On a down and dirty, incredibly hot day on the athletic fields at Huntington High School, the Blue Devils bats got only got lukewarm in their attempt to stage a comeback against the Islip Buccaneers.
Getting in a hole in the second inning, Huntington found itself down 3 – 0. But good defense and timely strikeouts kept them in the game. However, a total comeback was not in the cards, and the Blue Devils lost 3 – 2.
Coach John Walsh said about the ninth inning, "I thought if we could get one player on base, I thought that we would then have a good shot at scoring," and tying the game. But that was not to be.
The Blue Devils are now 1 – 2 in Suffolk County League V play, and 1 - 3 overall.
Until this contest, the Islip Buccaneers had either shut out their opponents, or were themselves shut out, and came into the game with a 2 - 1 record.
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"This kind of team [Islip]…they're a playoff team. We stayed with them, " Coach Walsh said, adding that he hopes his team can follow the Buccaneers' lead.
The Blue Devils struck back with a run in the bottom of the fourth inning, and one more in the sixth, but were not able to capitalize on the momentum. They ended the game on a groundout, a strikeout, and then another weak grounder.
Islip pitcher Alex Devries allowed just one earned run and the Blue Devils managed just four hits. Devries also had six strike outs, and went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, and Her RBI single in the third gave Islip a 3-0 lead.
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"I think we had a tough second inning, and then I think we put it together after that. Islip played a great game. If we can put seven innings together, then I think we have a good team."
After pitching a one-hitter against Comsewogue two days earlier, Huntington pitcher Samantha Jacoby was able to settle down from the third inning on, but was to take the loss today.
"We're learning as we go. This week has been better. We played two real tough opponents in the first two games." After opening the season in grand form, beating the Comsewogue Warriors 12 – 3, they've lost the next three against opponents Hauppauge, Eastport-South Manor, and Half Hollow Hills West.
Huntington next plays against Kings Park on Thursday, April 8; then returns home to play against the Deer Park Falcons on Saturday, April 10.
