The morning rains subsided, allowing Lindenhurst to welcome Bay Shore for the rubber match of their three game series. Bay Shore led for most of the game, but Lindenhurst fought back several times, even taking the lead in the fifth. However, a sixth inning double by Damien Fanduiz tied the game, and a bases-loaded walk in the seventh put Bay Shore up 8-7 for the win.
Bay Shore jumped all over Lindenhurst in the first, Mike LiVorio drove in the game’s first run on a double. Then Fanduiz drove in his first of two RBIs, scoring LiVorio on a single in the next at bat, before scoring himself on Matt Bross single. A sacrifice fly by LiVorio added a fourth run in the bottom of the second.
Lindenhurst got on the board for themselves in the second. The pitcher Krishnam Patel hit a hard ground ball to third, and thanks to a quick bobble he beat it out and drove in their first run. Then in the third, after loading the bases another run came on a walk to Mike Newman. They then nearly tied it on a single by Patel, the third run came around to score, but Bay Shore was able to cut the second runner off at home. It was 4-3 after three innings.
However, Bay Shore got those runs right back in the fourth, as a hard hit single from Hermes Abreu drove in two. Abreu also earned the win as he allowed just one hit while pitching the game’s final three innings and striking out three.
Again Lindenhurst fought back, this time to tie the game at six in the bottom of the fourth. A single to center from Jeremy Ruckert scored two runs, and a sacrifice fly from Tyler Manger drove in another to make it a 6-6 game.
Patel then sent Bay Shore down without a hit in the fifth and Lindenhurst seized the opportunity to take the lead. In the bottom of the inning the shortstop Austin Perri lifted a fly ball just deep enough to score Newman and give Lindenhurst their first lead of the day.
Though it would be short lived, in the sixth Fanduiz would drive in Abreu on a double, setting the stage for the game-winning run to score on a walk to Peter Baratta in the next inning. Lindenhurst would end up advancing the tying run to second with two outs in the bottom half of the seventh, but Abreu settled in getting the game’s final batter to strike out looking.
Abreu and Fanduiz both had multi-hit days while driving in two-RBIs each. Livorio had two RBIs of his own, and the shortstop Jack Pirke had two hits himself.
On the other side Ruckert had two RBIs and two hits for Lindenhurst. Patel also two RBIs and got a no decision as their starter.
After the game Bay Shore’s coach Mike Herbst said of his team: “They can make it tough on themselves sometimes, but I will say that they know how to win. We have a knack for winning ballgames and closing games out and that’s important. At the end of the day you walk away with a W and that’s all that matters.”
Herbst went on to explain that this now makes two years that his teams have gone without losing a series. That’s an impressive streak that they’ll look to keep going when they begin their series with Commack next Tuesday.
Lindenhurst on the other hand will start a series with Northport the same day.
