesterday at Bethpage Park. Danny Owens threw 8 innings with 9 K’s for the win. Owens’ single in the 8th set the stage for Jared Sciarrino to single in the winning run!
Longwood 6, Half Hollow Hills East 5: Kyle Rausch hit a go-ahead three-run homer in the bottom of the sixth inning to lead No. 6 Longwood (17-6) over No. 11 Half Hollow Hills East in a Suffolk AA elimination game. Jose Matos went 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI. Danny Owens pitched three hitless innings in relief to earn the win. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 19 May 2018
Longwood Ends Sachem North’s Season in Two-Day Elimination Game
May 18, 2018
Longwood (16-5) and Sachem North (11-11) started an elimination game Tuesday afternoon in the Suffolk AA playoffs. However, after four and a half innings of play, a rainstorm forced the remainder of the game to be played Thursday. In the end, Longwood’s offensive dominance on Tuesday was enough to keep the team alive with a 14-4 win over the Arrows.
Sachem North got to Lions’ starter Jared Vanderhoof early. Three of the first four batters got on base to start the top of the first, then Frank Arena worked a walk to give Sachem a 1-0 lead. But in the bottom of the inning, Longwood responded. With two outs, Bobby Pollock sent a fastball over the right field fence to even the game at one apiece. Then Kyle Rausch and Vanderhoof each got on base, setting up Danny Owens. Owens would crank the ball to the right-center field gap and score both runners.
Longwood led 3-1 after one inning and added on in the bottom of the second. Matt Encizo hit the Lions’ second homer of the afternoon, this time a two-run shot to left field. Three batters later, Rausch singled to bring home Pollock.
After putting together six runs through two innings, Longwood was just getting started. Encizo got his third RBI with a double, then Jose Matos came up next and singled to get his first RBI. Two batters later, Rausch continued the offensive dominance by crushing a three-run home run to extend the lead to 11-1.
Sachem North started to regain some momentum in the top of the fourth. Two runs got across with only one out and the Arrows threatened with runners on the corners. Patach took off for second base and forced Pollock to throw. On the throw, Jake Lynott tried to steal home, but good Longwood got the ball to Pollock in time to make the tag and get the out. The Lions got out of the inning only allowing the two runs, making it 11-3 going into the bottom of the fourth.
Before the bottom of the fourth could start, the bright skies turned to grey and rained started pouring down, causing the umpires to suspend the game. The last three innings were played on Thursday and unfortunately for Sachem North, those would be the team’s last three innings of the season. The Arrows scrapped together one run while the Lions scored three on the extra day, leading to the 14-4 Longwood win.
Longwood’s next game is tomorrow against Half Hollow Hills East. Our Digmi Player of the Game is Kyle Rausch, who went four-for-four with four RBIs, including a three-run homer in the five-run third inning.