Baseball team undefeated: 5-0 in stellar ‘26 season

After a short break in their schedule, the Shelter Island Boys Baseball team got right back to work, sweeping the Pierson Whalers in two straight games on Tuesday, May 5, and Thursday, May 7. The Islanders, who opened the season with three wins over Greenport in late April, remain undefeated at 5-0.

Playing on the road at Sag Harbor last Tuesday, junior Evan Weslek started on the mound for the Islanders. Despite a strong showing from Weslek in the

 opening frame, the Whalers got on the board early with several base hits and shots into the outfield. After facing eight batters, Shelter Island got the third out, and Pierson walked away with three runs. On the offensive side, Ryan Sanwald scored a run for the Islanders following a base hit. 

After Pierson’s early run, Weslek began to settle in on the mound. In the second inning, he worked through four batters with a pair of strikeouts and a routine play in the infield to hold the Whalers scoreless. Shelter Island, however, was unable to answer in the bottom half of the inning, with a strikeout and two infield outs.

Weslek continued his dominance into the third inning, facing four batters and striking out three to keep Pierson off the board. Shelter Island responded in the bottom half, when junior Jackson Rohrer scored on an RBI from Weslek to cut the deficit to 3-2. Pierson again went scoreless in the fourth inning behind another strikeout and two routine defensive plays from the Islanders.

Shelter Island finally broke through in the fifth. Base hits from Sanwald, Rohrer, and senior Harry Clark helped move the Islanders offense, with all three eventually scoring. Another RBI from Weslek capped the inning and gave Shelter Island their first lead of the game. Weslek remained on the mound into the sixth inning, facing four batters before recording the final strikeout to keep Pierson scoreless once again.

The Islanders added another insurance run in the seventh before Clark entered in relief for a quick appearance. Clark struck out the side to close out the game and secure the 6-3 Shelter Island victory.

Back at Fiske Field on Thursday afternoon, Clark started for Shelter Island and faced just three batters in the top of the first inning. Then a walk followed by consecutive hits allowed Shelter Island to jump ahead 3-0.

Pierson responded in the second after putting together several base hits and capitalizing on an Islanders error to score two runs. Shelter Island answered again in the bottom half of the inning. Sanwald reached base before hits from Abie Roig and Daniel Hernandez helped drive in three more runs, extending the Islanders’ lead to 6-2.

Pierson added another run in the third inning, but Shelter Island quickly pulled away offensively. Hits from Clark, Henry Springer and Ari Waife made for another big inning as the Islanders scored six runs to take a commanding 12-3 lead.

In the top of the fourth, Sanwald snagged a line drive and doubled off the runner at first to complete a double play before Clark recorded another strikeout to end the frame. Shelter Island added another run later in the inning to extend the lead to 13-3.

Clark reached his pitch limit after six innings, and Waife entered in relief for Shelter Island. Pierson rallied for a few runs in the final innings following numerous Shelter Island errors, though Waife recovered in the seventh with two strikeouts to close out the 13-8 Islanders victory and complete the series sweep over the Whalers.

The Islanders are facing the Hampton Bays Baymen this week in a three-game series to close out their season. The team was first at home on Tuesday, May 12, then traveling to Hampton Bays on Thursday, May 14, before returning home Friday, May 15, for its final game of the season. 

Friday’s contest is scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m. and will also serve as the Islanders Senior Day. The team will not only celebrate its three seniors, but also look to complete another undefeated season.