Sports

Baseball: Early offense fuels Eastport past SWR in playoffs

ROBERT O’ROURK PHOTO | Shoreham-Wading River second baseman Kyle Pendergast tries to turn a double play against Eastport-South Manor Friday.

There will be a new county champion in 2013.

Shoreham-Wading River fell 8-1 Friday afternoon at Eastport-South Manor in a Class A loser’s bracket game, ending the Wildcats’ run of two straight county championships. The Wildcats dropped into the loser’s bracket after a 4-1 loss to Sayville Wednesday.

The sixth-seeded Wildcats caught a tough break facing the second-seeded Sharks in the first game of the loser’s bracket. The Sharks, who won League VI, were upset in the first round by John Glenn, a team that needed to win its final four games of the regular season in League VII to clinch a playoff spot.

Led by starting left-hander John Maccio, the Sharks dominated early to quickly blow the game open. Maccio pitched a complete game, giving up three hits with seven strikeouts. The Sharks scored three in the second and four in the fourth, more than enough to hold off the Wildcats.

Shoreham (12-10) used four pitchers and starter Evan Kearney took the loss.

Eastport third baseman Mat Annunziata was 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs.

Shoreham was still without its top hitter, Nick Bottari. He’s been sidelined most of the spring with torn cartilage in his wrist.

The Wildcats ended the season on five-game skid, after getting swept by top-seeded Bayport-Blue Point in the final series before the playoffs.

Eastport (17-5) still faces a long road through the loser’s bracket. The Sharks will play again Monday against Miller Place, needing five more wins in a row to claim the county championship.

Bayport will face Sayville Wednesday and the winner will be one win away from the county title.