Eagles Win League Opener Against Harborfields, 11-1

The Hauppauge varsity baseball team hit the bases running with a 11-1 win over Harborfields Tornadoes on Monday. The Eagles combined a series of hits with smart base running to take an early 4-0 lead. Then, when Harborfields' pitchers ran into trouble in the top of the third inning, Hauppauge's batters had the good judgment to work the count in their favor. 

Score: Hauppauge 11, Harborfields 1

Records: Hauppauge 1-0, Harborfields 0-1

The Hero:  Hauppauge's starting pitcher C.J. Schildt exerted control from the mound, keeping Harborfields' batters at bay for the first four innings. This gave the Hauppauge Eagles time to focus on their game and get the bats warmed up. 

Frank Testani carried the Eagles' momentum of a successful two-run first inning into the second inning by starting it off with a home run. 

The Turning Point: The game took a turn in the Eagles' favor during the third inning. The Harborfields' pitcher gave up back-to-back singles before running out of steam. 

It started when Robbie Scheim worked a walk out of a 3-2 count to take first and load the bases. The Harborfields pitcher then walked the next two batters, Testani and John Colby, to give two runs to the Eagles.

One batter later, the Harborfields pitcher walked Mike Mazzeo to give the Eagles a third run. Then, Shildt hit a sacrifice fly to bring the remaining base runner home. 

Ultimately, the four-run inning blew the game wide open for the Eagles, who emerged with a comfortable 8-0 lead. 

The Quote: "I was psyched early because we put some runs up early on. We hustled on the field," said head coach Kevin Giachetti. "We scored from second base on an infield pop up. These are the things we teach and preach about in practice." 

The Bottom Line: The Hauppauge boys baseball team is young squad, carrying five sophomores, but it has the potential talent to become a strong contender for a title, Giachetti said. Schildt showed the ability to take down Harborfields' batting lineup in order, boding well for the remaining two matches. 

Hauppauge's offense proved they have the ability to string together hits with smart base running to get their runners around to home. This allowed them to capitalize on Harborfields' mistakes until their bats warmed up. This strategy will be critical against opponents who have stronger bullpens. 

Key Stat: Frank Testani scored Hauppauge's only home run at the top of the second inning. Also, Robbie Scheim hit an infield triple during the fourth inning. 

Who's Next? Hauppauge will travel to take on Harborfields on Wednesday at 6 p.m. 

Box Score: