by Tucker Terranova
Final: Aviators 11 | Breakers 9@WHAviators survives a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the ninth to win pic.twitter.com/daCIz2C35i
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) June 21, 2024
The Westhampton Aviators’ lineup has struggled to score first in the early stages of this season, allowing the game’s first run in every matchup except their Opening Day 11-8 win over South Shore.
This issue has plagued them all season long, a major contributor to their lackluster 2-4 start. Determined to turn things around, the Aviators made it their goal to get a head start on the scoreboard in this evening’s contest against the Southampton Breakers.
Today marked a turnaround for the Aviators. In the top of the first inning, they batted around and scored four runs against Breakers’ starting pitcher Steven Hardiman before their own starter, Ray White, toed the slab. In a high-scoring affair that featured a total of 20 runs, 30 hits, and 46 runners reaching base, this early offensive outburst proved all the difference as the Aviators secured an 11-9 victory in a rematch of the 2023 HCBL Quarterfinals.
“We’ve been battling and having some tough times over the past few games,” Zev Moore told Axcess Baseball in a postgame interview. “We have came out a little dry to start games and wanted to change that early on today.”
The bats were the story of the game on both sides today and took no time heating up. Tres Organ kickstarted the scoring, launching Hardiman’s 3-2 pitch over the left-field fence for a two-run homer. Moore nearly followed suit, smashing a fastball off the top of the left-center wall for an RBI double. Willie Landman kept the momentum going with an RBI single. By the end of the inning, the Aviators had surged to a commanding 4-0 lead.
The Breakers quickly responded with a run in the bottom half of the first inning, thanks to Collin Quintano’s double down the left-field line. In the bottom of the fourth, Jaxon Murphy’s second single of the afternoon dropped in front of center fielder Brandon Wooldridge, cutting the Aviators’ lead in half.
Middle 5: Aviators 7 | Breakers 2
Zev Moore, Willie Landman, and Jakob Chavez add RBI hits for Westhampton pic.twitter.com/aUwoZb3oVC
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) June 20, 2024
Westhampton swiftly responded in the top of the fifth. Moore added his second RBI of the afternoon with a single, Landman followed with an RBI double to the right-field corner, and Jakob Chavez roped a liner to left for an RBI single, giving the Aviators a 7-2 advantage.
“My approach today was to drive the ball the other way,” Moore stated. “I’ve been very intentional on my feel at the plate lately and it’s been working.”
Moore had three singles in today’s action, all of which were hit the opposite way.
After the Breakers added three runs in the sixth to narrow the gap to 7-5 heading into the top of the eighth, the Aviators—as was the theme this afternoon—quickly responded.
Tyler Smith crushed Tim Hennig’s pitch deep beyond the right field fence for a no-doubter. A sacrifice fly from Tyler Shannon and Chavez’s second RBI single of the game extended the Aviators’ lead to 10-5, putting them just six outs away from victory.
In the bottom of the eighth, after loading the bases, Southampton responded with two runs of their own, scoring on a bases-loaded walk and a fielder’s choice.
In the top of the ninth, Moore notched his fourth hit of the ballgame—a liner past the reach of Henning that found a hole in right field—extending the Aviators’ lead to 11-7.
“My approach has been something that I have been intentional about,” Moore said. “It’s been nice seeing it pay off.”
The Breakers’ best opportunity for a comeback came in the bottom of the ninth. After Murphy’s sacrifice fly for his second RBI of the game, Luke Fisher came to the plate as the tying run. Exactly one week after three hit performance on Opening Day, Fisher came through yet again with a single that cut the Aviator lead to 2.
However, it was too little, too late for the Breakers. Colby McNeely sealed the deal, forcing Tim Hennig to fly out to left and ending the game.
After a 14-6 Opening Day win, the Breakers have struggled to find their footing, dropping their last six games.
Both teams will return to action tomorrow at 5 pm, playing at their respective home fields. The Breakers will wrap up their homestand against the Shelter Island Bucks, while the Aviators will host the first-place North Fork Ospreys.
