Zach Zaslow makes contact on a two-run double in the first inning for the Morris County Cubs Navy.
By Sean Reilly
Brayden Longo had a modest goal for his summer season with the Morris County Cubs 15U Navy.
Longo had a very impressive spring playing with the Mount Olive High School varsity, and he hoped the progress he showed during that campaign would continue.
“The beginning of the high school year was a little tough being a freshman, but toward the end, I got really used to it and it was a lot of fun,” he said. “Now I want to carry it through. I just want to keep it going and have fun playing baseball.”
Longo was the only freshman selected to the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference National Division All-Division first team. There were also no ninth-graders selected to the second team, either.
It’s safe to say he was the best freshman in Morris County, after allowing 11 hits and two earned runs over 26.1 innings, with 25 strikeouts and 11 walks.
He was just as impressive at the plate, with 37 hits in 92 at-bats (.402) with 32 runs and 23 RBI, with six home runs.
Brayden Longo (center) is met by teammates after the final out of his no-hitter.
Longo’s skill was on display on Sunday morning at Diamond Nation, when his Cubs team faced the Shore-based Jersey Giants as part of the 15U Beat the Heat tournament.
He pitched a four-inning no-hitter and cracked a triple that launched a seven-run bottom of the first inning as the Cubs beat the Giants, 12-0.
Longo pitched to the minimum of 12 batters. He allowed a leadoff walk in the top of the first, but that runner was erased on a strike out-throw out double play to the next batter, with catcher Ryan McDonald making the throw. Longo totaled eight strikeouts.
“My slider located really well,” he said. “The outside fastball felt well also. I felt a rhythm on my windup.”
He capped his effort by striking out the last batter after falling behind 3-0 in the count.
“I kind of toned down the velocity there a little bit, and went more for accuracy,” he said.
His no-hitter was aided by two excellent plays by his defense. Center fielder Justin Bullock made a ranging catch to retire the leadoff man in the second inning, and shortstop Luca Argenziano made a strong throw to get the leadoff man in the fourth.
“My center fielder and shortstop made great plays,” Longo said.
After the Cubs’ leadoff man in the first flew out to left field, Longo slugged a stand-up triple to center field. McDonald followed with an RBI single to left.
Michael Paxos walked, and Zach Zaslow hit a two-run double to center for a 3-0 lead. After Zaslow advanced on a wild pitch, a walk to Bullock put runners on first and third.
Oliver Lazarus hit a ground ball that resulted in a throw to the plate. Zaslow beat the throw to score the fourth run.
Christos Paxos slides into third base after single by Henry Smith.
Christos Paxos was up next, and hit a two-run single to center. He advanced to third when Henry Smith singled to right field, and scored as Argenziano reached on an error.
The lead extended to 9-0 in the second inning on an RBI single by Bullock and a run-scoring fielder’s choice from Lazarus.
The final three runs came in the third. Argenziano hit an RBI double to left-center, Longo hit a sacrifice fly to left and McDonald drove in a run on a ground out to third.