12 Photos
Bruno Cergol (Finger Lakes CC) started on the mound for the Aviators in game one of a doubleheader on Saturday. DREW BUDD
Westhampton's Luke Mistone (Cal State Fullerton) makes contact. DREW BUDD
Westhampton third baseman Greg Marmo (Gonzaga) throws to first base for an out after fielding a ground ball. DREW BUDD
Westhampton first baseman Luke Mistone (Cal State Fullerton) loses his glove after fielding a ground ball close to the foul line, but he grabs the ball and steps on first base for the out. DREW BUDD
Westhampton first baseman Luke Mistone (Cal State Fullerton) loses his glove after fielding a ground ball close to the foul line, but he grabs the ball and steps on first base for the out. DREW BUDD
The Aviators were atop the HCBL standings early but, as of Tuesday morning, sat tied with the North Fork Ospreys. DREW BUDD
Sag Harbor's Wyatt Benson (Orange Coast) takes a throw with Southampton's Ty Gilligan (Dominican) bearing down on him. RON ESPOSITO
Sag Harbor's Milo Suarez (Dartmouth) scoops up a ground ball. RON ESPOSITO
Sag Harbor's Milo Suarez (Dartmouth) gets set to field a ground ball. RON ESPOSITO
Sag Harbor's Josh Parks stretches at first base. RON ESPOSITO
Sag Harbor's Milo Suarez (Dartmouth) throws to first base after fielding a ground ball. RON ESPOSITO
Southampton's J.J. Romatzik gets set to field a ground ball. RON ESPOSITO
The Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League continued to broaden its name by playing well in the National Alliance of College Summer Baseball Prospect Games, played at Worthington Field on the campus of Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. With some of its top players in tow, the HCBL defeated the New York Collegiate Baseball League, 4-3, in its first game on Monday with a second and final game played Tuesday morning against the Sunbelt Baseball League.
Although playing in the showcase was years in the making, HCBL wasn’t able to participate until last year for the first time due to the pandemic. Competing in such a showcase gives the players that much more exposure to major league scouts, with that many prospects being at one central location.
The HCBL took the lead in the top of the fifth inning on Monday thanks to a pair of back-to-back bases loaded walks by Ty Acker (North Fork/George Washington) and Conor Kiely (Shelter Island/Stonehill). Ethan Guerra (Westhampton/Paris JC) then smacked a two-run double to right field putting the HCBL up, 4-1. Although the NYCBL scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, the HCBL bullpen ultimately held the lead in the final three innings. Michael DiForte (Westhampton/Saint Peter’s) worked around a two-out double in the seventh and Steven Hardiman (Southampton/Bentley) went the final two innings to get the save. Olivia Pichardo (Sag Harbor/Brown) pitched a scoreless fourth inning to earn the win.
Going to the showcase put a halt to any games played within the league for two days, Monday and Tuesday, before play picked up this past Wednesday. Prior to the break, there were some changes in the standings from the first few days the season opened last week.
The Westhampton Aviators enjoyed about a week or so in first place all alone, with the height of their reign coming on June 21 when they set a single-game team record for hits with 24, passing the old mark of 23 previously set against the North Fork Ospreys on June 30, 2016. Westhampton also tied the HCBL single-game team record for hits, which was first done by the Southampton Breakers against North Fork on June 23, 2016.
But just prior to the break due to the showcase, Westhampton lost four straight, which included being swept by the South Shore Clippers in a doubleheader at home on Saturday, sandwiched between a pair of losses to the now charging Sag Harbor Whalers. As of Wednesday morning, before play picked back up, the Aviators were tied atop the standings with the North Fork Ospreys, which had won three in a row and five of their last six before losing, 6-2, to the Shelter Island Bucks on Sunday.
The aforementioned surging Whalers (5-4) lost their first two games of the season, but have since won four of their last six to bring themselves up to the middle of the pack. The Southampton Breakers have played the least number of games due to a few postponements, but have posted a solid 5-2 record.
