The Long Island Road Warriors snapped their nine game losing streak Tuesday evening at home, as they defeated the North Fork Ospreys 5-4 in ten innings.
Chris Mott of NYIT got the start for Long Island on the mound. In six innings of work, Mott gave up three runs on six hits, striking out four in the no-decision start.
North Fork’s Joe Tardiff (Cortland) led the game off with a single to left, and stole second. Tyrese Clayborne of Texas Southern, singled in Tardiff for the first run of the game. One batter later, third baseman Tyler Gilespy (Campbell) singled in Javier Vaz (LUS Eunice) to give North Fork a 2-0 lead after the top of the first.
With a 2-0 lead, Pace University’s Joe Pizzingrillo came to the mound for the Ospreys in the bottom of the first. With one out, Jake McCarthy (Molloy) reached on an infield single, and stole second. He then scored on John Marti’s (Delaware) single up the middle to cut the Osprey lead in half. Queen College’s Eric Roubal lined out to left for the second out of the inning before Rutgers infielder Dave Soto drove in Marti to tie the game at 2-2 in the first inning.
With the game tied at two after only an inning, Chris Mott fired a 1-2-3 top of the second. In the bottom half of the second, Long Island recorded three straight singles. Catcher Jack Ryan (Adelphi) lead off with a base hit up the middle, followed by Dan Palermo’s (Iona) bunt single. Fordham’s Jake Guercio singled, scoring Ryan, and advancing Palermo to third, giving the Road Warriors a 3-2 lead after two innings.
Osprey’s Center fielder Joe Tardiff got the ball rolling in the top of the third with his second straight single, and advanced to second on a Chris Mott baulk. Drake Peggs of Eastern Michigan grounded out to first, advancing Tardiff to third base, before Javier Vaz drove Tardiff in with a sac fly to center to tie the game at three in the third.
The game would remain tied at three until the bottom of the seventh. Pizzingrillo went on to not allow a hit in the third, fourth, or fifth innings, retiring his last eight in a row. Through five, the Pace University right hander gave up three runs on six hits, all in his first two innings of work.
Chris Mott only gave up two more hits after his first three innings of work before leaving the game at the end of the sixth.
Anthony Vargas (Monroe) pitched a scoreless sixth for the Ospreys, after giving up a leadoff walk.
Anthony Jacabacci, a southpaw out of the University of Bridgeport came on in relief to pitch the top of the seventh. He gave up a leadoff single to designated hitter Drake Peggs before inducing a fly ball to center, and a fielder’s choice groundball to second. With two outs in the inning, Matt Heffernan (Fredonia) pinch hit for Gilespy and singled to right center before Jacabacci came back with a strikeout to end the top of the seventh.
Tied at three in the bottom of the seventh, Vargas came back on and gave up back to back walks to Guercio, and Jake Liberatore (Stetson) with one out, before being taken out. Right hander Bryan Krolikowski of Queens College came on with one away, runners on first and second to face Molloy’s Jake McCarthy, who singled up the middle, scoring Guercio and giving Long Island a 4-3 lead.
Drake Eggleston of Penn pitched a perfect eighth inning for the Road Warriors, inducing three fly balls. The Road Warriors went down in order in the bottom half of the eighth against Krolikowski in his first full inning of work.
Leading 4-3 heading into the top of the ninth, Long Island closer Matt Paghidas of SUNY Maritime looked to shut the door on North Fork. After two quick outs, Javier Vaz singled to right field. A misplayed ball in the outfield allowed Vaz to advance to second, but he didn’t stop there and busted it all the way to third. Tyrese Clayborne reached on an infield single behind the second base bag, scoring Vaz, and tying the game at four in the top of the ninth.
Krolikowski came back on for the bottom of the ninth in a tie game, and walked the leadoff man Jake Guercio. Liberatore bunted him over to second, bringing up Jake McCarthy. McCarthy hit a blooper to short left center that was caught by Vaz at short over his shoulder with his back to the plate. After making the catch, Vaz stopped on a dime and fired a strike to second base to double off Guercio to send the game to extra innings.
Long Islander reliever Mike Mirando of Hofstra pitched a perfect top of the tenth, setting the Road Warriors up to win in walk off fashion.
A walkoff victory in the 10th inning for the @LIRoadWarriors defeating the @NForkOspreys 5-4. @mattytredeuce spoke to John Marti, after his leadoff Triple, and Eric Roubal, after his sacrifice fly to seal the deal. Tonight’s interview has been brought to you by @hamptoncoffee pic.twitter.com/0FlHYdldc2
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) July 10, 2019
Sacred Heart’s Anthony Porrino came on in relief for the bottom of the tenth. Shortstop John Marti tripled to the right field wall to lead off the bottom of the tenth, before Eric Roubal flew out to deep left, scoring Marti for the 5-4 victory. Mike Mirando picked up the victory, while Porrino came on the losing end.
The Road Warriors, now 9-19-1, snapped their nine game skid with the victory. They’ll be back in action tomorrow, July 10th, as they take the road to play the first place Westhampton Aviators at 5pm. North Fork, now 12-19, will host the Southampton Breakers tomorrow at home, with first pitch set for 7pm.
