Shelter Island Bucks are the comeback kids, beat Sag Harbor at Fiske Field

No lead is safe against the Shelter Island Bucks, not with a dugout that never stops chirping and a lineup that knows how to rally. 

At Fiske Field on a sunny Saturday afternoon, June 28, the Bucks clawed their way back from behind and sealed the deal with a clutch defensive stand in the late innings against the Sag Harbor Whalers.

The Bucks went into Saturday with their work cut out for them, to say the least. The previous night, the team was shut out in an 8-0 road loss against the Southampton Breakers. Meanwhile in Westhampton, the Whalers faced the Westhampton Aviators, throwing a 4-0 no-hitter victory and rolling that momentum into Saturday’s contest against Shelter Island. Despite all of that, the Bucks returned to Fiske Field hungry for a win.

The Whalers took the early lead, scoring 3 runs in the second inning. Sag Harbor added 3 more in the top of the fourth, taking a 6-0. Buck Tommy Munch (Occidental College) crushed a ball that bounced over the fence for a ground-rule double, moving a runner to third and plating the first run for the Bucks. A single from Buck Gibby Sullivan (Bates College), followed by efficient baserunning, scored 2 more runs, cutting the Whalers’ lead to 6-3 after four innings.

Sag Harbor walked their first batter in the fifth, who then stole second. An error by the Bucks’ infield allowed the runner to score, making it 7-3. With the Bucks’ bench louder than ever, with reserve pitchers opting to cheer from the dugout instead of hanging around the bullpen, there was nothing stopping the inevitable Shelter Island rally.

Buck Billy Fluharty (Bucknell University) started it off with a walk, and Jack Vallario (Fordham University) was hit by a pitch to put another runner on. A stolen base, aided by a passed ball, moved both runners to second and third. Buck John Gannon (St. Lawrence University) put one in play to the third baseman. Fluharty was caught in a run down, but efficient baserunning and a defensive miscommunication by the Whalers left no one covering third as Fluharty slid back to load the bases. A few base hits cleared the bags, scoring three more runs and bringing the Bucks within one, trailing 7-6.

The Whalers went down quietly in the top of the sixth with a flyout and two strikeouts. With the lead in sight, the Bucks kept pressing. A pop fly from Fluharty to right field was left to drop as the infield and outfield failed to communicate, allowing Fluharty to round first and reach second safely. A passed ball let him take third. Then a line drive from Gannon brought in a run and left runners on first and second. 

Another miscommunication in the outfield allowed Buck Zach Dellerman (Wheeling Jesuit University) to reach second. A flyout to the center-field fence ended the inning, but not before the Bucks added 3 more runs, capping off a 9-run rally in three innings and taking their first lead of the day at 9-7.

The Whalers came back firing. A walk and a base hit put two on, and a flyout moved the runners to second and third. A single to left field brought in one run and advanced the tying runner to third. A mound visit followed, and the Bucks made a pitching change — righty Tyler Metcalf (Emerson College) replacing Brennan Shapiro (Babson College). Metcalf’s first two pitches were fouled off, followed by a ball and a swinging strike three for the second out. The next batter sent a ball to right field, but Bucks right fielder Matt Holmes (Husson College) tracked it down to secure the final out and the comeback victory.

After the game, head Coach Joe Colucci shared his thoughts with The Reporter. “We were down six, and it would’ve been very easy to roll over and die. But the team’s tough. Our guys are gritty, and they don’t like to lose,” he said. “It’s infectious. The volume gets up, the energy gets up, and all of a sudden, the bats start working. Hitting is contagious, so it’s just good to see the guys who aren’t throwing that day still really fired up to be here and supportive of their teammates in the dugout.”

The Bucks now sit at No. 3 in the Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League with a record of 7-6-0, trailing the Southampton Breakers (7-5-2) and the North Fork Ospreys (9-4-1). The Bucks host the South Shore Clippers today, Sunday, June 29, in a doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. Go support your Bucks!