The Trusted Home of Amateur Baseball on Long Island – From Travel through College

search icon
advertise with us

News

Nassau Earns 8-2 Victory Over Suffolk in Bryan Bonin Grand Slam Challenge

by Trevor Dugan

Middle Country Park played host to the 19th annual Bryan Bonin Grand Slam Challenge Wednesday afternoon. In a matchup full of Long Island’s premier baseball players, the Nassau County all-stars earned a decisive 8-2 win over their Suffolk County counterparts. 

You’d be hard pressed to find a more star-studded exhibition game anywhere in the northeast. Yastremski award-winner Shane Meehan started behind the plate for Suffolk County, and was joined in the Suffolk dugout by Paul Gibson award-winner Dylan Cogliano. Diamond award winners Joe Carey and Jayden Gigante each took the field for Nassau, along with countless other college-bound players. 

Hofstra-commit Matthew Kurz of Clarke High School earned the game’s MVP award after driving in two runs at the plate and pitching a scoreless ninth inning for Nassau.

The St. John’s-commit Gigante, a recent graduate of H. Frank Carey High School, was named defensive player of the game for the Nassau All-stars. 

Dylan Santucci of Syosset High School scored two runs and hit the go-ahead RBI double for Nassau County in the seventh inning. 

“It was a great experience playing with some of the best players on Long Island,” Kurz said after the game. “Nassau came out on top, and it was overall a good experience; we had a lot of fun.“ 

Entering Wednesday, Suffolk County led the all-time Grand Slam Challenge series 10-8, but Nassau closed that gap a bit with their second-straight victory over Suffolk. 

A plethora of pitchers got the chance to show their stuff in Friday’s all-star game. Dan Gilroy (Center Moriches) and Joe Carey (Garden CIty) each tossed a 1-2-3 first inning to begin the game for their respective teams. The award-winning right-hander Cogliano pitched a 1-2-3 second inning for the Suffolk all-stars.

Suffolk was able to push across the first run of the game for either side in the bottom of the third inning, when Luke Rebore-Costanza of Center Moriches hit a sacrifice fly to bring home his high school teammate and Blue Chip Silver Slugger award-winner Max Rayburn, making it 1-0 Suffolk. 

Nassau would tie the game on an RBI single by Kurz in the top of the fourth, then took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fifth when Garden City’s Jack Murphy scored on a throwing error.

Suffolk tied things up again at 2-2 in the bottom of the sixth inning when Keegan McElligot of St. John the Baptist High School drove home Tucker Brown of Hauppauge with a sacrifice fly. 

Nassau answered McElligott’s game-tying flyout with a four-spot in the top of the seventh, taking the lead back for good. Santucci ripped a go-ahead RBI double to make it 3-2 Nassau county, before a sacrifice fly by Kellenberg’s Jaden Valdez and two-run double by Clarke’s James Beckworth stretched their lead to 6-2. 

Nassau scored two more insurance runs in the top of the ninth, plating their seventh on an RBI single by Division’s Tyler Scarry before a bases-loaded walk by Long Island Lutheran’s Matt Garib drove in the game’s final run, giving Nassau County an 8-2 lead. 

Kurz entered to pitch a scoreless ninth inning, capping off his MVP winning performance. 

With Wednesday’s all-star game being the last time these players will represent their high schools on the diamond, some of them reflected on their experiences. It was an extra special moment for Gigante, as he was able to share the field with his former travel ball teammates one more time.

“It’s an honor to play in this game, it’s for a great cause,” defensive MVP Gigante said. “It was great to play with them (Next Level teammates) again, and overall it was really easy to play because of the chemistry we have.”

“Long Island baseball is what created my love for the game,” Gigante continued. “I’m really thankful for all the people that have made an impact on my life through Carey and Next Level. It’s been a good ride, and I’m excited to see where it takes me.”

The MVP of the day was all smiles following his final game in his high school’s hat. 

“My high school career was awesome, I loved every guy I shared the field with,” Kurz explained. “Clake gave me really good opportunities, so I can’t thank that program enough. Ending it here was a good experience, especially winning the most valuable player, and I even got to play with some of my future college teammates.”

The college teammate Kurz alludes to is the outfielder Santucci. Both he and Kurz played a vital role in Nassau’s win Wednesday. They will be attending Hofstra University together this Fall.Wednesday night’s all-star game was a fitting send off for a talented group of Long Island athletes. Players like Kurz, Cogliano, Gigante, Meehan, and so many more have left an impact on their respective communities that won’t be forgotten any time soon. We wish them nothing but the best of luck in all of their future endeavors.