Wild one at Fiske Field, coaches, player ejected

It would have been a heartwarming display of sportsmanship had it come at the end of any other game.

After a three-hour slugfest between two teams battling for playoff position in the Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League, members of the Shelter Island Bucks traded smiles and handshakes with players from the visiting Sag Harbor Whalers on a cloudy Saturday night at Fiske Field.

But the mood was quickly spoiled as the two umpires emerged from behind home plate and some mocking applause arose from the crowd of players. The game had been called a tie after 10 innings, but a series of incidents over the final two frames, handled poorly by the Bucks and even worse by the officials, irreparably scarred the game and wasted all remaining daylight hours.

The game was called for darkness and recorded as a 5-5 tie, bringing Shelter Island’s record to 24-12-1.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” said third baseman Ryan Sabo. In the 10th, when Head Coach Jamie Quinn was tossed for arguing a called strike, and there were no coaches left to run the Bucks, Sabo briefly became head coach.

The Bucks jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning, but fell behind when the Whalers put together a pair of two-run innings. Singles by Jack Machonis and RJ Going tied the game in the seventh, before tensions began to rise in the top of the eighth.

Blaine Griffiths singled for the Whalers and was leading off first when pitcher Spencer Bunting attempted to pick him off. Tim Fallon appeared to tag the runner out, but Griffiths was called safe. Quinn argued the call to no avail and the Bucks bench only became more vocal when Griffiths rounded third to score the go-ahead run three batters later.

Eddie Haus doubled to begin the ninth, bringing Shelter Island’s winning run up to plate. Jonathan Moroney, who had been ejected in a previous game at Fiske Field, was caught looking as the home plate umpire called a third strike. As he slammed his bat in disgust, Coach Quinn returned to the field for a second time to argue the call. The umpire told Moroney, loud enough for fans to hear, “It was a strike. Maybe you should’ve swung at that one.”

Machonis drove in Haus for his second RBI of the day, but the Bucks’ bench and bullpen remained loud and angry.

Forgotten in the late-inning drama was the defensive play of Shelter Island’s season when Sag Harbor’s Joey Sanchez lined a ball over second base. With runners on second and third, RJ in center sprinted toward the infield, made a spectacular diving catch, quickly rose to his feet and threw to second, doubling off the runner and preserving the tie in the process.

Sag Harbor’s reliever Vaughn Berberet was pulled after three innings of work and Coach Quinn was back on the field after his replacement had thrown one pitch in the tenth – a called strike that appeared low and away against designated hitter Dom Brugnoni.

“Dom swung at the first one,” said Sabo after the game. “I remember Q running out, but after that it all became a blur.”

While the head coach argued, an expletive came from the Bucks sideline. The home plate umpire, who declined to comment after the game, offered Coach Quinn a choice in a voice loud enough for the crowd to hear.

“Either you’re gone or one of them are,” he said, pointing to the Bucks’ bench. When Coach Quinn tried to plead his case, the ump promptly declared, “18 [Jonathan Moroney] is out.” The outfielder had said nothing, and was left sitting dumbfounded on the bench while Chris Hess led a charge of Bucks players onto the field.

Moroney’s ejection was overturned by the league after the game because he was unfairly singled out. No game suspension has been logged against the Bucks player.

The umpire has been relieved of his duties for the remainder of the season by the HCBL.

The ruckus cleared after 15 minutes, by which time the sun had already set behind the outfield trees at Fiske Field. Brugnoni returned to the plate, and took another strike. Quinn voiced his displeasure yet again, and was thrown from the game. In short order,  Sag Harbor’s pitching coach was also tossed by the same umpire.

The game was called a tie after two more Bucks had been retired, leaving Shelter Island 1.5 games ahead of second place Westhampton. They play again on Monday at home.

“We’re all in the playoff race together,” said Sag Harbor Coach Geno DeAngelis after the contest. “It’s a shame. This game should really be all about the kids, I don’t understand it at all.”