Photo Credit: Olivia Daddona

North Fork 7, Shelter Island 6 (8 Innings)

In a game packed with postseason implications, the North Fork Ospreys inched one step closer to clinching home-field advantage in the Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League playoffs, edging out the Shelter Island Bucks 7-6 in a thrilling contest at Fiske Field.

The difference-maker came late as North Fork took the lead in the eighth on a wild pitch, giving North Fork a lead they would never relinquish. The Ospreys, now 19-11-1 with 39 points, need just one more win or a Southampton Breakers loss to secure home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Meanwhile, the loss drops Shelter Island to 14-17 (28 points), putting them two points behind the Sag Harbor Whalers for the league’s fourth and final postseason berth.

The Bucks jumped out to an early lead in the bottom of the first when the Bucks got a run on a North Fork error. Shelter Island would get another run in the fourth on a wild pitch that brought in Matt Holmes (Husson) to give the Bucks a 2-0 lead.

The Ospreys broke through in the top of the fifth. Rocco Cimino (Pace) got the first Ospreys run in the inning on an RBI single, which was followed by a wild pitch bringing in North Fork’s second run of the inning, tying the score. Nick Pratt (UMBC) would then drive in two runs on a single that gave the Ospreys a 4-2 lead.

Shelter Island responded quickly in the sixth. Jack Vallario (Fordham) hit a two-run single that tied the score at 4-4. Jacob Perez (Elms) then gave the Bucks the lead on an RBI groundout, putting Shelter Island ahead 5-4. North Fork would tie the score in the seventh, setting the stage for Pratt, who would drive in his third RBI of the game, putting North Fork up 6-5.

In the bottom of the seventh with two out, Tommy Munch (Occidental) hit a ground-rule double, and then John Gannon (St. Lawrence) tied the score at 6-6 on an RBI single. The Ospreys would then take the lead in the top of the eighth on a wild pitch that scored Brendan Duffy (SUNY Oneonta), giving the Ospreys a 7-6 lead going into the bottom of the eighth.

Shelter Island made a late push to tie the score, having Vallario at third base with two out for John Federico (Bates). Diego Reilly-Bell (Fordham) in his third inning of work for North Fork would get Federico to ground out to short, ending the game.

AJ Mitchell (Dominican) started for North Fork and gave the Ospreys five strong innings, allowing just two runs (one earned) on three hits while striking out four. For Shelter Island, Diego Sarabia (Bates) pitched five gritty innings but was undone by defensive miscues behind him. Only one of the four runs he allowed was earned, despite giving up six walks. Nick Curtis (Virginia Wise) took the loss.

Westhampton 10, Southampton 1

The Westhampton Aviators got a big win in the spoiler role against second-place Southampton. The Aviators defeated Southampton on the road by a score of 10-1 at Southampton High School on Thursday.

Dylan Johnson (St. John’s) pitched six innings of one-run ball, giving up a run on four hits with four strikeouts and no walks. The Selden native improved his record on the season to 2-1.

Kyle Bailey (Dominican) went 3-for-4 in the clean-up spot for Southampton with a pair of RBI in the win. Tim Ford (Fordham) was 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI and runs scored and a double.

Grant Kennedy (Richmond) had a solo home run in the top of the third inning for the Aviators. The home run was Kennedy’s second of the season.