Luke Fisher discusses what today’s 3 hit, 4 RBI day meant to him in a 14-6 Opening Day victory for the Breakers pic.twitter.com/XHNianAmrJ
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) June 14, 2024
The Hamptons, renowned as one of the most sought-after summer destinations on the East Coast, offers more than just a perfect escape to kick back, relax, and soak up the sun. For the region’s top collegiate baseball players, a summer in the Hamptons offers a different challenge. Swapping metal bats for the more traditional wood lumber, these athletes flock to the Hamptons yearly to compete against the best and hone their skills along the scenic coast.
For Southampton native Luke Fisher, the HCBL holds a deeper meaning. Swapping the customary William & Mary green and gold for royal blue, Fisher enjoys the unique advantage of living at home for the summer while playing for his hometown team.
“It’s awesome to be able to live with my folks back home,” Fisher said in a postgame interview with Axcess Baseball. “Being home every night and having home-cooked meals is a great way to live.”
Making his first appearance since February 25th, Fisher immediately made an impact, anchoring the Breakers’ offense with a three-run homer and four RBIs. A late-game surge saw ten runs scored between the sixth and eighth innings and every Breaker reached base today, securing a convincing 14-6 season-opening victory for Southampton over the defending champion South Shore Clippers to kick off the HCBL’s 17th season.
After Anthony Scarabino and Anthony Armenia drew consecutive walks in the top of the first, James Myler came to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs. Myler flared a broken-bat single just over shortstop Easton Harris’s head, giving the Clippers an early 2-0 lead.
In the bottom half of the inning, Tyler Burke, a 2023 All-HBCL First Team member, welcomed Clippers’ rookie starter Chris Batuyious to the Hamptons with a sharp comebacker up the middle for an RBI single, halving the Clippers’ lead after one inning.
Bottom 1: Clippers 2 | Breakers 1
Tyler Burke cuts into the lead with a single right back up the middle pic.twitter.com/uvnnD9c6w0
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) June 13, 2024
The Breakers seized control in the second inning, scoring three runs through a combination of an error, hit by pitch, and three passed balls by the Clippers.
Joseph Frazzetta sparked the rally after getting hit by a pitch, stealing second base, and later scoring on a wild pitch to tie the game. Easton Harris then doubled to right-center field and crossed the plate on a single to right by Fisher. In a gritty at-bat that featured nine pitches and six foul balls, Beau Durbin hit a chopper to second base that initially looked like a routine inning-ending groundout, but Brogan Olson mishandled the throw, allowing the Breakers to take a 4-2 lead.
Bottom 4: Clippers 5 | Breakers 4
James Myler‘s 2-RBI double and a wild pitch have given the Clippers back the lead. pic.twitter.com/NXy6vCZjCs
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) June 13, 2024
After breezing through the first two Clippers in the bottom of the fourth inning on just four pitches, reliever Joseph Wozny found himself in a jam, loading the bases. Myler, continuing his impressive day at the plate, smashed Wozny’s pitch into the right-field corner for a ground-rule double, tallying his fourth RBI of the afternoon. The Clippers then added another run on a wild pitch, taking a 5-4 lead in the game.
From there on, the Breakers took charge, scoring ten consecutive runs against the Clippers’ bullpen.
Fisher started the sixth inning with a double, his third hit in as many at-bats, and later crossed home on an error, tying the game at 5-5.
In the seventh, the Breakers pounced on Clippers’ reliever Derek Duncan, sending 11 batters to the plate and scoring six runs to drain the life from the Clipper dugout.
Frazzetta scored on the fourth of six Clippers errors today, giving the Breakers the lead. Fisher then delivered his fourth hit of the day, a towering three-run homer well beyond the left-field stands.
“In the 9 hole today I was seeing a lot of heaters,” Fisher said. “I saw one middle-middle and put a good swing on it.”
Collin Quintano added two more runs with a double to cap off the inning.
Bottom 7: Clippers 5 | Breakers 11
Collin Quintano adds a 2-RBI double pic.twitter.com/kdSouJexwQ
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) June 13, 2024
The Clippers struggled defensively throughout the afternoon, most notably in the eighth inning when the Breakers scored three runs without recording a hit.
Dom Crema managed an RBI single in the ninth for the Clippers, but it was insufficient as the Breakers secured the victory.
Next up, the Breakers will visit Mashashimuet Park to face Sag Harbor, while the Clippers will play a rematch of the 2023 HCBL Championship at Westhampton, both games scheduled for Friday at 5 pm.
