Bucks sweep road doubleheader vs. Southampton
Bucks pitcher Nao Fukuda wheels and fires to first baseman Brett Holtz, picking off a North Fork Osprey Saturday at Fiske Field.
The Shelter Island Bucks snapped a six-game winless streak in Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League (HCBL) play with a 10-0 victory over the North Fork Ospreys on Saturday at Fiske Field.
Starting pitcher Jalen Wade (Cincinnati) and reliever Justin Cherry (Rhode Island) combined for eight shutout innings. Centerfielder Mike Nyizstor (Rutgers) led the way with three hits and two RBIs as the Bucks earned their first victory since June 21 and their first win at Fiske Field since June 2.
The Bucks broke the game open in the bottom of the fifth inning with six runs on four hits and three walks.
On Sunday, the Bucks lifted their winning streak to three games by sweeping a doubleheader against the Breakers at Southampton High School.
The first game featured a late-inning comeback. After falling behind 3-1, the Bucks loaded the bases in the top of the sixth. Brandon Hall (Wagner) singled to score the second run and a bases-loaded walk to Nyisztor tied the game. A two-out single by Mike Casaleggio (St. John’s) plated two runs to put the Bucks up 5-3. In the final inning, the Breakers rallied to cut the lead to 5-4, but relief pitcher Patrick Webler (Southern Connecticut) came on in relief to secure the victory for the Bucks.
In the second game of the afternoon, the Bucks coasted to an 8-3 victory after scoring five runs on three hits and five walks in the sixth inning. Designated hitter Michael Matter (Belmont) capped the sixth-inning rally with a three-run home run. Right fielder John Behrends led the Bucks with three hits and two RBI in three at bats.
In the fourth inning of the second game of the doubleheader, third baseman Alex Volpi (Holy Cross) smashed his league-leading 11th homer of the season. With 15 games remaining in the season, Volpi is now just two home runs shy of the HCBL single-season record of 13. He is also second in the league with 25 RBIs. Mike Nyiztor is fourth in the league with 19 RBIs and fifth in hitting with a .344 average.
On Monday, the Bucks fell to the Sag Harbor Whalers 13-9 at Fiske Field. The loss dropped the Bucks to 10-14-2. With 14 games remaining in the regular season, the Island’s hometown team is in sixth-place in the league, one game behind the North Fork Ospreys for the league’s final playoff spot.
