Pasqualino, Mendez say goodbye

For Patchogue-Medford High School's baseball team, on Friday it becomes official.

Joe Pasqualino and Junior Mendez, two star Raiders, say goodbye, graduating with their 2010 class breathren.

Pasqualino said his career is incomplete, if only because Patchogue-Medford didn't win it all during his time at the school.

"Anything less is a disappointment, so coming so close three years in a row, for me, stings a little," Pasqualino said. 

Personally, Pasqualino had a solid year. The highlight may have been that he reached base safely in 21 out of 22 games, only missing out on May 20th against William Floyd, a game in which he was tossed after the first at bat for arguing with the home plate umpire. Raiders lost that game 6-3.

Pasqualino is attending Suffolk County Community College in the fall and State University of New York at Cortland in the spring.

As for Mendez, he heads to Southern New Hampshire University.

"As a whole I felt like my career was successful but just not as well as I would want," Mendez said. "Anyone that likes getting better would never be satisfied."

Mendez had a gutty season, playing injured part of the season. In May, he tossed a two-hitter on a torn meniscus.

"I thought it was kind of impressive for me," Mendez said. "How I had to deal with the pain and the roughness in my knee. It definitely changed how I moved because I couldn't move laterally at all."

Both players took part in the All-County game last week at Farmingdale State University, were Suffolk County dropped rival Nassau 8-5.

Pasqualino went 1-for-2 with a walk and an RBI triple. Mendez pitched one inning and allowed an unearned run.