Photo Credit: Sophia Wallick

The third-seeded Shelter Island Bucks took Game 1 of the HCBL Semifinals over the North Fork Ospreys by a score of 9-6 at Cochran Park.

The Bucks took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning when Briggs Loveland (Emerson) hit a two-run double to give the Bucks the game's first runs.

North Fork would get on the board in the bottom of the third inning when Jackson Ciccone (Hartford) hit an RBI single to cut the score to 2-1.

The Ospreys would then take the lead in the bottom of the fourth scoring three runs on the result of a solo home run by Cam Dunn (NYU) and a Bucks error that scored two runs for North Fork.

Shelter Island would cut the score to 4-3 in the top of the fifth on a sacrifice fly hit by Julian Abreu (Marist) that got the Bucks within a run.

The Ospreys would get a run back in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI infield single from Anthony Equale (Washington (MO) that put the Ospreys ahead 5-3.

The Bucks would respond by getting a run in the seventh on an RBI single from Ryan Leclair (Stonehill) however the Bucks would leave the bases loaded as they still trailed by a score of 5-4.

Shelter Island would take the lead in the top of the eighth getting three runs in the inning. Tyler Galletti (Manhattan) hit a two-run single, putting the Bucks ahead 6-5, however, Galletti would be thrown out at second trying to stretch the single to a double. 

Following a triple by Abreu, Aidan Paradine (Siena) brought Abreu in to score to make it 7-5 in favor of the Bucks. Gallietti would deliver two more runs for the Bucks in the top of the ninth with another two-run single to make the score 9-5 heading into the bottom of the ninth.

Dimitri Skourides (Brandeis) who had been in relief for the Bucks since the fourth inning came back out for the bottom of the ninth but he’d have the bases loaded with two out as Noah Terzo (Lesley) was called on for the one-out save.

Terzo would allow a single to Aidan O’Keefe (Richmond) that scored a run putting the winning run at the plate for North Fork. Terzo would strike out Rocco Cimino (Pace) for the third out giving the Bucks the upset win on the road. Skourides earned the win while Gallietti finished Game 1 with four RBI.

Game 2 of the HCBL Semifinals moves to Fiske Field in Shelter Island on Friday at 4 PM with the Bucks needing a win to advance to the HCBL Championship Series for the first time since 2015.