Sports
Preview: Class AA Long Island Baseball Championship
Sachem takes on Nassau's Carey for title Sunday at Farmingdale State.
Sachem will be making its third appearance in a Long Island baseball championship Sunday evening when it takes on Nassau County's Carey High School.
The Flaming Arrows, who recently beat Commack, 8-0, to win its first Suffolk County title since 1987, will stick to what it knows best for the Long Island championship ... you've heard it before: great pitching, good defense and timely hitting.
Sachem's Mike Vitale will get the start on the mound.
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"If he can pitch the way he has all year, then we definitely have a chance," said Sachem coach Tom Gambino.
Carey will throw John Daddino, who has a 1.33 ERA this season and is 7-1.
Find out what's happening in Sachemwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
"They got some kids who can run and their pitcher is very good too, so it should be a tight game, a great game," Gambino said.
Carey, who won its first county title in school history this year, has not lost a game since April 29, a 2-1 loss to Valley Stream Central.
Match-up: Sachem (21-4) vs. Carey (19-6)
Venue: Farmingdale State College
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Projected weather: 65 degrees and clear with a 50 percent chance of rain towards 9 p.m., according to Weather.com
Projected Starters: Sachem - Mike Vitale and Carey - John Daddino
How they got there?
Sachem (was seeded No. 7 and played with winners/losers bracket)
Carey (was seeded No. 4 and played best-of-three series)
- 14-1 win over No. 5 Farmingdale in first round of playoffs
- 4-1 win over No. 5 Farmingdale in first round of playoffs
- 6-2 win over No. 1 Calhoun in Nassau semifinal
- 6-5 win over No. 1 Calhoun in Nassau semifinal
- 10-1 win over No. 2 MacArthur in Nassau final
- 3-0 win over No. 2 MacArthur in Nassau final
Sachem Baseball History: Just in case you're wondering, the only other times Sachem appeared in a Long Island championship were in 1979 and 1987. In '79 the Flaming Arrows lost to Floral Park, 8-4, and in '87 they lost to Levittown-Division. 3-2. Sachem East also won a Long Island title during the first year the district split in 2005.
What's next? The winner Sunday will head to the New York State Class AA semifinals Saturday June 11 at Sylvester Field in Binghamton, N.Y. Game time is 10 a.m. with the finals occurring at 4 p.m. later that day.
Coverage: Check Sachem Patch after the game Sunday for full analysis, a photo gallery and video highlights of the action.
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