The @WHAviators exploded for 12 runs in the top of the 8th inning against the @NForkOspreys completing the comeback win 14-7 on the road. Reporter @mattytredeuce spoke with Centerfielder Dan Franchi after the win. pic.twitter.com/al8jnKNxoD
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) June 7, 2019
The Westhampton Aviators offense was on display late last night as they came from behind to defeat the North Fork Ospreys on the road 14-7, highlighted by a 12 run eighth inning. The Aviators improve to 3-2 on the young season, while North Fork is still searching for their first victory, at 0-5.
For the home team, North Fork, Pace University lefthander Frankie Giuliano got the start on the mound, and he threw four innings of shutout ball, giving up just two hits and two walks, striking out six in the process.
Westhampton centerfielder Dan Franchi (Binghamton) led the game off with a single up the middle. He was erased on a ground ball to short from Michigan State’s Joe Stewart that resulted in a 6-4-3 double play. Penn State’s Ryan Ford struck out to end the top half of the first in order.
Westhampton sent Fordham righthander Gabel Karslo to the mound to start the game. He finished four innings giving up three runs on two hits, walking four, striking out six. It was a rough first inning for Karslo, as he walked three of the first four batters to load the bases with one out. Utah’s Isaac Deveaux struck out for the second out of the inning, but Richmond’s Justin Meyer cleared the bases with a two-out double to the center field wall to put the Ospreys in front 3-0.
Both starting pitchers worked three more innings each. Giuliano continued to pound the zone, resulting in plenty of swings and misses. Westhampton’s Gabe Karslo settled in nicely after the first, only giving up one more hit in his next three innings.
In the top of the 5th inning, with the score still 3-0 North Fork, Kevin Glasser of Adelphi came on in relief. Glasser struck out his first batter Frankie Gomez, before giving up a one out single to second Baseman Jack Harnisch out of Fordham. Harnisch stole second before Glasser struck out the next batter, Josh Harvey, for the second out. With two away and a runner on second, leadoff hitter Dan Franchi doubled down the right field line to give the Aviatiors their first run of the ball game.
North Fork answered back in the bottom half of the 5th with a two out, two run home run for designated hitter Nick Jones of Eastern Michigan University, which gave the Ospreys a 5-1 lead after five full innings.
Both teams went down in order in the 6th before the Aviators struck for one more run in the 7th. Western Michigan first baseman led off the inning for Westhampton with a hit by pitch. He advanced to third on David Franchi’s (LIU Post) pinch hit double. At this point, Pace’s Joe Pizzingrillo came in to relieve Glasser with no outs and runners on second and third. Jack Harnisch grounded out to second to bring in O’Keefe, before Pizzingrillo got two more groundball outs to end the top of the 7th.
North Fork held a 5-2 lead heading into the top of the 8th inning. Three straight singles from Stewart, Ford, and shortstop Bailey Peterson (Michigan State) who drove in Stewart made it a 5-3 game. Angus McCloskey came on to relieve Pizzingrillo, and hit his first batter, Northwestern State’s Chaney Dodge to load the bases with nobody out. Sean O’Keefe singled in a run, followed by David Franchi’s game tying walk to make it 5-5. Jack Harnisch then singled up the middle to score Dodge, and O’Keefe was thrown out trying to score, for the first out of the inning, but Westhampton wasn’t done yet. Josh Harvey (UNC Wilmington) drove in two more runs with a single to make it an 8-5 game and that knocked out McCloskey. Left handed reliever Garrett Aylor of Richmond came on to attempt to shut the door, but the Aviators continued to bust it wide open. The ninth batter of the inning Dan Franchi walked to make it first and second with only one out. Stewart walked in his second at bat in the inning to load the bases, for Ryan Ford who walked in another run making it 9-5. Bailey Peterson doubled to right field clearing the bases and putting the Aviators up 12-5. Two batters later, Sean O’Keefe homered over the center field wall to push the lead to 14-5. Mike Randazzo (Bryant) relieved Aylor, and a walk and a strikeout ended the marathon top of the 8th.
In the bottom of the 8th, Westhampton sent UMass Amherst Southpaw Tucker Whittman to the mound. The Ospreys answered back for two runs off the bat of Joe Tardiff, who now leads the league with eight runs batted in. The two extra runs made it 14-7 heading into the ninth inning, and that’s where the score would stay, as Tucker Whittman struck out two more batters in the ninth to end the game.
The winning pitcher for the Aviators was Stony Brook’s Kyle Johnson who threw the sixth and seventh innings giving up only two hits, striking out four. Angus McCloskey (Pace) got the loss, giving up four runs on three hits in a third of an inning.
The Aviators will travel to Riverhead today to take on the Riverhead Tomcats at Veterans Memorial Park in Calverton with first pitch set for 5pm. The North Fork Ospreys, still searching for the first win of the season, will hit the road as well to take on the Sag Harbor Whalers at Mashashimuet Park at 5pm.
