HCBL Opening Day 2026 Recap
Riverhead 9, Westhampton 2
The Riverhead Tomcats made their HCBL return after a three-year absence and did not disappoint the home crowd at Veterans Park in Calverton by scoring seven runs in the bottom of the first and riding it to a 9-2 win over the Westhampton Aviators.
Westhampton got on the board in the top of the first on an RBI groundout by Brayden Hromada (Quinnipiac) which give the Aviators a brief 1-0 lead.
Riverhead would then score six runs in the bottom of the first without getting an out. The Tomcats rally was highlighted by a two-run triple from Evan Schickler (Rider). The Tomcats would get their seventh run in the first on a Joey Cohen (Post) RBI single.
Westhampton got a run in the top of the second but that would be all the offense the Aviators would have as they left 13 men on-base in the game.
Riverhead added two more runs in the bottom of the sixth on RBI singles from Bryan McCleary (Adelphi) and Schickler. McCleary finished the game going 3-for-4 with two RBI while Shickley was 2-for-4 with his three RBI in the game.
The Tomcats had solid pitching from Tyler Lopez (SUNY New Paltz) who went 3.1 innings allowing a run on two hits while Eric Ressegger (Adelphi) went the final 3.2 innings not allowing a run on two hits as he earned the victory in the Tomcats first HCBL game since 2022.
Sag Harbor 6, Southampton 3
The Sag Harbor Whalers picked an opening day win in front of the home crowd at Mashashimuet Park beating the Southampton Breakers by a score of 6-3.
The Whalers took an early lead scoring two runs in the bottom of the first but Southampton would cut the score in the top of the third on a solo home run from returning Breaker Nick Slogik (Rowan College at Gloucester).
Sag Harbor would regain the two-run lead in the bottom of the third on an RBI single hit by Finley Holmes (Palm Beach Atlantic) which made the score 3-1 in favor of the Whalers.
Southampton would cut the score to 3-2 in the top of the fourth on an RBI single by Brendan Gardner (Holy Cross) but the Whalers would break the game open scoring two runs in the bottom of the fourth and a run in the bottom of the fifth to lead 6-2.
Alex Apicella (Rowan College at Gloucester) would hit a solo home run in the top of the seventh but that would be the rest of the scoring in the game as Ethan Righter (Hamilton) would retire the rest of the Breaker lineup with back-to-back strikeouts putting the Whalers at 1-0 for the season.
Jackson Herzog (Brandeis) who started the game for the Whalers pitched three innings allowing a run on three hits with six strikeouts and two walks getting the win.
Shelter Island 5, North Fork 2
The Shelter Island Bucks spoiled the North Fork Ospreys home opener with a 5-2 win on Friday Night in Peconic at Cochran Park.
The Bucks got the first run of the game in the top of the third when Jack Pittman (Bentley) singled in a run to put Shelter Island up 1-0.
Soon after Cayden Van Dolah (Holy Cross) singled putting runners at the corners for David Swift (Bates). Swift would connect on a 2-2 pitch for the first Bucks home run of the 2026 season giving Shelter Island a 4-0 lead.
The Ospreys would cut the score to 4-2 on a pair of RBI from Eli Sitzer (Washington (MO). Sitzer would drive in a run in the bottom of the fourth on a fielder’s choice and then in the bottom of the sixth drove in Tristan Govea (Felician) to score on an RBI double.
The Bucks got an insurance run in the top of the seventh on Swift’s fourth RBI of the game which was an RBI single which brought in Van Doleh to score.
Michael Myers (Occidental) who came on to pitch for the Bucks in relief in the bottom of the fifth would pitch a 1-2-3 seventh inning to get the first Bucks save of the season. Noah Heath (Rider) who started for the Bucks pitched 4.1 innings allowing a run on three hits earning the win.