The South Shore Clippers rallied late to defeat the Shelter Island Bucks 6-5 on Friday evening, walking off in the bottom of the seventh thanks to a clutch RBI single by Anthony Armenia (Bridgeport). The victory sends South Shore into the Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League All-Star break with a 12-12-1 record, holding a narrow one-point lead over both Shelter Island and Sag Harbor for the third playoff spot.

Shelter Island (12-14-0) fought back from an early deficit, erasing a 4-2 hole with a three-run top of the seventh inning. The Bucks would load the bases with nobody out when Alex Barrist (Lafayette) drove in a run on an RBI groundout, cutting the score to 4-3. Tommy Munch (Occidental) tied the game with an RBI groundout of his own, and then, with two out, John Gannon (St. Lawrence) gave the Bucks the lead on an RBI single.

With the Clippers down by a run in the bottom of the seventh, South Shore’s Michael Prisco (Queens) and Ryan Hillery (St. Thomas Aquinas) reached base, setting the stage for Armenia’s heroics. Armenia, who went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, lined a single to left to score Prisco and Hillery, giving the Clippers the walk-off win and two crucial points in the playoff race.

The Clippers' offense was spread across the lineup. Hillery drove in two runs with a single in the bottom of the fifth, and James Eden (Adelphi) had an RBI double in the second inning to help build an early lead. Larry Hotaling (Villanova) and Prisco each scored twice and added a hit apiece, with both players swiping a base.

On the mound, Joe Swinarski (New Haven) earned the win despite allowing four runs in his two innings of relief. Starter Sebastian Lippman (Georgia Tech) pitched four solid innings, allowing just one unearned run on two hits.

For the Bucks, freshman Andrew Wayne (Mitchell) allowed four runs—three earned—over 4.1 innings. Tyler Metcalf (Emerson) took the loss after surrendering the game-winning runs in the seventh. Billy Fluharty (Bucknell) had a strong night atop the lineup with two hits and a run scored, while Barrist stole his 14th base of the summer.

The win puts South Shore at 12-12-1, just ahead of Shelter Island and Sag Harbor in what’s shaping up to be a crowded fight for the third and final postseason spot.

All teams will pause on Saturday for the annual HCBL All-Star Game, taking place in Sag Harbor. League play resumes Sunday, where the Bucks and Clippers will meet again for a pivotal doubleheader on Shelter Island starting at 2 PM.