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Bucks fall to Montauk, now two games out of first place

 

GARRET MEADE PHOTO | Brenton Arriaga of Loyola Marymount pitched six and two thirds innings allowing one earned run in a losing cause against Montauk Wednesday evening.
GARRET MEADE PHOTO | Brenton Arriaga of Loyola Marymount pitched six and two thirds innings allowing one earned run in a losing cause against Montauk Wednesday evening.

The Shelter Island Bucks did all they could to stage another comeback victory Wednesday evening at Fiske Field, but couldn’t pull it off. With two outs in the ninth, the Bucks had the potential tying run at the plate. But a strikeout ended the game and the visiting Montauk Mustangs walked away with a 5-2 victory.

The Mustangs struck early, jumping out to a lead in the top of the second. A triple by Deilyn Guzmen followed by a single by Nick Fanneron, both with one out, accounted for the first run of the game.

The score remained 1-0 until the bottom of the sixth. With one out, Jimmy Jack of Loyola Marymount University singled and then advanced to second on a ground out. A single by Trevor Freeman of Florida Southern College then brought Jack home to tie the game.

But not for long. The Mustangs put another run on the board in the top of the seventh thanks in part to three singles by the visitors. Montauk then tacked on another run in the top of the eighth and two more in the top of the ninth.

Before stranding the tying runs in the bottom of the ninth, the Bucks also threatened in the bottom of the eighth. Steven Pinales of Sullivan County Community College walked before a double to right field by Troy Scocca of Fairfield University plated him and moved the score to 3-2. Unfortunately that was the last run the Bucks would muster however.

Brenton Arriaga of Loyola Marymount started the game for the Bucks going six and two thirds innings allowing two runs, one of which was earned. Arriaga put in a great performance on the mound, but Mustang starter Dylan Mouzakas was a little better. Mouzakas pitched seven innings allowing just one run.

The loss moved the Bucks’ record to 16-15 on the season and they are now two games back of first place in the Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League standings.

With just eight games left in the regular season, the Bucks will have three advantage of home cooking, playing three this weekend at Fiske Field. On Friday they host the North Fork Ospreys, who are in second place in the league, before Southampton pays Fiske Field a visit on Saturday. Sunday’s game against the Tomcats is the marquee matchup of the weekend, considering how close the two teams have been in the standings all season.

Prior to the loss, the Bucks had been on a hot streak to start the final stretch of the season. They won at home Sunday night in a tight game against the Westhampton Aviators, who are just a half game behind them in the standings, before winning on the road at Riverhead Monday night.