by Greg Diener

The Long Island Road Warriors entered the top of the seventh inning in Game 1 of the 2017 HCBL Championship Series with the Westhampton Aviators down 8-2. Long Island would chip away at the Westhampton lead with three runs in the seventh, two in the eighth and four in the ninth on a grand slam by Jordan Folgers (Siena) to take Game 1 over Westhampton by a final of 11-8.

Long Island took the lead on the very first pitch of the game when Nick Grande (Stony Brook) homered to give the Road Warriors the first run of the game. Long Island added another run in the first on an RBI groundout by Michael Veit (Fairleigh Dickinson).

Westhampton would score four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to take a 4-2 lead. Matt Hansen (Toledo) lead off the inning with a single and then Nick Bottari (Southeastern) smacked a two-run shot to center field to tie the score at 2-2.

An RBI single by Joe Curcio (LIU-Brooklyn) and a sacrifice fly by Ernie Geraci (St. Rose) would account for the final two runs for the Aviators in the fourth.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Aviators would load the bases on two walks and a single for Hansen. The Toledo infielder would hit a 400-foot shot hitting a tent out in right field to give the Aviators an 8-2 lead going into the top of the seventh.

Long Island would begin their march back in the seventh when Billy Huber (New Haven) singled with one out. Jeff Towle (Suffolk C.C.) would reach on a walk to put runners at first and second. After the second out was made, Grande hit his second home run of the game to left field to cut the Westhampton lead in half at 8-5.

In the eighth inning, Sean Rausch (Hofstra) would lead off with a single while Veit reached on an error. That would end the day for Westhampton starter Braeden Holub (New Mexico JC) who went 7.1 innings for the Aviators.

Rob Weissheier (Hofstra) would rip on an RBI single off relief pitcher Zack Hersh (Duke) putting Long Island within two runs. Towle would get another RBI single with two out to put the Road Warriors within a run.

The Aviators called on Richard Jackson III (Tennessee) who struck out Ron Linsalato (Queens) to keep it a one-run game.

Westhampton tried to an insurance run on the bottom of the eighth but Pat McCabe (LIU Post) would toss a scoreless inning to keep the Road Warriors behind just one run.

The Road Warriors would put the top of the order up in the ninth. A pair of singles and a hit by pitch would load the bases for Folgers with nobody out. Folgers who came into the game as a pinch hitter in the eighth inning would take a 1-1 pitch deep to left for a grand slam as Long Island came back from down six runs to take an 11-8 lead.

Brandon LaManna (New Haven) would be called on by Long Island to get the final three outs in the bottom of the ninth. LaManna would allow back-to-back single to AJ Montoya (Toledo) and Curcio to bring the tying run at the plate for Westhampton.

LaManna would get a fielder’s choice for the second out and strike out Chris Dutra (Duke) to end the game and give Long Island the Game 1 victory on the road.

The victory by Long Island marked the first time in the history of the HCBL Championship Series that a road team had won the first game.

Grande for Long Island finished the game going 3 for 5 with two home runs and 4 RBI. In the loss for Westhampton, Hansen had three hits to go along with his grand slam falling a triple shy of the cycle.

The series moves to Stony Brook Southampton for Game 2 tomorrow at 4 PM with the Road Warriors looking to win the HCBL Championship in the inaugural season.