Sports

Twenty-three days of SWR sports highlights

Over 23 days from the middle of May into early June, Shoreham-Wading River severed as host to a non-stop slate of playoff sports. The baseball, softball and both boys and girls lacrosse teams advanced into the playoffs. And when it was all over, three emerged county champions and two state champions.

It was a wild ride, for sure.

Here’s a look back at how it all went down, game by game:

ROBERT O'ROURK FILE PHOTO | Mike O'Reilly is mobbed at home plate after his May 18th home run.

May 18: The playoffs began with the top-seeded baseball team looking to defend its Class A county title. The Wildcats’ first game against Rocky Point featured a four-run comeback for the Wildcats, who won in the 8th inning on a walk-off home run by Mike O’Reilly. http://tinyurl.com/83q7xfj

May 23: Facing the No. 2 seeded Bayport-Blue Point Phantoms with a chance to advance to the finals, the baseball team suffered a setback when the Wildcats lost 4-2. Three batters into the game Bayport led 3-0 on a home run to right field that may have been foul. But it stood and it was enough to drop the Wildcats into the loser’s bracket of the double elimination tournament. http://tinyurl.com/7tn9o8a

BILL LANDON FILE PHOTO | Shoreham-Wading River junior Chelsea Hawks scores the winning run against Miller Place.

May 23: Moments after the baseball team lost, the Shoreham softball team was moving into extra innings of its opening round playoff game against Miller Place. The Wildcats went into the 9th inning with game tied at 2 when junior Chelsea Hawks reached on a one-out walk. She ended up scoring the winning run on a wild pitch to give Shoreham the 3-2 win. http://tinyurl.com/cf69qgq

May 24: As the top seed in the Class C bracket, the boys lacrosse team opened the playoffs against John Glenn at home. The Wildcats had little trouble against the Knights, winning 14-3 to begin their playoff run. http://tinyurl.com/cddt78s

May 25: The softball team faced the top-seeded team in the semifinals of Class A, Sayville. The Wildcats had beaten Sayville twice in the regular season, giving the team confidence going on the road with a trip to the county finals on the line. But the veteran Golden Flashes proved too strong, winning 6-1. Sayville went on to claim the state championship. http://tinyurl.com/bm3nalk

May 26: He did it again. With its back against the wall, the Shoreham baseball team needed a win against Sayville to keep its season alive. The Wildcats trailed by a run in the ninth inning when O’Reilly stepped to the plate with a runner on base. He clubbed his second walk-off home run of the playoffs to lift the Wildcats to a 2-1 victory. http://tinyurl.com/cwgrovw

May 29: The baseball team traveled to Bayport needing a win to force a decisive game the next day. Bayport, having beaten Shoreham earlier in the playoffs, only needed one win in two tries to claim the county title. O’Reilly made sure it came down to one game as he pitched a gem to lead Shoreham to a 6-0 victory and bring the series back to Shoreham. http://tinyurl.com/crlxw7b

BILL LANDON FILE PHOTO | The Wildcats celebrate their county title.

May 30: The baseball team liked to stick to the dramatics in the playoffs. Facing Bayport for the second straight day, the Wildcats won another playoff game in walk-off style. Drew Sperruzzi hit a single in the bottom of the eighth inning to give Shoreham a 3-2 victory that clinched the Wildcats’ second straight county title.  http://tinyurl.com/bmlscpn

ROBERT O'ROURK FILE PHOTO | The boys lacrosse team celebrates its win over Bayport in the county finals.

May 30: At Stony Brook University in the boys lacrosse county finals, the Wildcats were facing Bayport, the No. 2 seed. After a slow start, the Wildcats poured it on with a 9-0 run to cruise past the Phantoms 14-4. The Wildcats won the ninth county title in program history and second in a row. http://tinyurl.com/7yv8fa6

May 31: The girls lacrosse team had a long wait for its first playoff game. As the top seed, the Wildcats had an automatic berth into the county finals where they faced the defending state runner-ups in Mount Sinai. Shoreham had lost to the Mustangs in the regular season, but thanks to a big game from freshman goalkeeper Lauren Daly, the Wildcats won 11-7 to clinch the title.  http://tinyurl.com/7z4hcc8

June 2: The boys lacrosse team faced Cold Spring Harbor in the Long Island championship at Hofstra. The Wildcats ran off a 4-0 run from the second quarter into the fourth to take control. Shoreham held on 9-7 to win the fourth Long Island title in program history and first since 2007. http://tinyurl.com/bwjwmfb

June 3: In the Class C Long Island finals against North Shore, the girls lacrosse team raced out to a 7-1 lead and never looked back at Dowling Sports Complex. The Wildcats won their sixth Long Island crown to punch a ticket back to Cortland and the state final four.  http://tinyurl.com/7t873l3

ROBERT O'ROURK FILE PHOTO | Shoreham-Wading River senior Mike O'Reilly struck out 19 in the Long Island finals.

June 5: The baseball team faced Plainedge at Dowling College for the Long Island title. Shoreham was looking to become the first school since Garden City in 2000 to crown a L.I. champion in baseball, boys lacrosse and girls lacrosse. But Plainedge lefty Tyler Manez put that thought to rest by pitching 11 innings and outdueling O’Reilly, 3-1. O’Reilly still had an incredible game, striking out 19 while pitching all 11 innings. The three runs he gave up all came in the 11th. http://tinyurl.com/7wjl2hc

June 6: The looming question down the final minutes of the boys lacrosse team’s state semifinal game against Bronxville was could Shoreham pull off the shutout? The Wildcats came close. They led 10-0 before Bronxville finally scored in the waning minutes of the fourth quarter. Shoreham won 11-2 to advance into the state finals. http://tinyurl.com/7cm4f3f

June 8: As the girls lacrosse team went ahead 14-7 in the second half of the state semifinals against Christian Brothers Academy, the Wildcats appeared well on their way to the state finals. But the Brothers, down several players because of yellow cards, nearly staged an improbable comeback. The Brothers closed the gap to one with a chance to tie the game. But Daly was there to make a key save and help preserve a 14-13 win. http://tinyurl.com/7adfnvb

June 9: The boys lacrosse team lost its All-American midfielder Trevor Brosco only 13 seconds into the state finals against Penn Yan at Middletown High School. But junior Tim Rotanz was there to help pick up the slack with five goals and lift the Wildcats to a 10-6 victory and the team’s first state championship since 2007. http://tinyurl.com/7syh5kx

JOHN ZACHARY FILE PHOTO | The Shoreham girls lacrosse team with the championship plaque.

June 9: The girls lacrosse team ran off its 10th straight victory in Cortland dating back to 2007 with an 11-9 win over Honeoye Falls-Lima in the state championship. The Wildcats won their fifth state title and did so by coming back from four down in the second half. http://tinyurl.com/6mvsmr6