The South Shore Clippers and Sag Harbor Whalers split a doubleheader on Sunday at Mashashimuet Park in Sag Harbor, with the Clippers taking Game 1 in dominant fashion before the Whalers battled back to earn a tie in Game 2. The results keep Sag Harbor clinging to the fourth and final playoff spot in the Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League standings, holding a three-point lead over South Shore.

Game 1: Clippers 14, Whalers 3

The opener was all South Shore from the second inning on, as the Clippers unleashed an offensive onslaught and rolled to a 14-3 victory. After taking a 1-1 tie into the third, the Clippers broke things wide open with an eight-run fourth inning. Larry Hotaling (Villanova) paced the attack with three hits, including a double, two RBI, and three stolen bases. Matt Gileno (Riverside CC) and Michael Prisco (Queens) each drove in two runs, with Prisco adding a solo home run—his first of the summer.

Conor Burns (St. John’s) earned the win, tossing 4.1 innings and allowing three runs on seven hits. Ryan Kiendle (St. John’s) was effective in relief, striking out five over 2.2 scoreless innings.

The Whalers’ offense came from Matteo Cubello (St. Anselm), who drove in two runs with a single in the fifth, and Eric Wallick (Vassar), who added an RBI double.

Game 2: Clippers 3, Whalers 3 (8 innings) 

Game 2 was a much tighter affair, ultimately ending in a 3-3 tie after eight innings. South Shore jumped ahead early with two runs in the second on a single from Louis Kaleb (Albany) and a Sag Harbor error, but the Whalers clawed back.

Sag Harbor cut the deficit in the fifth when Derek Desmarais (Tufts) drove in two with a single. 

The Clippers would take the lead in the top of the seventh on Kaleb’s second RBI of the day when he singled with two out. Sag Harbor would tie the game in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI fielder’s choice from Matteo Cubello. Despite having the winning run on third with two out in the seventh, South Shore would get out of the jam and send the game to the eighth inning.

Both teams would fail to score in the eighth inning as the nightcap of the doubleheader would end in a 3-3 tie.

Anthony Armenia (Bridgeport) had a multi-hit game for South Shore and stole two bases. Jack Castillo (SUNY Plattsburgh) struck out nine over five innings in a no-decision for the Clippers. 

For Sag Harbor, Chris Morabito (Bucknell) collected two hits and a stolen base, and Tyler Sirchia (Dartmouth) scored twice. Eric Wallick pitched the final two innings for the Whalers, working around trouble to preserve the tie.

With the split, Sag Harbor moves to 9-9-4, maintaining a slim three-point cushion over South Shore, now 9-11-1, for the fourth and final playoff spot in the HCBL standings.

On Tuesday, the South Shore Clippers return home to host the Southampton Breakers at William Floyd High School, while the Shelter Island Bucks travel to Cochran Park to face the North Fork Ospreys in another crucial league matchup.