by Tucker Terranova
Anthony Scarabino anchored the @ClippersHCBL offense today with 4 RBIs.
He spoke with Axcess Baseball after a 10-0 win about his performance pic.twitter.com/9oRckCy76b
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) July 5, 2024
The formula for winning has been simple for the South Shore Clippers this summer.
Allowing the second-fewest earned runs in the HCBL, the Clippers’ quest for a title defense starts and ends with their pitching staff. After splitting their Independence Day doubleheader with the first-place North Fork Ospreys, the Clippers aimed to rebound Friday afternoon against the Westhampton Aviators, calling upon Bobby Finn (St. Bonaventure), the anchor of their staff, to get the job done.
Finn continued his early-season dominance, delivering four innings of shutout baseball. The southpaw allowed just one hit, walked four, and struck out six over 80 pitches, lowering his season ERA to 1.69, the second-lowest across the HCBL. Sean Mylan (Maritime) followed with two scoreless innings in relief.
“Being able to get in and out quickly and get more ABs is great,” Anthony Scarabino (Albany) told Axcess Baseball when asked about Finn’s impact on the offense. “The whole staff has been taking pressure off us and it showed today.”
The Clippers’ bats backed their arms, scoring ten runs, highlighted by three-run homers from Scarabino and James Myler (Bryant). In a game that lasted just over 90 minutes and required only six innings, the Clippers got back to .500 on the season with a 10-0 victory over the Aviators in a full team effort.
The game’s early stages hinted at a pitchers’ duel in the making. Finn and Aviators starter Max Brunngraber (Pomona-Pitzer) had their stuff working from the get-go, stranding five combined runners over the first two frames.
The Clippers struck first in the bottom of the third thanks to some situational hitting. After Brunngraber issued a five-pitch walk to Scarabino and Joe Sanguedolce (St. Joseph’s) lined a single to left, EJ Ettinger (New Haven) kept the line moving, roping a two-strike, two-out single just beyond the reach of first baseman Tyler Smith (St. Peter’s) and into right field to open the scoring.
After Finn walked the bases loaded and managed to escape unscathed in the top of the fourth, the momentum had fully shifted to the first base dugout.
Up to this point, Brunngraber had been locked in a duel with his lefty counterpart, relying heavily on his offspeed pitches.
Bottom 4: Aviators 0 | Clippers 4
Anthony Scarabino emphatically launches a 3-run homer well beyond the right field fence for his first of the summer pic.twitter.com/fxB1bzXQgQ
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) July 5, 2024
However, Scarabino was unfazed by the right-hander’s repertoire.
In the bottom half of the inning, with two runners on base, Scarabino chose a perfect moment for his first home run of the summer. He crushed Brunngraber’s slider deep over the right-field fence for a three-run shot, expanding the Clippers’ lead to four.
“I only saw one fastball all game and it was first pitch for a strike,” Scarabino stated. “I realized he was going to try and throw the slider low and got one.”
In a game shortened to seven innings due to expected inclement weather, the Clippers took it upon themselves to wrap things up even earlier in the sixth.
Final/6: Aviators 0 | Clippers 10
James Myler’s 3 run homer and RBIs from Thomas McElwee, Anthony Scarabino, and Joe Sanguedolce end today’s game via the run rule pic.twitter.com/JydtsXZoWm
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) July 5, 2024
Atley Jacome (Park) entered the game in relief of Brunngraber in the sixth and was welcomed sourly by the Clippers’ bats.
Anthony Armenia (Bridgeport) kicked off the inning with a double to the left-field corner, followed by Joe Hackal (St. Joseph’s) showcasing his blazing speed, beating out an infield single to second base. Thomas McElwee (Albany) split the left field gap, narrowly missing a homer but settling for an RBI double. Scarabino tallied his fourth RBI of the afternoon with the Clippers’ second infield single of the inning. Sanguedolce added an RBI single for his third hit, and Myler iced the game with a three-run homer to right center, enforcing the mercy rule and ending the game.
In total, all six batters who came to the plate in the sixth inning scored, and the Aviators failed to record an out.
“We’ve been able to score in many ways so far,” Scarabino stated. “Whether it’s by walking, base hits, or whatever the team needs, everyone has been contributing.”
Next up for the Clippers is a home matinee against the Sag Harbor Whalers on Saturday at 2 pm.
