Longwood's Brendan Rivera no-hits Patchogue-Medford in Suffolk Class AAA playoffs winner's bracket game
Longwood's Brendan Rivera throws a pitch in the fourth inning during a Suffolk Class AAA baseball playoff game against Patchogue-Medford on Wednesday at Longwood. Credit: Bob Sorensen
Longwood ace Brendan Rivera had never thrown a no-hitter at any level.
So, minutes after the junior righthander completed his first no-hit masterpiece in arguably the biggest moment of his career – a 4-0 home win for his second-seeded Lions over No. 7 Patchogue-Medford in a Suffolk Class AAA baseball winner's bracket game Wednesday – it was not exactly easy to gather his thoughts.
What was going through his mind?
“I mean, everything,” Rivera said. “Obviously, I got to help my team. My team was making plays, but everything was working for me today.
“My mind’s spiraling.”
Rivera struck out eight, walked none and threw 99 pitches (65 strikes). Only two Pat-Med players reached base, one on a fifth-inning infield error and another in the seventh following a dropped third strike.
“I pound the zone,” said Rivera, who relied on his fastball and slider Wednesday. “My offspeeds are good. I feel like if I go out there, I can give my team a good chance.”
Said Longwood coach Ryan McSherry: “Just ecstatic. We knew we had a tough opponent in Pat-Med today. We knew Jayden Stroman was coming in, who’s an incredible athlete. He had a wonderful season. He's the league MVP for a reason. And we were able to counter with our ace, and he's been our ace all season.
“Brendan Rivera did a fantastic job. He's tough to pick up. Attacks the zone, works down, mixes pitches up really well. And honestly, our team came in just ready to play. We seized the moment.”
Stroman, a Duke commit and the younger brother of Yankees pitcher Marcus Stroman, struck out 12 and allowed five hits and four runs over five innings. His fastball sat around 93 mph and touched 96 in front of another large collection of MLB scouts.
Longwood (18-3) took a 1-0 first-inning lead following a questionable balk call.
Luke Rizzi made it 2-0 in the fourth when he hammered a 3-2, 92-mph fastball over the left-centerfield wall.
The Lions added two more insurance runs in the fifth on consecutive RBI doubles by catcher Jagger Franco, who caught his first no-hitter, and his older brother Brayden Franco.
Longwood has dedicated its season to former student and baseball player Nolan Horn, who died at 15 in December after a two-year battle with brain cancer.
“We’re all playing for our boy Nolan,” Jagger Franco said. “It’s big today.”
Said Rizzi: “This season is for a different purpose. There's a higher thing going on with our team.”
Longwood will host No. 3 Smithtown East at noon Saturday in another winner's bracket game. Pat-Med (14-8) will face No. 8 Half Hollow Hills East in an elimination game at 4 p.m. Thursday.
“We knew what we were in for there,” Raiders coach Anthony Frascogna said. “[Rivera’s] a fantastic high school pitcher. He doesn’t throw balls. His offspeed is dominant, and he throws it all the time in any count. You just really got to tip your cap to him.”
Ben Dickson joined Newsday’s high school sports staff in 2023 after graduating from Maryland, where he covered several of the Terrapins' teams.
