4 Photos
Breakers shortstop Michael Coyne (Georgetown) throws to first base after getting an out at second base. RON ESPOSITO
Michael Gatti (New Haven) pitched four scoreless innings in his first start for the Breakers on Sunday. RON ESPOSITO
Breakers shortstop Michael Coyne (Georgetown) charges a ground ball. RON ESPOSITO
Mitchel Johnson (Catholic) slides into third base. RON ESPOSITO
The 15th summer for the Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League got underway on Saturday after rain that swept through the region on Friday postponed all three Opening Day games.
Though it’s very early, the Westhampton Aviators (3-0), Southampton Breakers (2-1) and South Shore Clippers (2-0) have all gotten off to fast starts, as of Tuesday morning. The Aviators busted out their bats in their first game on Saturday, defeating the visiting Breakers, 12-2, then they swept the Shelter Island Bucks in a doubleheader on Sunday. After winning the first game, 6-2, Westhampton took game two, 5-3.
Greg Marmo (Gonzaga) went 2-for-3 for the Aviators with three RBI and a pair of stolen bases in that season-opening victory over Southampton. Waldier Perez (Cal St. Fullerton) went 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBI, and he was a triple shy of what would have been the first cycle in HCBL history. Returning Aviator Sean Keys (Bucknell) had a two-RBI single that capped a six-run inning for the Aviators in the bottom of the third inning.
On Saturday, the Aviators rallied for five runs in the bottom of the first, highlighted by a two-run double from Matt Torres (Dickinson), who also stole four bases, including a steal of home. It was more than enough run support for Bruno Cergol (Finger Lakes CC), who pitched the first five innings, allowing two runs on two hits.
Shelter Island took an early 2-0 lead in game two of Sunday’s doubleheader, but Westhampton evened the score in the bottom of the third on a double steal that scored Nathan Estrada (Hope International) and an RBI single by Luke Mistone (Cal St. Fullerton). The Aviators took the lead for good on a two-run home run from Westhampton resident Jack Halloran (Emory) in the bottom of the fifth, which gave the Aviators a 5-3 lead that turned out to be the final score.
After suffering a lopsided loss in their first game, the Breakers bounced back with a sweep of the North Fork Ospreys on Sunday. They won, 5-4, in walk-off fashion in game one of the doubleheader, then shut out North Fork, 6-0, in the second game.
Trailing by a run in bottom of the seventh, Mitchel Johnson (Catholic) came up to the plate with two runners on base and one out and doubled to tie the game at 4-4, then Tyler Burke (William & Mary) hit a ground ball that the third baseman made an error on giving the Breakers the 5-4 victory.
Michael Gatti (New Haven) and Jacob Pedersen (Adelphi) combined for a two-hit shut out in game two of the doubleheader. Gatti went the first four innings, allowing one hit with five strikeouts and three walks, while Pedersen pitched the final three innings allowing one hit with three strikeouts and a walk to earn the three-inning save.
The Sag Harbor Whalers are looking to earn their first victory of the early season this week after dropping their first two games of the season. After losing their first game, 13-1, to Shelter Island on Saturday, Sag Harbor lost, 11-6, on Sunday.
