Photo Credit: Olivia Daddona

By Chris Sacchi/Axcess Baseball

In an incredibly exciting finish from Jean Cochran Park, the North Fork Ospreys (12-5-1) escaped with the narrowest of victories, defeating the Sag Harbor Whalers (6-8-3) by a score of 6-5. 

Nick Pratt (UMBC), who watched all of the action from the first base position, spoke about this Ospreys group getting behind their pitcher in this extremely high-leverage situation 

“Tight spots, our guys taking initiative, calling time, going to talk to the pitcher, saying ‘hey, no, we’re good. We got you behind here. Just throw it in there.’ Let him get it done. I think that helped.” 

This under-the-lights affair began with Ospreys starter Chris Campenalla (UMBC) looking sharp early. The right-hander struck out seven, with five of those coming in the first two innings. 

However, in the second, Matteo Cubello (St. Anselm), down in a 0-2 count, belted a home run over the high left field wall to give his squad a 2-0 lead, and give his older brother Mario Cubello (St. John Fisher) a big reason to cheer. 

“It was really nice to see,” Nick Carpaerelli (Rhode Island College) said on the broadcast. “Not only to give us the lead, but to get him going, and to see him celebrate with his older brother Mario is what it’s all about.”

In the bottom of the second, the Ospreys proved why they’re the top team in this league, matching Sag Harbor with two runs of their own. Aaron Graves (Lincoln) hit a sacrifice fly on an amazing diving catch by right fielder Chris Morabito (Bucknell), and Anthony Equale (Washington (MO) singled in a run to tie the score. 

A similar script played out in the third inning, as a Brenden Duffy (SUNY Oneonta) sacrifice fly and a Thomas Matuszewski (Mount St. Mary's) single gave the Ospreys a 4-2 lead. 

North Fork pitching coach Kyle McLaughlin discussed his team’s resilient spirit on the broadcast. 

“All of these games came here, and immediately you can see the talent on the field during that first practice,” said McLaughlin. “The no-quit attitude of our team… there’s no lead that’s too much.” 

McLaughlin’s team added another run in their half of the fourth, as a Pratt RBI single plated Vincent Marinello (Franklin & Marshall). 

Sag Harbor’s offense had run dry after Cubello’s second-inning home run, but runs in the final three innings made this game a classic. 

Campanella started his fifth inning of work looking to finish a dominant day, but the Whalers had other ideas. Three straight walks forced manager Vinnie Morelli to make a pitching change, as Brian Espinal (Pace) had to enter into a bases-loaded, nobody-out jam. Turns out, this situation prepared him well for the fateful final inning. 

“Coming in, kind of felt like it was just gonna be me and Camp (Campanella) for today,” Espinal said. “So I had no choice but to get it done. Battle some adversity, but be able to tough it out.” 

Espinal was able to buckle down. The Whalers were able to push across one run on a Morabito sacrifice fly, but would have liked more to show for it after loading the bases with no outs. Sag Harbor now trailed 5-3 entering the home fifth. 

The Whalers got another run in the top of the sixth, as Ethan Righter (Hamilton) laced a two-out RBI double to cut into the deficit and fire up his team. For as much as the Opseys have been a persistent team, the Whalers showed great fight to continue to put up rallies in the final three innings against Espinal.

North Fork scored a very key insurance run in the home half of the sixth inning, as Duffy got his second RBI of the day on an infield single to shortstop. However, pitcher Kyle Robbins (Davenport) was able to strand the bases loaded, bearing down and giving up just one run to keep the game close. 

The epic top of the seventh started innocently enough, with two outs and nobody on base. 

But with his team down to its final strike, Kieran Shea (Fairfield) was able to sneak a single between first and second to extend the night for the Whalers. 

With nobody warming up in the bullpen, Espinal knew this was his game to finish. Yet, he began to struggle with his control, walking two and hitting a batter to force in a run and make it 6-5, all with two outs. 

The great crowd on hand enjoyed an impressive two-out rally, and a full meeting on the mound ensued as Matteo Cubello, who homered earlier in the game, came to the plate with the bases loaded and the tying run just 90 feet away from scoring. 

Despite facing a pitcher who was struggling to find the strike zone, Cubello swung at the first pitch and hit it right to shortstop James Fagnant (Richmond), who got the force out at second to extinguish an epic two-out comeback attempt. 

Nick Pratt shared the energy this Ospreys team is feeling following their league-leading 12th win. 

“Staying loose, having fun, this is what the game is all about. Just being kids coming out here, playing hard and playing to win. That’s really what it comes down to,” said Pratt postgame. “You’re not stressed out here. We know we have the talent to do it, and so we come out here every night, we show we do.” 

North Fork heads to Southampton Monday to face the Breakers, a team they defeated 11-8 just two days ago. Meanwhile, Sag Harbor looks to snap a three-game losing streak in Shelter Island Monday night against the 9-8 Bucks.