Baseball: Rain puts Tuckers’ third straight league title on hold
If Mattituck is to be denied a third straight league championship, it will take another high school baseball team to do it. On Friday, though, it was a force of nature that kept that league title out of Mattituck’s hands for at least another day.
Mattituck was leading, 8-1, in the bottom of the second inning when its Suffolk County League VIII game against Pierson/Bridgehampton was suspended because of heavy rain at Mattituck High School. The game will resume Monday at the point it left off — with Mattituck runners on first and second and two outs.
Mattituck (16-2, 14-2) needs one more win to clinch at least a share of the title. It would be Mattituck’s ninth league crown.
Aside from the completion of the suspended game, the Tuckers have only one other regular-season game remaining, tomorrow in Greenport.
Mattituck, the defending New York State Class B champion, is being chased by second-place Babylon (15-4, 15-3) and third-place Southold (15-4, 15-4).
After falling behind, 1-0, to Pierson (11-7, 11-7) in the top of the first inning, Mattituck batted through its order in the bottom half of the inning for a 5-1 lead. A bases-loaded walk by Jon Dwyer and a run-scoring single by Victor Proferes started the rally.
Mattituck extended that lead in the second. Bryce Grathwohl singled in a run and designated hitter James McDonald knocked in two more, giving himself three runs batted in and the Tuckers an 8-1 lead.
As game time approached, rain fell harder. While the Tuckers were batting in the second, the sky let loose and it poured, prompting the umpire to call both teams off the field while the pitching mound and home plate were covered. Only 55 minutes of baseball were played.
Christian Figurniak pitched for Mattituck, striking out the side in the second to give him five strikeouts. He allowed one hit.
The only run the lefthanded Figurniak allowed came in the first after singles by Sam Warne and James Sherry put runners at the corners. Sherry stole second base before Ryan Chisholm brought a run in a groundout to shortstop Matt Heffernan.
Photo caption: Heavy rain forced the suspension of Friday’s game between Pierson/Bridgehampton and Mattituck in the bottom of the second inning with the Tuckers leading, 8-1. (Credit: Garret Meade)
