Led by Dynamic 1-2 Punch, Longwood Eyes Deep Postseason Run
March 18, 2024
Longwood has become one of the most consistent programs in Suffolk County since Ryan McSherry took over in 2016. Last season was no different as they finished with a 16-8 record and a share of the League I title along with Sachem East and Pat-Med.
The playoffs started off extremely well as they defeated Bellport and Ward Melville, before blowing a late lead to Pat-Med and losing, 12-7. Then, they had to face Ward Melville in a rematch on the road, and they lost 3-2 in extra innings.
The Lions graduated a handful of impact players – most notably All-County OF Mikey Arbuiso and 3x All-League infielder Louis Kaleb, who is now at SUNY Albany. Arbuiso batted .377 with 22 runs scored and 17 stolen bases. Kaleb batted .380 and was one of of the best players in the league for the past three seasons.
They also graduated Ben Moscatiello who is now at St.Thomas Aquinas and CJ Rivera who is now at St. Joseph’s LI.
Fortunately, they return a handful of big-time players including a dynamic 1-2 punch atop the rotation.
Anchoring the rotation is Adelphi-commit CJ Forman. The hard-throwing righty was 5-1 last season with a 2.24 ERA. He struck out 34 batters over 34.1 innings. He proved his mettle and they are confident in him whenever he’s on the mound.
“CJ showed in his two seasons that he can pitch in big situations,” said McSherry. “He takes his craft extremely seriously. He does all the things you’d want in a leader. He is one of our captains.”
Joining him in the rotation is St. Joseph’s-commit Luciano Lorefice.
“He has the potential to be one of the best arms in the county. He plays a great shortstop. He can run into a baseball. He came back and pitched well in the playoffs. Him and CJ can be one of the best 1-2 punches we’e ever had.”
Lorefice pitched 18.1 innings and allowed 2 ER (0.76 ERA). They will be looking for those two to anchor the staff and log significant innings.
One of their All-League players was Cameron Horn, who pitched 26.2 innings, struck out 23 batters and compiled a 2.10 ERA.
“He is extremely versatile – he can play anywhere. He has a plus arm and he pitched in some big spots as a sophomore.”
Another impact player is All-League OF Danny Gagliano. Coach called him a “great all-around player, he’s a perfect teammate and weapon.” He led the team in hitting (.387) and RBIs (24) and also stole 18 bases. They will be looking for him to duplicate or exceed that level of production as a senior.
They have a couple of other college commits – LHP Dean Ennis and 2B Jaden Urso. They are both headed to Utica University in the fall. Ennis is a lefty and will compete to round out the rotation. Urso is a well-rounded player and they’re hoping for a big season from him.
Last but not least, they have St. Joseph’s-commit Sean McCrain, who will pitch some valuable innings for them as well in 2024.
“We have a lot of depth,” said McSherry when asked what the strength of the team will be. “We will have kids on the bench that could go in for the starters. We have the tools to build something great. It’s up to us to do something with it,” he added.
They will be in League I once again along with Brentwood, Longwood, Floyd, Central Islip, Pat-Med, Riverhead and Whitman. They will open up with Walt Whitman, Pat-Med and Floyd. Coach spoke highly of those programs and he is especially impressed with Walt Whitman, whom he is expecting them to be a tough team to beat this season.
Whitman vs Longwood
Tuesday March 26, 2024 at LongwoodSHARE
Overall 1 – 4 | Conference 1 – 4
Overall 6 – 2 | Conference 6 – 2
| TEAMS | R | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Whitman | 0 | ||
| Longwood | 1 |
Top performersWP – Forman. LP – Brown.
HIGHLIGHTS
Longwood 1, Whitman 0: CJ Forman pitched 6 2/3 innings with seven strikeouts to lead Longwood in Suffolk I. Luciano Lorefice added an RBI single and earned the save. Cameron Horn had an outfield assist from right field to home plate to keep Whitman scoreless.
Longwood has been knocking on the door for a long time, as they are one of the perennial playoff teams. One of these years they will break through and they have the makings of one of the contenders this season.
Longwood vs Whitman
Wednesday March 27, 2024 at WhitmanSHARE
Overall 6 – 2 | Conference 6 – 2
Overall 1 – 4 | Conference 1 – 4
| TEAMS | R | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Longwood | 5 | ||
| Whitman | 0 |
Top performersWP – Ennis. LP – Grose. HR — LW: Moscatiello 1.
HIGHLIGHTS
Longwood 5, Whitman 0: Dean Ennis had nine strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings, Stephen Moscatiello had a home run and Jaden Urso had a two-run triple in a five-run fourth inning for Longwood in Suffolk I.
Whitman vs Longwood
Saturday March 30, 2024 at LongwoodSHARE
Overall 1 – 4 | Conference 1 – 4
Overall 6 – 2 | Conference 6 – 2
Top performersWP – Kaleb. LP – Asma.
HIGHLIGHTS
Longwood 6, Whitman 3: Timmy Kaleb pitched 4 1/3 innings in relief for Longwood in Suffolk I. Jaden Urso, Cameron Horn and Stephen Moscatiello all went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.
Longwood vs Patchogue-Medford
Friday April 05, 2024 at Patchogue-MedfordSHARE
Overall 6 – 2 | Conference 6 – 2
Overall 5 – 3 | Conference 5 – 3
| TEAMS | R | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Longwood | 0 | ||
| Patchogue-Medford | 4 |
Top performersWP – Melo.
HIGHLIGHTS
Patchogue-Medford 4, Longwood 0: Rob Melo pitched a complete game one-hitter to lead Patchogue-Medford in Suffolk I. Frank Kentoffio had two hits.
Photo by Jerry McSherry.
Longwood vs Patchogue-Medford
Saturday April 06, 2024 at Patchogue-MedfordSHARE
Overall 6 – 2 | Conference 6 – 2
Overall 5 – 3 | Conference 5 – 3
| TEAMS | R | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Longwood | 7 | ||
| Patchogue-Medford | 2 |
Top performersWP – Ennis. LP – Kentoffio. HR — LW: Blank 1 Gagliano 1.
HIGHLIGHTS
Longwood 7, Patchogue-Medford 2: Dean Ennis pitched six innings with seven strikeouts to earn the win for Longwood (4-1) in Suffolk I. Danny Blank had a two-run home run in the fifth inning. Danny Gagliano hit a home run in the top of the seventh to seal the win. Jaden Urso and Timmy Kaleb had two RBIs each.
Photo by Jerry McSherry.
Longwood vs Patchogue-Medford
Sunday April 07, 2024 at Patchogue-MedfordSHARE
Overall 6 – 2 | Conference 6 – 2
Overall 5 – 3 | Conference 5 – 3
| TEAMS | R | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Longwood | 8 | ||
| Patchogue-Medford | 3 |
Top performers WP – Kaleb. LP – Lockwood. HR –; PM: Melo 1.
HIGHLIGHTS
Longwood 8, Patchogue-Medford 3: Timmy Kaleb pitched five innings to earn the win for Longwood (5-1) in Suffolk I. Kyle Connolly pitched two innings with four strikeouts for the save. Brayden Plugues went 3-for-4 with three RBIs. Danny Moccio and Cameron Horn had two hits each.
Photo by Jerry McSherryo
Longwood vs Floyd
Wednesday April 10, 2024 at FloydSHARE
Overall 6 – 2 | Conference 6 – 2
Overall 7 – 1 | Conference 7 – 1
Top performersWP – Forman. LP – Sambriski.
HIGHLIGHTS
Longwood 1, Floyd 0: Matt Faraone scored on a two-out, Danny Gagliano double to left field in the top of the eighth inning in Suffolk I. C.J. Forman (7 2/3 innings) and Cameron Horn (1/3 innings) combined for a no-hitter and Forman had 13 strikeouts for Longwood (6-2). Floyd is now 7-1.
photo by Jerry McSherry.
Longwood vs Brentwood
Tuesday April 16, 2024 at Brentwood
Overall 11 – 2 | Conference 11 – 2
Overall 3 – 9 | Conference 3 – 8
| TEAMS | R | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Longwood | 14 | ||
| Brentwood | 1 |
Top performers WP – Connolly. LP – Hernandez.
HIGHLIGHTS
Longwood 14, Brentwood 1: Kyle Connolly pitched five innings with four strikeouts to earn the win for Longwood (7-2) in Suffolk I. Danny Gagliano, Paul Capobianco, Timmy Kaleb and Sean McCrain all had multiple RBIs.
Photo by Jerry McSherry.
Longwood vs Brentwood
Friday April 19, 2024 at Brentwood
Overall 11 – 2 | Conference 11 – 2
Overall 3 – 9 | Conference 3 – 8
| TEAMS | R | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Longwood | 14 | ||
| Brentwood | 4 |
Top performers WP – Ennis. LP – Moronta.
HIGHLIGHTS
Longwood 14, Brentwood 4: Dean Ennis pitched five innings with four strikeouts, recording the win for Longwood (9-2) in Suffolk I. Jaden Urso, Brayden Plugues and Cameron Horn had two RBIs each.
Photo by Jerry McSherry.
Riverhead vs Longwood
Wednesday April 24, 2024 at Longwood
Overall 3 – 10 | Conference 3 – 8
Overall 11 – 2 | Conference 11 – 2
| TEAMS | R | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverhead | 3 | ||
| Longwood | 9 |
Top performers WP – Kaleb. LP – Wallace.
HIGHLIGHTS
Longwood 9, Riverhead 3: Timmy Kaleb pitched four innings with three strikeouts to lead Longwood to victory. Jaden Urso went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a run. Danny Gagliano, Jagger Franco and Matt Faraone each had two hits.
Photo by Jerry McSherry.
Longwood vs Riverhead
Friday April 26, 2024 at Riverhead
Overall 11 – 2 | Conference 11 – 2
Overall 3 – 10 | Conference 3 – 8
| TEAMS | R | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Longwood | 19 | ||
| Riverhead | 0 |
Top performersWP – Forman. LP – Zambriski.
HIGHLIGHTS
Longwood 19, Riverhead 0: CJ Forman pitched a perfect game with eight strikeouts over seven innings on 72 pitches to lead Longwood (8-4). Jaden Urso, Jagger Franco, and Timmy Kaleb all had two hits. Danny Gagliano scored three runs.
High school sports roundup: CJ Forman tosses Longwood’s first perfect game.
April 26, 2024 10:16 pm
CJ Forman pitched a perfect game on 72 pitches, striking out eight batters across seven innings to lead Longwood baseball to a 19-0 win over Riverhead in Suffolk I.
Forman is the first Longwood baseball player to pitch a perfect game since the school began tracking such stats in 1970, according to coach Ryan McSherry. Jaden Urso, Jagger Franco and Timmy Kaleb had two hits each for Longwood (8-4). Danny Gagliano scored three runs.
Longwood vs Central Islip
Tuesday April 30, 2024 at Central IslipSHARE
Overall 17 – 5 | Conference 16 – 2
Overall 1 – 18 | Conference 1 – 17
| TEAMS | R | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Longwood | 5 | ||
| Central Islip | 0 |
Top performersWP – Connolly. LP – Solomon.
HIGHLIGHTS
Longwood 5, Central Islip 0: Kyle Connolly pitched a complete game with 11 strikeouts to lead Longwood (14-2) in Suffolk I . Danny Moccio and Danny Blank each had two hits. Matt Faraone went 1-for-2 with four RBI.
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Central Islip vs Longwood
Wednesday May 01, 2024 at Longwood
| TEAMS | R | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Islip | 0 | ||
| Longwood | 10 |
Top performersWP – Forman. LP – Peralta.
HIGHLIGHTS
Longwood 10, Central Islip 0: CJ Forman tossed a 13-strikeout no hitter and walked only one batter to lead Longwood (13-2) in Suffolk I. It is Forman’s second no-hitter of the season after throwing a perfect game last Friday. Danny Moccio went 3-for-4 with a run scored and Danny Blank went 2-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored.
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Longwood vs Central Islip
Friday May 03, 2024 at Central Islip
| TEAMS | R | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Longwood | 12 | ||
| Central Islip | 0 |
Top performersWP – Ennis. LP – Gama.
HIGHLIGHTS
Longwood 12, Central Islip 0: Dean Ennis pitched a complete game, throwing a no-hitter, striking out 16. Steven Mahoney and Matt Faraone each had three hits.
Longwood vs Eastport-South Manor
Monday May 06, 2024 at Eastport-South Manor
| TEAMS | R | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Longwood | 5 | ||
| Eastport-South Manor | 7 |
Top performersWP – Walsh. LP – Connolly.
HIGHLIGHTS
Eastport-South Manor 7, Longwood 5: Landon Davis went 3-for-3 with a double and four RBIs to lead Eastport-South Manor (10-8) in non-league. Brady McGowan went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Mason Gatchalian went 2-for-3 with a double and Drew McGowan went 1-for-2 with a double, two walks and a stolen base.
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Kings Park vs Longwood
Tuesday May 07, 2024 at Longwood
Overall 21 – 2 | Conference 18 – 2
Overall 17 – 5 | Conference 16 – 2
| TEAMS | R | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Kings Park | 7 | ||
| Longwood | 2 |
Top performersWP – Colagrande. LP – Forman.
HIGHLIGHTS
Kings Park 7, Longwood 2: Hunter Colagrande went 6 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on three hits while striking out eight to earn his seventh win of the year and lead Kings Park (17-2) in non-league play. Dylan Frers entered the game in the seventh and induced a game-ending double play on the first batter faced. Vincenzo Buffolino went 3-for-4 with a run scored and a double. Anthony Lobasso went 2-for-3 with a run scored, two RBIs and two stolen bases. Michael Cooper went 1-for-2 with a run scored and a sacrifice fly.
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Patchogue-Medford vs Longwood
Friday May 17, 2024 at Longwood
Overall 11 – 10 | Conference 10 – 8
Overall 17 – 5 | Conference 16 – 2
| TEAMS | R | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Patchogue-Medford | 2 | ||
| Longwood | 8 |
Top performersWP – Forman. LP – Gruter.
HIGHLIGHTS
Longwood 8, Patchogue-Medford 2: CJ Forman struck out 11 over seven innings to lead No. 2 Longwood over No. 10 Patchogue-Medford in the second round of the winner’s bracket in the Suffolk Class AAA playoffs. Jaden Urso, Luciano Lorefice, Paul Capobianco, and Matt Faraone each recorded multiple hits in the win. Longwood (17-4) will host No. 3 Sachem North at 12 p.m. Sunday in third round. Patchogue-Medford (11-10) will travel to the winner of No.6 Floyd/No. 9 Northport in the second round of the losers bracket 12 p.m. on Sunday.
Sachem North vs Longwood
Sunday May 19, 2024 at Longwood
Overall 19 – 6 | Conference 14 – 5
Overall 17 – 5 | Conference 16 – 2
| TEAMS | R | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sachem North | 1 | ||
| Longwood | 0 |
Top performersWP – Palm. LP – Ennis.
HIGHLIGHTS
Sachem North 1, Longwood 0: Ryan Palm pitched six scoreless innings, allowing five hits with seven strikeouts and no walks to earn the win for No. 3 Sachem North against No. 2 Longwood in the Suffolk Class AAA quarterfinals. Rob Kienzle pitched the seventh to earn the save, with the game ending on a 1-3 double play. James Horodyski had a bunt hit, stole second and scored on a two-out single by Zack DeMilt in the top of the sixth for the game’s only run. Longwood finishes the season with a 17-5 record. Sachem North (17-5) will host No. 4 Commack Tuesday at 5 p.m.