This was supposed to be a prosperous time for pitchers as hitters struggled to get acclimated back to game speed after a four-month hiatus.
That was not the case today in a Wednesday matinee between Team Beast and HDMH in the Boys of Summer Collegiate League. The rosters were filled with recognizable names of recent high school graduates from Long Island. With the cancellation of elite collegiate summer seasons around the country, dozens of talented Long Island ballplayers were forced to play local.
This adds up to create compelling summer league match ups like today.
Chris Manzi took the hill for HDMH against a star-studded Beast lineup. They went to work early in the first inning beginning with a single by James Myler, who stole second to get into scoring position. St. John’s OF Tim McHugh singled and stole second to put two runners in scoring position for Nick Papageorge. He drove them both in with a well-struck single to open up a 2-0 lead. After a strikeout of Tommy Verga, Connor Smalley drove in Papageorge with an RBI single to make it 3-0.
Babson-commit Phil Menist took the mound for Team Beast. He fired two scoreless innings to start the game but the bats of HDMH woke up in the third. As is usually the case, things got started with a lead off walk to Matt Lewin. After a flyout to center, Nick LoMonaco drove in Lewin with an RBI single to center. He stole second and wound up scoring on a wild pitch to cut it to 3-2.
Jared Yalon double to drive field and stole third base and scored on an RBI ground out to short. After walks to Trevor Adamo and Nick Classie, Braden Clark made them pay with a two-run single to give HDMH a 5-3 lead.
If you thought that was it, you were wrong as Team Beast came right back in the home half of the third.
James Myler got the inning going with a double to right field and scored on Tommy Verga’s RBI single to cut the deficit to 5-4. After a walk to Matt Polestino, Richie Cimpric ripped a two-run single to regain the lead at 6-5.
Louie Carvel came on in relief of Menist, and threw a scoreless fourth inning, but things got interesting in the top of the fifth.
Consecutive one-out walks brought up Braden Clark again. He singled home a run to tie up the game, it was a very close play at the plate as McHugh made an outstanding throw to nearly gun him down. Derek Yalon followed right up with an RBI single of his own to make it 7-6 in favor of HDMH.
In the bottom of the fifth with the time limit approaching, Tommy Verga led off with a single and advanced on a perfectly executed sac bunt to get the tying run into scoring position. Matt Polestino rewarded Coach Riedel’s decision with an RBI single to score Verga to tie up the game at 7-7. The next two batters were retired but with the time limit upon us, the game was called in a tie.
Team Beast won Game 2 by the score of 8-7 in another entertaining affair.
