When asked what he is going to do on his team’s first off day since Saturday, Long Island Road Warriors catcher Thomas Brady quite a relatable response.
“Honestly, I’m just going to rest,” Brady said. “I need to rehab my legs, we’ve had a tough stretch and I think we deserve this day off.”
A day off is more than deserved. The Road Warriors (5-0) opened its season on Sunday and have played (and won) every day since. In the team’s latest victory, Long Island outplayed Sag Harbor (1-3) at home, winning 3-2. Brady continued his impressive start to the season, picking up two RBIs, throwing out two runners trying to steal second and earning our @DigmiNation player of the game.
“I’ve really been seeing the ball well,” Brady said. “Anything I can do to help the team win sits well with me.”
The Road Warriors were the first to get on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second. Peter Theodorellis singled with one out, then advanced to second on a pass ball before taking third on a wild pitch. Brady was the batter at the plate, and he grounded out to the shortstop Leo Horacio, but Theodorellis scored without contest to give Long Island a 1-0 lead.
The productive offense carried into the third. Thomas Colombo and Ben McNeill occupied the corners with one out, setting up Marcos Perivolaris who brought home Colombo with a single off David Gately.
On the other side of the ball, Liam Dvorak pitched a terrific game. The College of the Holy Cross sophomore lasted four and a third innings only giving up three hits and a run that quite frankly could have been prevented. The run got across in the top of the fourth when Connor Anderson hit a groundball with one out and runners on first and second. Perivolaris toss the ball to Garrett Heaton to get the force out at second, but Heaton made a poor throw to first that got by Colombo allowing Nick Thornquist to score from second. Dvorak also struck out four and walked three.
The score stayed put at 2-1 up until the bottom of the sixth when Brady kept his hot streak going. He hit an RBI single to score Joe Rosselli, good for his eighth RBI in just five games.
Sag Harbor responded in the top of the seventh, leading to what became a questionable decision down the stretch. Bryan Rubin hit a monster home run opposite field to left to cut the Whalers’ deficit in half. But in the top of the ninth with one runner on and one out, Rubin was next in the order and was pinch hit for by Anthony Greco. Greco proceeded to hit into a fielder’s choice for the second out, then Leo Horacio also hit into a fielder’s choice for the final out of the ball game.
The Road Warriors get their first off day since Saturday before they take on the HCBL’s other undefeated team, the Westhampton Aviators, in a double header on Saturday. Sag Harbor doesn’t play until Sunday when they host the North Fork Ospreys.
