Sports

Flynn's 2 Home Runs Lift Ward Melville To First-Ever County Championship

Of Joe Flynn's eight home runs this season, No. 7 and No. 8 will hold special meaning for his team: a two-run shot and a two-out, bases-loaded grand slam that helped propel Ward Melville to its first-ever Class AA Suffolk County championship in baseball.

The second-seeded Patriots overcame eighth-seeded Connetquot on Friday, 12-5, and advance to the Long Island Championships on Tuesday against Massapequa. 

Flynn's first home run came just in time. In the top of the fourth, Connetquot took a 1-0 lead when Brian McKean scored on Tyler Torborg's sacrifice fly. Next up was Brandon Morse, who launched what looked like a three-run home run – but which might have actually been considered caught over the fence. Officials ruled it a home run and Connetquot had a 4-0 lead.

But in the bottom of the fourth, with Kyle Pedroli on first, Flynn launched his first home run to center field to cut the score to 4-2. 

"The [Connetquot] home run sort of sparked something that we were able to capitalize on and just build on for the rest of the game," Flynn said.

In the bottom of the fifth, with Ward Melville trailing 4-3, Chris Peterson scored on Anthony Kay's RBI single to tie the game at 4. In the bottom of the sixth, with Ward Melville up 8-5, Flynn made his second major contribution to the game: a two-out, bases-loaded shot to center field that put Ward Melville up 12-5. The sophomore team captain has five home runs in the playoffs this year.

"Joe Flynn, he's a man amongst boys. He hits home run, he gets base hits, he makes key plays in the field, and he's only a sophomore," Patriots coach Lou Petrucci said.

Kay earned his 20th win on the mound for Ward Melville and said this was his best win of all – even better than the no-hitter he pitched against Patchogue-Medford earlier this year. He struck out seven and allowed six hits in his complete-game effort.

"I didn't pitch my best, but I knew our team was going to battle and keep hitting for me," Kay said. "I wasn't hitting my spots ... but I kept battling. I just wanted to be under the dog pile."

The baseball team, one of seven Ward Melville teams to win a county championship during the 2012-13 academic year, has a program-best 19-5 record.

Asked to say how it felt to win a county championship, Flynn could only describe it as "indescribable."

"I can't even believe what just happened, to be honest," he said. "Nothing seems to be going wrong. It's unexplainable. I can't even describe it. I just hope it stays."


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