Bucks drop a close one to Ospreys, lead the league by half game
A pair of pivotal 9th inning decisions went against the Shelter Island Bucks Monday evening, who fell to the visiting North Fork Ospreys 5-4 at home and saw their lead over second place Westhampton drop to just half a game in the Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League.
Fans at Fiske Field were treated to good baseball, without the drama of ejections, disputes with umpires and poor officiating that occurred in Saturday’s game against Sag Harbor.
The Bucks had no trouble getting on base against the Ospreys Monday, but struggled to send runners home — 14 runners were stranded, while Shelter Island also hit into three double plays. HCBL All-Star Dom Brugnoni led the home team with four hits, but the Bucks failed to score in eight of nine frames.
The prolific Bucks offense drove North Fork ace Daniel Jacobson off the mound early, after loading the bases twice in the first three innings. But a pair of double plays stymied Shelter Island’s attack in the first two frames, before Eddie Haus finally broke through with a single to right field in the third inning that drove in shortstop Ben Prada.
Haus, from Saint Mary’s College of California, recorded his 48th and 49th hits of the season on Monday, drawing even closer to the elusive 50 hits mark reached by only four players in HCBL history.
The Bucks would tack on three more runs in the inning, a feat made all the more impressive by the fact that Jacobson entered the game with an ERA of just 1.31.
Shelter Island starter Kevin Tise threw six scoreless innings before surrendering two runs in the seventh. Home run derby finalist Ryan Mahoney of Fordham University hit a solo blast to right field off Tise, followed quickly by a single off the bat of Kyle Colletta that scored a second Osprey.
Pitcher and first baseman Tim Fallon, acting as the first base coach at the time, was struck by a foul ball in the first inning and briefly received medical attention. He entered the game in the eighth inning from to relieve Tise, but struggled against the heart of North Fork’s offense. Fallon was pulled after surrendering a run and loading the bases. Closer Merritt Huber got out of the inning, but not before allowing the Ospreys to score the go-ahead fifth run.
The Bucks had the winning run in scoring position with no outs in the ninth, but failed to tie the game when Jack Machonis was gunned down at home plate after trying to score on an infield single. Shelter Island then proceeded to load the bases, before pinch hitter Nino Cuccia grounded into a double play.
As Brugnoni scored what would have been the tie- breaking run, Cuccia failed to beat the throw to first base, ending the game and dropping Shelter Island’s record to 24-13-1.
TheBucks return to action for their final home game of the regular season on Thursday, and will host an undetermined opponent in the playoffs next Monday.
