Hesselbirg’s 2 HR Night Powers Riverhead against North Fork
The Riverhead Tomcats used the long ball and a strong pitching effort to defeat the North Fork Ospreys 8-5 on Friday evening at Cochran Park in Peconic.
North Fork struck first in the top of the second inning. Bradyn Thompson (Bates) came around to score when Eli Sitzer (Washington (MO) lined an RBI single, and the Ospreys added another run moments later when Ian Vertucci (Felician) reached on a Riverhead error that allowed Sitzer to score, giving North Fork a 2-0 lead.
The Tomcats answered immediately in the bottom of the inning. With Allen Watson (St. John’s) aboard via a lead-off walk, Matt Hesselbirg (Mercy) launched a two-run home run to tie the game at 2-2.
Riverhead seized control in the third inning. Sam Leonard (Hofstra) scored on a bases-loaded walk to Watson to give the Tomcats their first lead of the night at 3-2. Hesselbirg then stepped to the plate again and delivered the biggest swing of the game, crushing his second home run of the game, a grand slam that scored Watson, Zach DeMilt, and Joey Cohen to cap a five-run inning and put Riverhead ahead 7-2.
The score remained unchanged until the sixth inning when the Ospreys mounted a comeback. With two runners aboard, Sitzer connected on a three-run home run, bringing home Nicolas Martini (Easterm Connecticut State) and Chuck Cappello (Worcester Polytechnic) cutting the Riverhead lead to 7-5.
The Tomcats quickly answered in the bottom of the sixth. Kevin Schnupp (UMass Amherst) scored on a fielder’s choice by Leonard, providing an important insurance run extending the Tomcat lead to 8-5.
That would be as close as North Fork would get. Riverhead’s pitching staff shut down the Ospreys as Tyler Lopez (SUNY New Paltz) pitched the final 1.1 innings to get the save for Riverhead. Michael Heyman (Hofstra) who pitched the first five innings for Riverhead earned his first win of the season.
Hesselbirg was the offensive star for the Tomcats, finishing with two home runs and six RBI. His two-run homer in the second erased North Fork’s early lead, while his grand slam in the third broke the game open and gave Riverhead a lead they would never relinquish.
Sitzer paced the Ospreys offensively, finishing the night batting 2-for-3 with a home run, a stolen base and four RBI for North Fork.
Riverhead with the win improves to 3-4 while North Fork drops to 2-5. Riverhead who was playing as the home team on the road due to Veterans Park in Calverton being used for traffic for the U.S. Open in Southampton will come back to Calverton on Saturday to host the Shelter Island Bucks. North Fork comes back to Cochran Park on Saturday night to face the 4-3 Westhampton Aviators.