Photo Credit: Olivia Daddona

The Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League playoffs began with a bang Thursday evening, as the top-seeded North Fork Ospreys edged out the No. 4 seed Sag Harbor Whalers in a dramatic 11-inning battle, 6-5, to take Game 1 of the HCBL Semifinals at Cochran Park.

Nick Pratt (UMBC) played the hero, lacing a walk-off RBI double down the left field line in the bottom of the 11th to score Thomas Matuszewski (Jefferson) from first, sending the home crowd into a frenzy and giving the Ospreys an early edge in the best-of-three series.

Matuszewski, who reached on an error to start the inning, raced around the bases to score the game-winner after a tightly contested matchup that saw both teams combine for 18 hits and 23 runners left on base.

The Ospreys jumped ahead early with two runs in the bottom of the first and padded the lead throughout the middle innings. Shortstop James Fagnant got the offense going for North Fork with a two-run shot in the bottom of the first—his first of the postseason—and outfielder Trevor Dosenbach (Richmond) added an RBI double in the fifth, putting North Fork up 5-4.

Sag Harbor stayed close thanks to timely hits and heads-up base running. Chris Morabito (Bucknell), Kieran Shea (St. John’s), and Dylan Kennedy-Fujah (St. John’s) drove in runs during a three-run fourth inning that tied the game at 4-4. Whalers starter Will Darrell (Vassar) allowed five runs on eight hits over 4.2 innings, while reliever Ethan Righter (Hamilton) tossed 5.1 gritty frames, striking out six and walking four in a losing effort.

Trailing 5-4 entering the top of the ninth, the Whalers refused to go quietly. With runners on first and third and nobody out, Matteo Cubello (St. Anselm) hit a sharp grounder that forced a play at second, allowing Mario Cubello (St. John Fisher) to score and tie the game at 5-5.

The Ospreys would have the winning run in scoring position in the bottom of the ninth but failed to capitalize. Both teams would go down 1-2-3 in order in the tenth inning.

North Fork’s bullpen trio of Diego Martinez-Gomez (Riverside CC) and Brian Espinal (Pace) shut the door in the late innings, combining for six scoreless frames. Espinal, who earned the win, worked three high-stress innings, surrendering just one run while striking out four.

In the top of the 11th, Espinal stranded the bases loaded for the Whalers by inducing a flyout to center off the bat of Ethan Righter, ending Sag Harbor’s final threat of the night.

With momentum on their side, the Ospreys seized the opportunity in the bottom of the 11th. After Matuszewski reached base on the error, Pratt wasted no time, crushing the first pitch he saw into the outfield gap to seal the victory.

Pratt finished the night hitting 3-for-5 and two RBI, while Fagnant finished the night with three RBI. Dosenbach finished with a pair of hits in the win, going 2-for-5.

North Fork now holds a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series. Game 2 is scheduled for Friday at 4:00 PM at Mashashimuet Park in Sag Harbor, where the Whalers will try to stave off elimination and force a decisive Game 3.

Live stats will be on hamptonsbaseball.org, with live audio being provided by Meridix by clicking the “LISTEN LIVE” link on the HCBL front page.