Lions Hang on For 5-4 Win Over Hills East

West Islip baseball jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead over Half Hollow Hills East on Monday but was pushed to the limit as they held on for a 5-4 victory that came down to the final at-bat.

Robbie Pescitelli got the Lions on the board early when he lined a double to left center that scored the first run of the game. Pescitelli finished 2-2 on the day, scoring and driving in two runs while also reaching base on a walk and hit by pitch. Tyler Bell followed Pescitelli with a single that knocked in two runs and put West Islip up 3-0.

Pescitelli’s second double of the game in the top of the second put the Lions up 4-0. With ace pitcher Christian Stancavage on the mound it looked like the Lions would roll, but Hills East (5-13) starter Mike Ceparano settled down after a rocky start and was able to keep his team in the game.

“It was huge,” Lions head coach Shawn Rush said of his team jumping out early. “We had our ace on the mound and with the playoffs on Saturday, we were hoping to kind of limit his pitches today. As the game went on it never got out of hand. Going up 4-0 right away we were hoping we could get six or seven runs and give him a breather and obviously it never happened, but he still threw six solid shutout innings.”

West Islip scratched out an insurance run in the seventh without getting a base hit that ended up being the difference. After consecutive walks, David Anholzer's fielder’s choice scored Pescitelli for the Lion’s fifth run.

Stancavage exited after six innings, having allowed only three hits and striking out six. The bottom of the seventh started off innocently enough after West Islip recorded the first two outs sandwiched around an infield single.

Following a single and a walk to Justin Ashley, Ceperano re-entered the game and driller a double off the top of the wall in left to make it 5-2. Steven Muraco followed that with a line drive single to center field and suddenly the winning run was coming to the plate.

In came Dan Jagiello to try and save the game. He wasted no time, throwing just three pitches, the last of which was emphatically called strike three to end the game.

“We’ve had a few games like that this year,” Rush said.  “Jags came in and got the out and all that matters is the win."

West Islip improved to 12-5 on the season and finishes the regular season with two more games against Hills East before beginning the playoffs on Saturday.