by James Ryder
The start of Saturday’s game between the South Shore Sharks and New York Storm at Cantiague Park featured cold temperatures and scattered winds. The weather wouldn’t end up being the only unpredictable event to take place however as the Sharks managed to make the late comeback in a 6-4 victory.
Liam Collins pitched for the Sharks and in the top of the first got off to a rough start. The Storms’ Dylan Rhein worked a 3-2 count to get a lead-off walk followed by 3-2 single to shallow left from Maz Mieszeiski shortly after Rhein went to second base on a wild pitch. With Liam Daly up to the plate, Rhein stole third base but would be thrown out at home plate by third baseman Jimmy Manzella on a Daly fielder’s choice ground ball. With Dennis Kelly up to bat, Daly then stole second and moved to third on a pitch in the dirt. That pitch rolled to the backstop allowing Mieszeiski to score from third making it 1-0 Storm. Kelly would strikeout swinging for the second out. After another walk by Danny Rhein, Collins would avoid further damage by forcing Ben Rosenberg to ground out to shortstop for the third out.
With Daly on the mound for the Storm, the Sharks answered right back. The lead off hitter Justin Delgado drew a walk on four pitches. Collins struck out swinging for the first out, but Delgado managed to steal second. Delgado also stole third on a wild pitch just before Manzella grounded out to the pitcher and brought home Delgado making it 1-1.
Collins would respond strongly in the top of the second where he threw a 1-2-3 inning with back-to-back ground outs and a swinging strikeout. Daly would start his half of the second inning with a swinging strikeout on Darren Fullone, but then gave up a triple to Nick Gnardelis who hit a laser in the left-center gap. Fullone replaced him at third and was scored on a wild pitch the next at bat, 2-1 Sharks.
In the top of the third, Purnand Bacchus walked and was moved to third by Dylan Rhein’s double to center field. Daly walked making bases loaded with one out for Kelly who hit a bases clearing double to right center giving NY a 4-2 lead. Next came a balk and an RBI single to Danny Rhein, which signaled the end for Collins (2 1/3 innings). He moved to second base bringing Manzella to the rubber. When asked about what he need to do to pitch his team to a win, Jimmy said he “needed to come in to the middle of the game and throw strikes.” And throw strikes he did. Manzella immediately recorded the final two outs and would keep the Storm scoreless the rest of the game.
Just as the wind calmed down and the sun came out, the Sharks began their comeback. With one out in the bottom of the third, Delgado tripled to the fence and was brought home by Collins to cut the lead 4-3. Both pitchers in the fourth frame had 1-2-3 innings. This set the stage for a wild bottom of the fifth inning which began with Owen McWalters reaching first on a pass ball despite striking out. Delgado then walked and Collins successfully bunted to juice the bases with no outs. A pass ball to Manzella was enough for McWalters to score from third tying the game at 4-4. Manzella walked loading the bases again and another pass ball scored Delgado giving South Shore the lead. Yorky Perez walked on a wild pitch to make it 6-4. Dylan Rhein finally replaced Daly who finished with 4 1/3 innings pitched. Fullone, Rhein’s first batter, was hit by a pitch, but he would get out of the jam when Gnardelis popped out to right and Trevor Rinn hit a comebacker to Rhein.
In the top of the sixth inning, Manzella put the game away by recording each of the final three outs himself. He walked Danny Rhein to start but struck out Rosenberg swinging. After then walking Mieszeiski, Manzella made a diving catch on Daly’s bunt attempt then turned the double play at first base with Mieszeiski mistakenly breaking for second base. Despite struggling on the mound, Collins played a role in the Sharks making the comeback with his bat while Manzella shutdown the Storm in the last 3 innings. As Manzella put it, “We just came together and played Sharks baseball.” Final: Sharks 6, Storm 4.
