In @HamptonsLeague play, the LI Road Warriors went down 2-0 in the top of the first, but Jake Liberatore’s 2 run double tied it up in the bottom half. Long Island went on to win 5-4 against Riverhead. Reporter Matt Weinstein spoke with Liberatore after the game. pic.twitter.com/yVQGEznufb
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) June 2, 2019
by Matt Weinstein
It was a successful opening night of the 2019 Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League Season on Saturday where both the Long Island Road Warriors and the Riverhead Tomcats picked up victories to begin their respective seasons 1-0. One of these two early win streaks would be halted however, as Long Island hosted Riverhead in a rematch of last year’s HCBL championship series on Sunday evening at Bellport High School.
Jared Restmeyer, a rising sophomore for the college of Saint Rose, got the start on the mound for Long Island, and he picked up his first win of the season, as the Road Warriors defeated the Tomcats 5-4. Restmeyer, the Huntington Station native, gave up 3 runs on 8 hits during his 5 innings of work. On the losing end for Riverhead, was starting pitcher Connor Morrisroe (Albany) who gave up 5 runs on 3 hits in 5 innings.
Second Baseman Rob Gallagher (UMass Lowell) led off the game for Riverhead with a bunt single on the first pitch he saw. He was sacrificed to second by David Kale (Holy Cross) and then driven in on St Mary’s College Sophomore Bryce Willets’ double. Willets’ scored two batters later off of the bat of First Baseman Bryce Wallace (Louisiana Tech.)
Long Island answered back in the bottom of the first with two straight walks to, Chad Pike and John Marti. Designated hitter Jake Liberatore of Stetson University doubled both in to tie the game. He advanced to third on the throw home and was then driven in by cleanup hitter Miles Kelly, which gave Long Island a 3-2 lead after 1.
In the bottom of the second, David Soto reached on a hit by pitch, stole second, and scored on an RBI single from leadoff hitter Chad Pike (Daytona State). Pike stole second, then advanced to third and scored on two wild pitches giving the Road Warriors their 5th and final run of the ball game.
Riverhead struck for 1 more run in the third inning with a lead off double from Gallagher, and two straight singles from Kale and Willets, but the Tomcats squandered an opportunity to take the lead. With 1 run already home in the inning, runners on first and second with one out, Bryce Wallace singled down the line which would have scored Willets, but after an appeal, it was ruled that Willets missed third base and would be ruled out on the play. After a two out walk to Andrew Hernandez (Penn), Isaiah Payton (Penn State) flew out to deep left with the bases loaded to end the top of the third.
Both Starting pitchers worked 5 innings each. Once Morrisroe left the game for Riverhead, Coleton Reitan, a rising Sophomore at Wesleyan University, finished the game, throwing 3 innings, giving up just 2 hits, striking out a pair.
For Long Island, Tristan Amone, James Cardinale, and Drake Eggleston pitched the 6th, 7th, and 8th respectively. Amone and Cardinale both gave up a hit each, Cardinale giving up a run as well. Eggleston threw a perfect 8th inning to set up Matt Paghidas’ second save of the season. The rising junior at Maritime began the 9th with two strikeouts before giving up a two-out double to Bryce Willets. Paghidas came right back and got Louis Antos to fly out to Center to end the game, allowing the Road Warriors to advance to 2-0. Riverhead falls to 1-1 with the loss.
Riverhead’s next game is Monday June 3rd as they will host the Southampton Breakers at 5pm. The Road Warriors have Monday off before they’re back in action on Tuesday at Southampton at 5pm.
