Game Recaps
The North All Stars Win the Fifth Annual HCBL All Star Game
by Jonah Karp The best prospects of the Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League were front and center at Baseball Heaven on Monday. The North All Stars defeated the South All Stars 14-5, in what turned out to be a tale of two narratives. The South All Stars plated the first two runs of the game in the top of the second on three hits off of Patrick Clyne (LIU Brooklyn). But Neal Heaton’s squad quickly responded with a solo blast off the bat of Freddy Sabido in the bottom of the frame to cut the deficit to one. The score remained 2-1 until Dan Luisi’s team tacked on two more in the top of the fifth on two hits to extend the lead to 3-1. Then the narrative shifted. In the bottom of the seventh the North All Stars bats came alive. Eight players reached base. Nine players recorded hits. Six players...
Strong LI Expos Team Remains in First With DH Sweep of Huntington Blue Devils
The LI Expos remain in first place of Town of Brookhaven’s summer varsity league after a strong outing from their pitcher, Alex Scheitzer. The tall right hander’s slow delivery gave way to a sneaky quick fastball with great movement, in a game that started late after Huntington forfeited the first game of the double header. Scheitzer, a Sachem North 2017 graduate, was unfazed by the delay and went out and threw six and two thirds strong innings of one-run ball striking out seven Blue Devils. “My teammates helped me stay into it [the game] they helped me stay focused,” said Scheitzer. “I just wanted to go out there, throw strikes, stay calm and do what I’ve done for years.” The Expos would go on to win the second game by a decisive score of, 9-1, after the Blue Devils started with eig...
Southshore Crawfish and LIB Prime Tie 5-5 in Boys of Summer Action
LIB Prime wasted no time taking a 1-0 lead after just two batters when Billy McAdam drove in Mike Cartusciello with a line drive double to right-center field. They opened up a 5-0 lead with a four-run third inning and it appeared they had the game in-hand. The Crawfish, however, mounted a furious rally in the top of the fourth with five runs to tie it up at 5-5. Both teams’ offense went dormant for the final three innings and the game ended in a tie. The Crawfish’s rally began with a hit by pitch of Nick Raggione. Consecutive singles from Nick Romano and T.J. Noonan loaded the bases for Bobby Heffernon who drew a walk for their first run of the game. A routine DP was thrown away by the shortstop to score another run and another bases loaded walk to John Girgonis brought in thei...
Grit Baseball Defeats Smithtown Storm in Town of Brookhaven Summer Varsity, 9-4
Grit brought out the bats in a total team victory in a game that was closely contested until Grit unloaded four runs in the fourth. Rocky Point 2018 RHP Anthony Denobrega came away with the win for Grit after throwing three solid innings of two-run ball. He struck out four and walked two allowing three hits, he left the game in the fourth with a, 7-2, lead after walking the first two batters of the inning. SWR 2018 RHP Mark Franco replaced Denobrega and with the help of his defense escaped unharmed in the fourth. Franco also demonstrated quality pitching locating fastballs down. He did, however, run into some trouble in the sixth leaving with the bases loaded after allowing a run. The Grit right-hander found ways to get outs effectively through his two and a thirds innings of work. “I just...
Westhampton’s Hot Bats, Led by Nick Bottari, Take Down Sag Harbor in Extras, 7-5.
Junior first baseman Nick Bottari found his rhythm coming off a foot injury and had a monster day at the plate. In a game that went 10 innings, the Southeastern University slugger stepped up in the top half knocking in two runs on an opposite field pop fly that just stayed fair off a tough pitcher in John Polichetti. The back-and-forth battle was anchored by Bottari’s performance but majority of the Aviators lineup contributed, as they were retired in order only once, in the seventh inning. The Westhampton leadoff hitter, Eric Callahan, also had a great day at the plate finishing 3-for-5 with a walk, two stolen bases and three runs. “I just had to simplify my swing a little bit I think I was trying to do too much,” said Bottari. “I got back to the basics and just let my teammates get on ba...
Westhampton Aviators Come From Behind to Defeat Shelter Island Bucks, 15-5, in HCBL.
The Aviators trailed the Bucks, 5-3, going in to the home half of the sixth. A clutch three-run rally put the Aviators ahead, 6-5, going in to the seventh inning; from that point on it was their game. The rally was started when Westhampton catcher, Chris Dutra, struck out on a pitch in the dirt but managed to advance to first on a bad throw from the Bucks catcher. AJ Montoya of Toledo responded with a single, and then with one out third baseman, Chaney Dodge (Northwestern State) roped a double down the third base line to clear the bases. “I was really just trying to see the ball deep, work into counts; we knew we couldn’t all with one swing.” said Dutra. The double came after Dodge was hit by an inside pitch but was told by the umpire to stay at the plate because he didn’t avoid the pitch....
LI Black Diamonds Hold Off Late Comeback From LI Legends, Win 6-5.
When the Black Diamonds jumped ahead to a 5-0 lead in the fifth a victory seemed unlikely for the Legends, however their tough lineup would score five in the bottom halves of the fifth, sixth and seventh innings. West Islip class of 2018 outfielder, Anthony Ippolito, was on the mound for the Black Diamonds and shut down the Legends offense for four innings. The hard throwing LHP only allowed one hit through his first four frames, but the fifth began with a double from the Legends 3-hitter, Desena. After loading the bases with no outs Ippolito escaped allowing only two runs. This, in part, was due to the Diamonds strong defense behind him. After loading the bases with a walk Ippolito got 6’4 Holmstock to smoke a ball right to his second baseman who doubled up the runner at second. “I felt r...
Team Steel Defeats Huntington Blue Devils, 9-4
Team Steel presents yet another example of a strong team of young players, who are playing up in age division to improve on their overall game. According to their head coach, former MLB catcher Keith Osik, every player in the nine-man lineup (each team only brought nine players) is graduating in 2020. Brookhaven’s varsity division is the highest one they offer and players can be as old as 18. The young team, however, came out on top off a strong pitching performance from their starter, Thomas Verga. The incoming sophomore at William Floyd went five innings allowing three earned off five hits with five strikeouts and three walks. The young RHP also had a strong day at the plate finishing 1-for-4 with a double, a RBI, a walk and a run; proving to be a well-rounded talent. The nine-on-nine ga...
LI Nationals, Behind Strong Outing From Patrick Fullerton, Defeat Suffolk County Seawolves.
Coverage, photo and recap written by Julian Guevara. The LI Nationals were the home team in a Town of Brookhaven Summer Varsity regular season matchup with the Suffolk County Seawolves. The Nationals called upon St. Anthony’s junior RHP Patrick Fullerton to start this one. The tall right-hander pitched an impressive four frames, giving him the win in a game that was ended due to a run-rule. Fullerton demonstrated his impressive level of control only walking one batter in the first; he only faced four batters that inning. He would finish the game with 6 K’s and just one walk in a necessary win for the Nationals. They came in to this matchup just about even with the Seawolves at 1-3 (Seawolves have two ties) and Fullerton stepped up at the plate as well driving in the first two runs for the ...
Stacked HDMH Titans Team Sweeps Double Header Against LI Patriots in 17U Boys of Summer
Height Doesn’t Measure Heart (HDMH) Titans are a strong young team that is actually playing up a year this summer in the Boys of Summer 17U American division. The Titans dominated right out of the gate in both games and ended up forcing a run-rule in the second game. HDMH is a team that prides itself on strong pitching and defense, but their bats came alive and the dominating result speaks for itself. Connetquot All-County sophomore outfielder, Jared Yalon, anchors this strong lineup. His day at the plate was capped off with a big 2-RBI double in the second inning of the first game. After the bottom of the HDMH order all worked tough at bats, Yalon in the two spot, came up and split the outfielders to give the Titans their fifth and sixth runs early in the game. “We just focus on defense a...
LI Road Warriors Defeat Riverhead Tomcats in HCBL, 4-2.
Plattsburgh State junior pitcher Patrick Bryant, with the help of some outstanding defense, held the strong Tomcats lineup to two runs. Bryant went seven and two-thirds innings, allowing two earned runs off eight hits; he struck out three and walked none in the Road Warrior’s 4-2 victory. Hofstra senior Steven Foster stepped up for the Road Warriors in the bottom of the fourth knocking an RBI double off the fence to bring in sophomore Garrett Heaton after he led off the inning with a single. “Coach told me to be aggressive on first pitch, because I was taking a lot of first pitches,” said Foster. “I was aggressive and just got a good piece of wood on it today.” Freshman outfielder for Farleigh Dickinson, Mike Veit, drove in foster with a clutch seeing eye ground ball single to right ...
Matt Nilsen Leads the Charge in 12-5 Win for B1000 Seminoles
By Tim Oakes The undefeated B1000 Seminoles (Iadevaio) 17U team in the LI Boys of Summer League were matched up against the New York Knights Friday night at Eisenhower Park. The Seminoles piled on 12 runs in the win to continue the team’s early-summer power onslaught in which the team has outscored opponents 40-10. Right fielder Matt Nilsen led the charge in the Seminoles 12-5 victory. The recent graduate knocked in a team-high three runs on three hits, finishing the game a home run shy of a cycle. Nilsen has committed to play baseball for SUNY Purchase next spring after graduating from Wellington C. Mepham High School. Nilsen acted as the catalyst in a productive third inning, driving in the first of four runs on an opposite-field triple down the right field line. “I was looking to bring ...
