by Chris Sacchi
After a 17-1 loss on Tuesday, the Westhampton Aviators bounced back with a 10-0 victory over the North Fork Ospreys.
Aviators starter Erubial Candelario pitched 5 innings of scoreless baseball, with two strikeouts, and was supported by his offense from the start.
Westhampton scratched a run across in the first inning against Ospreys starter Justin Baeyens, as Ryan Ford scored Bailey Peterson on line-drive single into right field, his first of four RBI’s on the day.
Aviators Lead off man Dan Franchi came around to score on a wild pitch in the third, set up by productive outs from EJ Cumbo and Peterson, allowing Franchi to reach third and later come around to score.
After three innings and two runs, Baeyans was replaced with Frankie Guliano out of the Osprey’s bullpen. Guliano was scoreless in the fourth, but allowed two more runs in the fifth inning. Cumbo and Peterson reached base to start the bottom half, and were brought in by Ford and Sean O’Keefe to increase the Westhampton lead to 6-0.
Tommy Koloski came in to pitch for North Fork in the seventh, and continued the trend of Osprey pitchers giving up two runs. Ryan Ford once again was dangerous as the cleanup hitter for the Aviators, driving in his final two runs of the day to make it four for the game, and his team held an 8-0 lead at home heading into the eighth.
Erubial Candelario was replaced in the sixth by Tucker Wittman, a sidearm left hander who hit two batters upon his entry but worked out of the trouble for a scoreless seventh.
Left hander Ryan Smith came on for the Aviators in the eight, and just like fellow southpaw Witrman the previous inning, struggled with control, walking two batters. However, a double play off the bat of Tyrese Claybourne allowed Smith to get out of trouble, and to continue the combined shutout for his team.
Ryan Ford drove in four runs for the @WHAviators in a 10-0 win over the. @NForkOspreys. He spoke with @SachChristopher postgame about his big day at the plate and a bounce-back win for his squad. pic.twitter.com/DAMhbIhYwY
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) June 12, 2019
The bottom of the eighth ended up being the final frame, as the Aviators exploded for four runs to incite the ten run mercy rule. Chaney Dodge, both Franchi brothers, and Josh Harvey all scored for Westhampton. Bailey Peterson ensures the mercy victory for his team with a two-RBI triple to bring his season average to an even .500 in 36 at bats.
