by Chris Sacchi
Just like in Major League Baseball, Wednesday’s Hamptons League wild card match up between the Southampton Breakers and the host Shelter Island Bucks was win or go home.
A seasons worth of friendships, camaraderie, and memories were on the line for both squads and a back and forth contest went the way of the Breakers in a 7-4 win.
A pair of lefty took the starting nod for each team, and kept it scoreless through two innings.
Trevor Olson took the ball for the Bucks, an unconventional pitcher who led his team with a sub 3.00 ERA. Olson isn’t like the usual young prospects of today’s game; he doesn’t light up the radar gun with a max-effort fastball. Instead, he relies on a sidearm delivery, off many speech pitches, and superb command.
Olson was cruising through two innings against the Breakers lineup before walking three hitter Mike Ferrara with one out in the top of the fifth. Olson then induced a fielder’s choice ground out to Robbie Holmes that moved Ferrara to second.
Gerard Sweeny then chopped a grounder to Bucks shortstop Justin Murray that was poised to end the inning. Instead, Murray bobbled the ball and Sweeny was safe at first.
The misplay extended the inning and allowed Justice Thompson an opportunity with runners at the corners and two outs. He delivered with an RBI base hit up the middle for the game’s first run.
In the fourth, Olson was once again victimized by his defense and gave up his second unearned run.
Mason Marquez and Tony Zambito reached to lead off the inning for Southampton, on a single and E4, respectively. With one out, a walk to Johnny Hipsman loaded the bases for Ferrara.
Ferrara hit a towering shot the opposite way to right field, and it looked like a potential grand slam off the bat. Shelter Island right fielder Mike Guanci Jr. retreated all the way to the wall, making an unbelievable over the shoulder, Willy Mays like catch. Just like Mays, Guanci got the ball in quickly, and topped of his great catch by inducing a double play and getting Olson out of the inning.
A run did score on the play, but Zambito, after umpire review, was ruled out trying to tag from second to third to end the frame. After the top of the fourth, the Southampton Breakers lead 2-0.
The Bucks wouldn’t carry the moment from the Guanci catch until the fifth, when they got one run back. Andy Semo led off with a double against Breakers lefty starter Robert Lucano, and was singled home by number nine hitter Matt Jenkins.
Shelter Island would get to Lucano again in the fifth to take a 4-2 lead. Semo drove in Eddie Satisky and Guanci and a double, and came around to score after a sacrifice fly from Jackson Kaplowitz.
Holding it down on the mound for Shelter Island was right hander Manny Sanchez, who pitched 2.1 innings. His replacement, All-Star Chris Knight, allowed one of Sanchez’s inherited runs along with four of his own to become the pitcher of record on the loss side, as Southampton took a 7-4 lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
Sanchez started the seventh inning frame and allowed a one out single to Robbie Holmes, and in came Knight, who struggled out of the gate. He walked the first batter he faced (Sweeny,) then a single (Thompson,) and an RBI single (Kyle Lagrutta.)
In the eighth, with the game now tied 4-4, Knight started things out by hitting Tony Zambito with the first pitch. The next hitter, Eric Marasheski, attempted to move Zambito to second with a bunt. Knight fielded the ball and overthrow his throw to second base. Both runners then moved up because of a wild pitch.
Knight retired Hipsman, but Holmes was walked to load the bases with one out. To continue a difficult inning for the right hander, he balked to allow a run to score. After visibly showing frustration, Knight walked the next hitter to load the bases.
Gerard Sweeny then rolled over a ball to second base, but the defense, outside of Guanci’s marvelous catch, was once again an issue for the Bucks. Shelter Island second baseman Bryce Daniel misplayed the ball and everyone was safe and a run scored.
Justice Thompson and Kyle Lagrutta added two more hits off Knight to score two runs and give Southampton a huge 7-4 lead in the eighth, a lead they would hold onto thanks to lefty reliever Cole Humes, who nailed down the save with four scoreless innings.
In a win or go home wild card game, the @SH_Breakers defeat the @SIBucks 7-4 thanks to 3 RBI from Kyle Lagrutta, and he speaks with @SachChristopher postgame. The Breakers move on the face the @WHAviators in the first round, starting tomorrow. Thanks as always to @hamptoncoffee. pic.twitter.com/gp26xlo9s7
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) July 25, 2019
With the win, Southampton moves to play top seeded Westhampton in the first round of a three game set. The winner of the series will then gave the winner of Sag Harbor vs. Riverhead in the final.
