By Chris Sacchi/Axcess Baseball

On a very special night at Jean Cochran Park in honor of the Dylan Newman Forever Five Foundation, the North Fork Ospreys were one win away from clinching home-field field in the HCBL playoffs. Everything seemed to point towards a gratifying, emotional win for an Ospreys team that has led the standings for most of the year. 

Instead, it was the South Shore Clippers (16-14-1) who came away with an 8-3 victory over North Fork (19-12-1). Yet, the night still delivered an impact that Dylan Newman would smile about. 

“Obviously not the outcome we wanted tonight, but it’s awesome, it meant so much to the community,” Brendan Duffy (SUNY Oneonta) said postgame. “To see all the support we get, it’s a great thing, just wish we could have gotten the win.” 

Duffy and Newman were very close as friends growing up, before Newman passed in 2022 after a four-year battle with a rare cancer, Ewing Sarcoma. Ospreys GM Todd Newman’s non-profit organization contributes to research for that rare cancer, supports scholarships for high school seniors, and unites the community with a variety of special events in Dylan’s honor. 

“I know he’s up there smiling,” Todd Newman said of his son. “Duffy came to my house, a week before the season, and said, ‘I gotta be on this team.’ All I told him was, ‘let’s go.’ He would always come to the house after Dylan’s treatment. Special player.” 

This game began scorelessly in the first inning, as Ospreys starter Christian Rodriguez (Pace) and Clippers starter Sebastian Lippman (Georgia Tech) matched each other with two strikeouts apiece. 

In the top of the second inning, the Clippers, who are now 7-3 in their last ten games, broke out for four runs. 

Four straight free passes allowed Ryan Hillery (St. Thomas Aquinas) to score on a Jake Acker (Wesleyan) walk. Then, Anthony Rigogliosi (Adelphi) earned an RBI on a fielder’s choice, before Anthony Armenia (Bridgeport) plated two with a double to end an offensive outburst in the second. 

“I was looking for something I could hit, got it, and I didn’t miss it,” Armenia said post game. “Always nice to do that.” 

In the bottom half, the Ospreys responded as Trevor Dosenbach (U of Richmond) crushed a solo homerun over the left field well. Todd Newman was fired up on the third base line, and starter Sebestian Lippman just had to tip his cap.

“Obviously tip the hat to him, two strikes, he saw a heater up and hit it out,” Lippman said on the broadcast. 

The solo shot was the only blemish on a great start for Lippman. The hard throwing right hander went three innings, struck out five, and only allowed two hits. 

After a scoreless 3rd, the Clippers added another run on a Michael Prisco (Queens) RBI single to lead 5-1 in the top of the 4th. 

The Ospreys put their grit and toughness on display with some small-ball scoring in the bottom half. After two walks to start the inning, Anthony Equale (Washington University) and Vincent Marinello (Franklin and Marshall) executed a double steal. The throw to third hit Equale and ricocheted into left field, allowing him to score, cutting the deficit to 5-2. A sacrifice fly from Dosenbach allowed the first-place Ospreys to get within two runs. 

“Anthony Equale has number 5. He exemplifies Dylan and the honor of five, to a tee. He’s a great young man,” Todd Newman said. “All these guys are. I wish everyone could wear number 5.” 

Joe Swinarski (New Haven) came in to relieve Lippman and executed a four-inning save with five strikeouts and one earned run. His offense gave him a boost in the top of the 6th, as Armenia smacked another RBI double, and Prisco drove in another run and then came around to score on a passed ball. 

The Ospreys put two runners on in the final frame, but Swinarski finished the job and pushed the Clippers just one point behind the second-place Southampton Breakers, with playoffs less than a week away. 

The Ospreys look to bounce back, hosting the Westhampton Aviators at Jean Cochran Park at 7:00 pm ET. The game, in honor of HCBL host families, will be streamed live, with the broadcast link and updates, as well as postgame interviews, on the Axcess Baseball Twitter page. 

Meanwhile, the Clippers look to stay hot, hosting the Sag Harbor Whalers at 2:00 pm ET. That game will also be broadcast live, and can be found on the Hamptons League website homepage. 

The Dylan Newman Forever 5 Foundation can be reached at the following: 

https://www.facebook.com/DylanNewmanForever5/

CLICK HERE TO VIEW CHRIS SACCHI’S POSTGAME INTERVIEW WITH BRENDAN DUFFY OF THE NORTH FORK OSPREYS