by Chris Sacchi
Despite a weekend with some of the hottest temperatures since 2003, every team in the Hamptons League can’t afford to lose intensity with the playoffs starting on Wednesday and seeding still to be determined.
In a chase for the number one seed, the Westhampton Aviators took down the Southampton Breakers 6-2 in a heat shortened game through 5 and a half innings.
Aviators southpaw starter Ryan Smith was taken out in the first inning, but not due to ineffectiveness. After getting the first two outs, Breakers first baseman Gerard Sweeney hit a bullet up the middle that ricocheted off Smith’s right leg. Smith looked fine initially, breaking towards the ball that was rolling towards third base, and making a throw to first that Sweeny beat out.
Smith then paced around the mound and flexed his leg multiple times. After one warmup toss, he shook his head and told his coaching staff he couldn’t continue.
Right hand pitcher Ryan Toran replaced Smith, and allowed a single into right field to Southampton’s Justice Thompson that allowed Sweeny to race over to third.
With first and third and two out, catcher Kyle Lagrutta hit a dribbled foul down the first base line. However, the ball had so much topspin that it rolled back into fair territory near first, and Aviators first baseman Sean O’Keefe picked it up for an unorthodox third out and a 3-unassisted in the scorebook.
In the home first, Westhampton seemed determined to get off to a good start, having to win out for the rest of the regular season for a chance at the top seed.
Dan Franchi, with two hits shy of the Aviators record 54 in a season, hit the first pitch he saw from Breakers right-hand starter Peyton Maple into left field for a single.
On Maple’s second pitch, All-Star Eric Callahan roped a single into right. Fellow All-Star Chaney Dodge then walked, and All-Star Bailey Peterson, the last of four All-Stars atop the Westhampton order, was hit by a pitch to score the first run.
Catcher Johnny Puchullio then singled to score a run, and outfield Frankie Gomez singled two batters later to make it a 4-0 game with only one out. After Franchi struck out looking, his brother Dan added his second hit of the day and his first two RBI to give his team a 6-0 lead after one inning.
Some records today for the @WHAviators in a 6-2 win over the @SH_Breakers; the all time Aviators mark for wins in a season, and @hamptoncoffee player of the game Dan Franchi tying the Aviators record for hits in a season with 54. Franchi speaks with @SachChristopher postgame. pic.twitter.com/b3p3Aus7eL
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) July 21, 2019
On a very hot day, the action was pretty quiet through the rest of the game, until Sweeny hit a two run homer in the top of the fifth to make it 6-2.
That top of the fifth was the final frame because of the extreme heat, which forced the home plate umpire out of the game. Play stopped in the third in the middle of an at-bat to Westhampton’s Tom Summers with a 2-2 count. The umpire conferred with his field umpire, and headed for shade in the away Breakers dugout before being removed from the game, and given fluids as well the rest of the day to recover.
About half an hour later, the field umpire was behind home plate, with the declaration that after the game would be made official, (after the away fifth, with an Aviators lead,) the game would be called.
With the victory, the Aviators broke a single-season record for wins in a season with 26. At 26-11-2, they are half a game behind that one seed; the Riverhead Tomcats are at 26-10-2.
