2026 Long Island Sundevils Sweep Powerhouse NY Astros LIMSBL ‘26 for 45+ Title in Long Island MSBL/MABL
Long Island MSBL/MABL, 45+ Division
Long Island Sun Devils 18, NY Astros 15 (Game two in Best-of-Three Championship Series Sweep)
‘Sundevils ‘Three-Peat’ Against Astros Three Years in a Row’
Submitted by Todd Lefkowitz
“In Game One, to me, the most important factor is that we threw away the lead, had to go extra innings, fell behind two runs, and answered with three to walk it off.
Equally exciting was that in Game Two we fell behind by nine and scored 10 in the seventh to pull ahead, only to be down a run in the ninth.”
“And special mention to Cliff Miller, who held the game where it was for us to come back after not pitching for almost two years,” added Lefkowitz.
“Then Cliff was the batter with two outs, two strikes, and a runner on third in the ninth, who got the base hit to allow us to get the win in extra innings. He was a true warrior for us.”
Below are the Championship Game summaries courtesy of Game Changer Media
GAME ONE…
The NY Astros LIMSBL ‘26 fell to LI Sundevils, 12-11, on Saturday at Eisenhower Park on the final play of the game. The game was tied at 11 in the bottom of the tenth when Frank Buongervino singled, scoring one run.
Despite the loss, NY Astros LIMSBL ‘26 did collect 18 hits in the high-scoring affair. The LI Sundevils had 16 hits on their way to their game-one victory.
LI Sundevils were first to get on the board in the first inning when Steve Qiuroz doubled, scoring one run. They added one run in the second, when Jerry Belfiore singled to right field on a 3-0 count, making the score 2-0.
Vic Lara singled down the right field line, which helped NY Astros LIMSBL ‘26 tie the game at two in the top of the third.
The Sundevils jumped into the lead in the bottom of the third when Gigi Vano singled, scoring two runs, Joe Pasqua singled, scoring one run, and Belfiore grounded out, scoring one run.
The Astros captured the lead, 7-6, in the top of the sixth after Joe Lankford hit a sacrifice fly, and Erik Maldonado singled, each scoring one run. The Sundevils took the lead, 8-7, in the bottom of the sixth, thanks to singles by Belfiore, and Mike Zampino.
The Astros tied the game in the top of the eighth thanks to a double by Frank Sansonetti, and a single by Dalton Young.
In the top of the tenth, the Astros broke up the tie when John Blanchfield doubled, scoring one run, followed by a sacrifice fly by Patrick O’Donnell, to extend the lead to 11-9.
The Sundevils took the lead in the bottom of the tenth inning after Zampino walked, Brian Bond grounded into a fielder’s choice, and Buongervino singled down the right field line, each scoring one run.
Buongervino earned the win for the LI Sundevils. The hurler gave up three hits and two runs over two innings, striking out one and walking none. Lara pitched three and two-thirds innings in relief for the NY Astros LIMSBL ‘26. The reliever gave up eight hits and three runs while striking out five and walking one.
Sansonetti took the loss for Astros. The reliever went one-third of an inning, allowing one run on one hit, striking out none and walking two. Tommy Conley started the game for the Astros. The hurler allowed five hits and five runs over two and one-third innings, striking out none and walking one.
Qiuroz started the game for the LI Sundevils. The hurler allowed 15 hits and nine runs (seven earned) over eight innings, striking out one and walking four.
The NY Astros LIMSBL ‘26 accumulated 18 hits in Game One, while the LI Sundevils piled up 16 hits in the game.
GAME TWO…
Despite leading by as many as nine runs, NY Astros LIMSBL ‘26 fell to the LI Sundevils 18-15 at Weldon E. Howitt Middle School. Frank Sansonetti drove in four runners in the loss. The number three hitter went 4-5 on the day.
The Sundevils got on the board in the top of the first inning after Gigi Vano walked and Scott McMillan balked, each scoring one run.
The Astros made the score 5-2 in the bottom of the second after Omar Norris hit a sacrifice fly, scoring one run, Erik Maldonado singled, scoring two runs, and Dalton Young singled, scoring one run.
The Astros scored five runs on three hits in the bottom of the fourth inning. Sansonetti singled, scoring two runs, Cory Levy doubled, scoring two runs, and Young singled, scoring one run.
The Sundevils flipped the game on its head in the top of the seventh, scoring 10 runs on seven hits to take the lead, 14-13. The biggest blow in the inning was a single by Vano that drove in two.
The Astros captured the lead, 15-14, in the bottom of the seventh after Vic Lara grounded out, and Maldonado doubled down the left field line, each scoring one run.
Cliff Miller singled down the right field line, which helped the LI Sundevils tie the game at 15 in the top of the ninth.
In the top of the tenth, the LI Sundevils broke up the tie when Steve Qiuroz singled, scoring one run. Then a fielder’s choice by Rob Figueroa followed to extend the lead to 18-15.
Mike Schippell earned the win for the Sundevils. The pitcher surrendered one hit and zero runs over four innings, striking out three and walking one. McMillan took the loss for the Astros. The starting pitcher went seven and one-third innings, surrendering 10 runs (seven earned) on eight hits, striking out four and walking eight.
Frank Buongervino was the first to step on the hill for the Sundevils. The hurler surrendered 10 hits and 10 runs over three and one-third innings, striking out two and walking five.
The NY Astros LIMSBL ‘26 collected 15 hits in the game. Young and Sansonetti each collected four hits for the Astros. Lara and Maldonado each collected multiple hits. Vinnie Lucarelli led the Astros with two walks. Overall, the team had a strong eye at the plate, tallying eight walks for the game. NY Astros LIMSBL ‘26 turned one double play in the game.
The LI Sundevils piled up 14 hits in the game. Brian Bond led them with three hits in six at-bats. Figueroa, Vano, and Schippell each drove in three runs for the Sundevils.
Qiuroz, Mike Zampino, and Miller each collected multiple hits for the Sundevils. Buongervino led them with three walks.
Overall, the team had a strong eye at the plate, collecting 11 walks for the game. Figueroa and Bond each stole multiple bases for the Sundevils. They ran wild on the base paths, collecting five stolen bases for the game. The Sundevils turned three double plays in the game.