Shelter Island School Baseball team is on a roll: Takes winning record into the break

The Shelter Island School baseball team has continued its sizzling start, taking four out of the first five games of the season before the spring break.

Last week the Islanders won an exciting contest that went right down to the wire against their cross-bay rivals, the Pierson Whalers.

Coach Peter Miedema singled out first baseman Jose Frausto for an outstanding game in the field and at the plate. Late in the game, with two outs and two on, Frausto lined a double to put the Islanders ahead.

In the next inning, with the Whalers threatening, Frausto caught a sharp liner and quickly threw to second, doubling off a Pierson baserunner.

But the Islanders weren’t done playing excellent defense. With two Whalers on base in the final inning, center fielder Harry Clark tracked down a long fly ball and reeled it in to end the threat.

Coach Miedema sees the early success of his team as due to having “an enthusiastic group of guys who like to work together.”

He added, “We have a core group of guys keeping everyone prepared.”

It’s been a rewarding experience for him and Assistant Coach Mike Dunning and the players, Coach Miedema said, to see “guys who at the start of the season were not really that savvy about baseball who are now coming up and making big plays for us.”