by Tucker Terranova
Final | Oyster Bay 3, East Rockaway 4
Joseph Ventura walks it off in the 12th inning to force a winner-take-all Game 3. pic.twitter.com/zU6vCQs8qi
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 20, 2025
With their season on the brink, East Rockaway didn’t flinch. Not after a nine-inning walk-off loss in Game 1. Not after falling behind twice. Not after 12 grueling innings and nearly four hours of baseball.
“They’re just not ready to end their season,” head coach James Hickey said.
The Rocks refused to quit—and Joseph Ventura made sure they wouldn’t.
Joseph Ventura discusses his walkoff single, capping off an incredible game to force a winner-take-all Game 3 against Oyster Bay on Thursday. pic.twitter.com/QrL1MISeb2
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 20, 2025
Ventura’s walk-off single in the bottom of the 12th inning lifted East Rockaway to a 4-3 win over Oyster Bay on Tuesday afternoon, forcing a decisive Game 3 in their opening-round playoff series. Game 3 is set for Thursday at Oyster Bay.
“Knowing that they put two guys on in front of me, I knew I had to get the job done for us and the team,” said Ventura, whose second hit of the game dropped just in front of the right fielder for the walk off. “After 12 long innings and nine yesterday, I was just happy to put one away there.”
The game-winning rally began with Jonathan Maya, who started the game on the mound and gutted out 5.1 innings. Maya singled to lead off the 12th, stole second, and reached third on a throwing error. After two intentional walks loaded the bases, Ventura ended it.
It was a fitting finish to a relentless performance from the Rocks, who had an answer each time the Baymen pushed.
Eight of nine East Rockaway hitters reached base and four collected multiple hits. On the mound, two Rocks pitchers ate up the entirety of the 12 innings, each throwing well beyond a starter’s workload.
Daniel Miller, an eighth grader, entered in the sixth and delivered 6.2 innings of one-hit relief in the biggest outing of his young career.
“I asked him during winter workouts what his plan for the spring was and he looked me dead in the eye and said varsity,” Hickey said. “Every day of the year he’s done something to gain more trust. He hasn’t looked back once.”
Miller allowed a hit to the first batter he faced and nothing else. He matched zeros with Oyster Bay’s Chase Lordi, who fired 5.1 innings in relief for his second appearance in as many days.
“For him to do what he did as an eighth grader is insane,” Ventura said. “He has trust in the guys behind him, let’s opposing hitters put the ball on the ground, and we do the rest for him.”
Oyster Bay jumped in front first, as Jack Gerbosi reached on a throwing error which brought home Alex Karpavicius in the fourth. East Rockaway tied it in the bottom half when Michael Tizio scored on a dropped fly ball.
The Baymen reclaimed the lead in the sixth with RBI knocks from Anthony Scheidet and Justin Alas—who reached base in five of his seven plate appearances—to make it 3-1.
We’ve got a brand new ballgame, as Edwin Abreu Lopez and Joseph Ventura (videoed below) rip RBI hits.
End 6 | Oyster Bay 3, East Rockaway 3 pic.twitter.com/HSHkav05bV
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 20, 2025
But the Rocks answered again, getting an RBI double from Edwin Abreu Lopez and Ventura’s second run-scoring hit of the day to even things at 3-3.
From there, it was a stalemate—six scoreless innings and clutch pitch after clutch pitch until Ventura ended it.
A year removed from seeing their season end at the hands of Oyster Bay, the Rocks made sure they’d get one more shot. Now with a trip to the County Finals on the line, they’ll look to close out what has surely been one of the better first round matchups in recent history on Thursday.
