Home loss ends playoff chances for Shelter Island Bucks

Going into their game at Fiske Field Wednesday night, the Shelter Island Bucks had a rough road ahead of them if they still wanted to make the Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League playoffs for 2013.

Two and a half games out of a playoff spot with just three games to play, the Bucks needed to win and both teams standing between them and their goal would have to lose. But the Islanders sealed their own fate losing 5-0 to the Sag Harbor Whalers eliminating themselves from playoff contention.

The game got off to a slow start for both teams with no runs scored until the third inning. Whalers centerfielder John Palladino singled and stole second before Bucks’ starter Alex Katz got two outs. It looked like Katz had avoided damage from the single when he got first baseman Dan Rizzie to hit a ground ball to third. But Bucks’ third baseman Joe Burns (making his first start at third this summer) missed the ball allowing Palladino to score. Rizzie then scored on a single by third baseman Justin Montemayor.

The Whalers took a 2-0 lead into the top of the fourth when another error by Burns put a runner on who came around to score. Sag Harbor tacked on one more run in the sixth thanks to a double, a single and a sacrifice fly. The fifth and final run of the game came in the top of the ninth after Palladino walked to start off the inning and later scored on a single.

Giving up five runs is usually not a good outing for a starting pitcher, but it didn’t tell the whole story. Katz pitched the complete came for the Bucks and looked a lot better than the score would indicate, being hurt by errors.

After the game, Katz said he was happy with his performance, calling it one of his better outings and pointing out he had never pitched a complete nine innings before. “It’s a team game,” he said, “and you can’t win with just one person’s performance.”

Katz was also hurt by a lack of offense, something that has become a trend for the team as they struggled throughout July. The Bucks mustered just five hits over the course of the game.

The game was exciting for the home crowd, however, thanks to the presence of former major league pitcher Al Leiter. Leiter watched most of the game from the stands as Islanders came up to him and got autographs. Leiter also took the time to talk to the players following the game.