by Nicholas Cipolla
The LIB Tides are moving on to the championship game thanks to a walk-off E6 off the bat of Samuel Dickenson. LIB Tides will play shortly against LI Strong in the championship game. pic.twitter.com/QiEeyUvnrk
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) August 11, 2021
The Tides and Aviators waited until the season’s final day and penultimate game of the season to give us arguably the game of the summer in the Boys of Summer Perfect Game League.
The game was a marathon (3 hours and 8 minutes long) full of highs and lows for both teams in this game.
In the bottom of the first, Samuel Dickenson hit a 2 out RBI single that was just past the first baseman, giving the LIB Tides an early 1-0 lead.
In the very next half inning, Stephen Murtsef got an opportunity to tie or potentially give the Aviators a lead with two men on. He delivered with an RBI double to center allowing the tying run to score. However, the second runner was cut down at the plate by a great relay from the LIB Tides defense.
The score wasn’t tied for long, as Nick Lomanaco smacked an RBI double of his own into left-center to knock in Murtsef to make it 2-1 Aviators.
In the top of the third inning, Jaison Andujar led off with a single to right. After Andujar stole second and third, Peter Montana got his first of three RBI’s of the game with a triple into left-center field to make it 3-1 Aviators.
Tyler Dirocco got Montana in with an RBI groundout to third to make it 4-1 EastEnd Aviators.
The fourth inning was a bit more quiet with the exception of Stony Brook’s Eric Foster coming into a bases loaded jam with one out. Foster struck out the only two batters he faced in the fourth inning to maintain the lead.
In the top of the fifth, Peter Montana struck again with an RBI infield single to third to make it a 5-1 game in favor of the Aviators.
The momentum shifted slightly in the bottom of the fifth, after an injury to Foster forced him out of the game, the Tides put runners on the corners and Shendi Ulaj came through with an RBi single between third and short. On the very next pitch, Michael Rothstein smashed a ball off the fence in center field for a two run triple to make it a one run game.
Once again, Peter Montana gave the Aviators some cushion as he hit an RBI single to right to make it a 6-4 game in the top of the sixth. Tyler Dirocco got Montana in with an RBI triple to right to make it 7-4 Aviators.
Things got really exciting in the bottom of the seventh. With runners on second and third, the Tides caught a break when the umpire called a balk on the Aviators pitcher to make it a 7-5 game. The next batter, Shendi Ulaj took a wild pitch for ball four, the runner on third took advantage of the wild pitch and scored from third.
With two outs, runners on second and third, and his back against the wall, Joey Riccardi hit a bloop single that fell in left field for an RBI single. The runner on second was held up at third by the third base coach but the tying run had scored and put the winning run 90 feet away. Unfortunately for the LIB Tides, the next batter popped out to short to end the inning.
Tides come all the way back and tie it in the 7th with 2 outs. Rbi single from Joey Riccardi ties it at 7 pic.twitter.com/RDG2OYILDW
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) August 11, 2021
We were given a treat. Extra innings to decide who will be in the Championship Game! Nick Lomanaco lead off the top of the eight inning with a Double and Lucas Quinlan hit a line drive over the second baseman’s head that rolled all the way to the wall for the go ahead RBI triple, putting the Aviators back on top 8-7.
Two batters later, the Tides turned and the LIB Tides turned a 6-4-3 double play to limit the damage to one run.
With two on and after a successful double steal, Samuel Dickenson had the chance to be the hero as a fly ball would probably tie the game. However, Dickenson hit a ground ball that got under the glove of the Aviators Shortstop, allowing the tying run and winning run to come to the plate, giving the Tides their first lead since the top of the second inning and, more importantly, the win.
The Tides would go on to the championship directly after this game against the eventual champion LI Strong. Despite losing this game, The LIB Tides pulled off an incredible comeback and this effort in the semi-finals should not be overlooked.
