According to Sag Harbor Village Police, a man was found unconscious in the 7-eleven parking lot on Sunday evening at around 9:40 p.m. Police say they were called by a witness who said they saw two Hispanic males in their mid-twenties exit a green Mercury Sable and then pull a third Hispanic male – also mid-twenties out of the vehicle. Police say the victim was then knocked to the ground, before the unknown suspects sped away. The victim was later medevaced to Stony Brook University Medical Center. As of yet, the police haven’t disclosed the identity of the victim. Police say the incident is still under investigation, and anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Sag Harbor Police Department Detective Jeffrey Proctor at 725-0623.Â
“A win’s a win, no matter how it comes,” said Pierson varsity baseball coach Sean Crowley as his Whalers gathered after shaking hands with Stony Brook in Mashashimuet Park Tuesday. There was great relief in those words, Coach Crowley seeing Pierson pitchers battle out of bases-loaded jams in the both the sixth and seventh innings to send the Bears back home with a 2-1 loss.
The Pierson win was far more important than the final score, the boys having lost a league contest to Mercy on Thursday, knowing league- leaders Center Moriches, Port Jefferson and Southold are soon on the schedule. That loss makes it necessary that the boys win all of their match-ups with Stony Brook and Smithtown Christian and at least two more from the top of the league if they are to qualify for the county tournament.
It may seem a little early to think about the end of the season already with so much of the schedule remaining and the Whalers sporting a 3-1 league mark going into last night’s game at Stony Brook, but no one seems to be saying that to the opposition. Each of the three games this week has had a playoff-like intensity, Pierson winning two and losing one, each contest ending with the tying or go- ahead runs on base.
On Tuesday the Center Moriches Red Devils will likely come into the park undefeated, providing the toughest early season test yet for this year’s Whalers. The Red Devils’ series is due to continue Wednesday in Center Moriches and then come back to the park next Friday, each of the games starting at 4:30 p.m. The Stony Brook rain out Monday will be made up April 20, giving Pierson more four tough league games before non-league contests with Hampton Bays and East Hampton take them into the Port Jefferson series.
“Earned” Runs
The 2-1 Whaler win Tuesday was the kind of game coaches and players work hard in practice to avoid, but find themselves in all too often.
Both Whaler runs went into the scorebook as being unearned–that is following an error–but the Pierson runners certainly seemed to have earned their way around to score.
The first Whaler run came in the bottom of the first, lead-off batter Casey Crowley alertly taking advantage of a dropped third strike in beating the throw to first. With Gavin Kudlak at the plate, Crowley stole second and then came into score when Kudlak singled to center.
Good pitching and defense, aided by some lackluster baserunning, kept the Whalers from scoring again until the fifth. Then, with one out, Jimmy Fusco drew a walk with Dane Riva coming in to pinch run. Riva stole second and advanced to third when Crowley knocked a ground ball to the right side, scampering home on a wild pitch during a Kudlak at-bat.
The Whalers had opportunities in other innings, leaving runners at third three times, but Bear pitcher Brian Harrington held them off, scattering three hits and four walks around eight strikeouts. Pierson starting pitcher Joe Mascali matched those totals in his six innings, and kept himself out of trouble until the sixth when a bases-loaded walk forced in Stony Brook’s run and cut the Whaler lead in half.
That walk prompted a visit to the mound from a concerned Coach Crowley, who came away leaving his senior captain in control with the game on the line. Mascali made the most of the moment striking out the next batter on four pitches to close out his day.
Junior Kyle McGowin was summoned for the save and quickly took charge striking out the first batter. He overcame a misplay in the infield by cutting down that runner at second base on a sacrifice bunt attempt. A walk and another error loaded the bases with Bears and set up a dramatic last out, a sinking liner to center caught on the run by Mascali with all the Stony Brook baserunners on the move.
It’s no wonder Coach Crowley came in relieved. Afterwards, he praised both sides saying, “Harrington had a great game and pitched and hit his way through some obvious back pain, but Joe provided the same thing we got from Kyle in last week’s series opener: dominating pitching. Now we have a win against their number one pitcher and now we go there. We have to take care of business against their number two and come back after our break to take care of Center Moriches Tuesday.”
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It’s Never Over
Pierson’s last two games against Mercy ended much the same way, the outcome in question until the final out. Last Wednesday, things went the Whalers way in a 5-3 win in the park and Thursday Mercy made the final out in the field to send the Whalers home with an 8-6 loss.
A four-run second put Pierson up early last Wednesday. A pair of walks to McGowin and Riva and a sacrifice bunt by Tyler Gilbride set up an RBI single by Kudlak, with the Whalers keeping the pressure on when Crowley stroked a two-run double after an infield error.
The Whaler lead went to 5-0 in the third, McGowin singling and stealing two bases before coming in on a Gilbride RBI single. Mercy made its way back into the game against Mascali, an infield error in the midst of three hits, making the score 5-3. A long fly ball to left with two runners on was flagged down by Fusco, who made over-the-shoulder catch on the run to keep the Whalers in the lead.
Ed Schall came in to relieve Mascali and earned the save, but not before a slick double-steal moved Mercy runners to second and third with two outs in the top of the seventh. A comebacker to Schall seemed to end the threat, but it was only Mascali’s quick reflexes at first that nailed down the final out, Schall’s too hard throw nearly sailing into right field.
Errant throwing was the key culprit in last Thursday’s loss at Mercy to end that three-game set. Five errors behind pitcher Brandon Kruel put Mercy up 7-1, Kruel undermining his own day further by walking three in the fourth before a bloop hit knocked him from the game.
Determined to get back in the game, Pierson scored three in the top of the fifth, a Kudlak double and walks to Crowley and Ryan Miller setting up an RBI single by Mascali and an RBI double by McGowin. Unfortunately for the Whalers, another infield throwing error gave one of those runs back in the bottom of the fifth and made for an frantic top of the seventh.
The Whalers came up for their last at-bat down 8-4, the top of the line-up set to hit, Crowley leading off with a double. A called strike three, a walk and a force play, put the pressure back on Pierson, but Gilbride came through with an RBI single, Kruel walked and Kudlak singled to drive in another run, loading the bases and putting the tying run on second. The on-field drama became ever more intense as the count grew deeper on the next Pierson batter, but a swinging strike three sent the boys back to the bus disappointed.
Beyond the never-say-die effort, the other bright spots on Thursday were the pitching of senior shortstop Ryan Miller, who relieved Kruel with two-and-a-third innings of one-hit relief, and the hitting of sophomores Kudlak (three hits) and Gilbride (two hits), the pair adding punch and speed to the Whaler offense.
It’s All Whalers
The Whaler baseball JV played a pair of one-sided contests this week, game two against Mercy last Wednesday ending 18-1 after five innings and game one against Stony Brook Tuesday finishing 15-1 after four. The rain outs against those opponents have not yet been scheduled, but will be when school re-opens next week.
JV coach Henry Meyer was happy “to see everyone in and see almost everyone hitting.” He had his team practice slow rollers during indoor sessions this week and then saw his team successfully execute those quick pick-ups and releases for outs on Tuesday.
The Pierson girl’s varsity basketball team not only lost both games this week, but they lost a starting player too.
Senior starter Katie Osiecki twisted her ankle during Thursday’s game and was unable to play during a home game on Monday.
The Lady Whalers first lost to Southold by 20 points last Thursday, finishing the game 31-51. And on Monday, the Lady Bears of Stony Brook, who are undefeated in the league, stomped out the Lady Whalers, 69-22.
Pierson played on Thursday on the Clipper’s home court, trailing six points by the end of the first quarter. But as they approached the half, the Lady Whalers nearly caught up, just down by two at half time, 20-22.
Unfortunately, starting senior Katie Osiecki, twisted her ankle during the second quarter, which slightly hurt the team’s chances of winning the game.
It is uncertain if Osiecki will be able to return this season.
Going into the third quarter, Pierson had gained some momentum. This quarter showed the most effort from both sides — where both teams scored their game-high in points. But when the clock ran out, the Lady Whaler’s 12 points were no match to Southold’s 17.
It seemed that by the fourth quarter, the Lady Whalers gave up, only scoring a single point to Southold’s 12.
All of the Pierson players scored points in the single digits during the game, with a team high of nine points that went to sophomore Samantha James, followed by senior Gabrielle Arondel with eight. Osiecki and sophomore Sarah Barrett scored one three-pointer each —Â the only three-pointers scored that game. Osiecki had a total of seven points while Barrett followed with five.
Monday night Pierson played the toughest team in League VIII, without Osiecki. The Lady Whalers lost to undefeated Stony Brook by 47 points.
Although the Lady Whalers are already in the playoffs, losing to the Lady Bears, gives them a 5-3 record in their league games.
Stony Brook took ownership of the Pierson court from the very beginning of the game, holding the Lady Whalers to just three points the first quarter. Approaching the half, the Lady Whalers only managed another three points, bringing the score to 6-42.
The third quarter was even worse for Pierson, as the Lady Bears held them to just two points —Â giving the Bears a near 50-point lead, 8-57.
During the fourth quarter, the Pierson Lady Whalers finally put double digits on the board, outscoring Stony Brook, with 14 points to Stony Brook’s 12 —Â but it wasn’t enough for the win.
Top scorer for Pierson that game was Bridgehampton’s senior, Ala Pinckney, with two three-pointers earning 12 points for the team. Second to Pinckney was sophomore Sarah, Barratt, with three-points, from a three-point shot. Nell Kruszynski, a senior, followed in third with two points for Pierson.
Southold won against Shelter Island last night 46-30, giving Southold a seat in the Class C playoffs. The Lady Whalers will host Southold Tuesday to kick off the playoffs at a time to be announced.  Â
Last week, the Pierson/Bridgehampton girl’s varsity basketball team had a thrilling comeback while playing Southold; but this week the girls struggled against the ladies in Stony Brook.
The Lady Whalers did not have the stamina this week as they played on Stony Brook’s home court. Pierson put an end to their undefeated league VIII record, finishing behind Stony Brook 57-38, during last Wednesday’s game, giving the Whalers a 3-1 for their League VIII games overall.
“We were cold in the beginning,” varsity coach Dennis Case said, “It took us a while to get going, but I think we played very good.”
He said although the girls struggled a bit, they were able to narrow the score to 18-12 by the middle of the second quarter, and the Lady Whalers drove the ball down court five times that period, but didn’t follow through at the score board, said Case. “We were only down 11 at the half,” he continued. At that point the score was 27-18, Lady Whalers trailing.
“ [Stony Brook] had a total of nine threes,” Case said, “We had to play our “A” game to beat them,” he added.
Stony Brook found it hard to rebound against Pierson, with the Lady Whalers passing and running the ball well. But, according to the coach, Stony Brook just kept “shooting threes.”
“We played hard, it was a tough game,” he said, “We were only down six at that one point.”Â
Stony Brook had 12 two-pointers and the nine three-pointers to give them their lead, according to Case. Pierson senior Katie Oseicki had the only two three-pointers, which did not stand up to Stony Brook’s, which quadrupled that amount.
Oseicki was top scorer that game with a total of 12 points.
Two girls on the Stony Brook team were able to earn 44 of the 57 total points for their team.
“They were lights out,” Case said. “They were really on that night.”
Gabrielle Arondel, a senior, followed Oseicki with 10 points, and Bridgehampton senior Ala Pinckney followed with eight points.
The match-up this week will be the Lady Whalers at home versus the Shelter Island Indians on Friday at 5:45 p.m. Last time the Lady Whalers beat Shelter Island 51-39 on the Rock.
Junior Varsity
Pierson’s Junior Varsity girl’s basketball is not far behind their Varsity counterparts. Right now they are 3-2 in league games, losing their last game against Stony Brook 19-41. Last Monday, however, the girls beat Southold by 13 points, 33-20. JV played against the Ross School – who only has a JV team – on January 9, and beat them by two points, for a final score 25-23.
“We have five games left and are hoping to win four of them,” Coach Haley Luzim said on Wednesday.
She added that she believes they are “very capable of beating Mercy,” who they lost to the first time around.
“We must play our “A” game against Shelter Island and Ross,” she said, “They gave us a good fight last time we played them.”
She said the girls are practicing hard, and concentrating on their bank shots, rebounds and passes.
“I have seen a tremendous improvement from the first year players, many of which have gained ample playing time,” she added.
Bay Street Co-Founders Create New Programs at Stony Brook
Stony Brook Southampton’s MFA in Writing and Literature Program announced two new initiatives for 2009: a Playwriting Conference as part of the Southampton Writers Conference, and the Young American Writers Project, an interdisciplinary writing program for middle and high school students.
The Playwriting Conference will be directed by Stephen Hamilton and Emma Walton Hamilton, co-founders of the Bay Street Theatre. The conference will run concurrently with the Children’s Literature, Southampton Writers, and Screenwriting conferences, in three sessions from July 8 to August 2. Established and emerging playwrights will have the opportunity to develop their work in a collaborative setting with professional actors, directors and members of the Ensemble Studio Theatre. Three graduate credits are available to eligible students in each conference.
“When Stony Brook acquired the Southampton campus, we promised to build real strength in the arts,” Robert Reeves, director of the MFA in Writing and Literature program said. “We are proud to be able to carry out that mandate by broadening our programs. We are also thrilled that Emma and Steve accepted our invitation to become the newest members of the MFA program.”
For seventeen years, Stephen Hamilton served as the Theatre’s Executive Director and produced over 50 productions. Emma Walton Hamilton is a theater professional and arts educator, as well as a best-selling author and editor. Until 2008 she was Director of Education and Programming for Young Audiences, and spearheaded the Young Playwrights Program in area schools.
In addition to the new Playwriting Conference, Stony Brook Southampton’s will also establish the Young American Writers Project (YAWP). The inaugural YAWP program, focusing on playwriting, will be offered to middle schoolers in the spring of 2009. The YAWP curriculum calls for teaching artists to visit designated classrooms twice weekly during a two-month period, guiding students to create and develop their own plays. One play from each participating class will be produced at Stony Brook Southampton’s Avram Theater in April of 2009. Among participating schools in the inaugural YAWP program for 2009 are: Bridgehampton, Sag Harbor, Shelter Island, and Eastport South Manor.
Schools
Inaug. Invite
Several local students will attend the inauguration of Barack Obama on Tuesday, January 20 in Washington, D.C. Jocelin Kalish of Bridgehampton was invited to attend by the University Presidential Inaugural Conference. Kalish is an alumni of the National Youth Leadership Forum and was the valedictorian of Bridgehampton High School last year. Fellow Bridgehampton graduate, Eddie Gholson is working for Ultimate Staffing and will help chaperone a group of children around D.C. and accompany them to the inauguration ceremony for the company. Ross tenth grade students Spencer Kuzon and Devon Leaver will also be in attendance. Kuzon and Leaver will participate in the Presidential Youth Inaugural Conference from Saturday, January 17 to Wednesday, January 21. This five-day program provides students with a deeper understanding of the electoral process and its history, as well as the traditions surrounding the presidential inauguration.
Harbor Committee
“Mary E” Sails Elsewhere for Home
After months of dialogue between the owners of the “Mary E” schooner and the village Harbor Committee board, the board has finally decided to deny the owners request to permanently dock the schooner on Long Wharf. Although, the decision ultimately lies with the Sag Harbor Village Board of Trustees, the Harbor Committee agreed to draft a letter to the board recommending the denial of the owners request. During a committee meeting on Monday, January 12, Harbor Committee Chairman Bruce Tait cited the owners lack of a comprehensive plan for upland support for the “Mary E” as the primary reason for the refusal of their petition. The owners of the “Mary E” sought to run a charter sailing business from the boat. Tait said at a previous meeting that parking would need to be provided for charter clients.
Sag Harbor Village Board of Trustees member, Ed Deyermond swung by the meeting to treat the committee members to an update on the Keyspan/National Grid remediation project in the village. Deyermond said there wasn’t much to report as the project is on somewhat of a hiatus due to a delay in the shipment of equipment, specifically a tent.
East Hampton
Farmers Market
The Peconic Land Trust is requesting proposals for usage of the
farmland adjacent to the Amagansett Farmers Market located on Main
Street, Amagansett. The farmland consists of 5.7 acres of conserved
land that the Trust anticipates leasing in early 2009 with the idea
of integrating the produce into the Amagansett Farmer’s Market.
Interested parties are asked to submit a letter of interest to Pam
Greene, the Director of Stewardship, by February 1. A formal proposal
will be requested from those submissions. The formal proposal will
require a business plan and land use plan for the farm. For more
information call 283-3195.
SH Rotary Club
Inter. Grants
Kevin Luss, President of the Southampton Rotary Club has announced that Rotary International (RI) has approved a matching grant application, submitted by Southampton Rotary and the Rotary Club of Guntur (India). The approved matching grant, sponsored by the Southampton, Northport and Riverhead Rotary Clubs, will be used to finance the purchase of equipment that is critical in the medical mission being undertaken by International Surgical Mission Support, a group of local doctors who will be traveling to the NRI General Hospital, located in Andhra Pradesh, India.
During their short stay in India, the doctors will conduct several hundred medical screenings and life saving surgical procedures and will leave the newly purchased equipment with the local medical center.
Southampton Rotary will coordinate the project internationally, while the Rotary Club of Guntur will coordinate on a local level. The total grant budget for this project is equivalent to $62,000.
SHDC
New Dem. Chair
The Southampton Town Democratic Committee has unanimously elected Gordon Herr to succeed retiring Chairman Mike Anthony.
Anthony assured the committee that he was not leaving and would still play a significant role in the Democratic Party. He added that working with Gordon Herr for the past few years gave him full confidence that his efforts would be built upon for even greater Southampton Town Democratic Party achievements in the future.
Suffolk County
New EPA Chair
Legislator Jay Schneiderman has been named chair of the County’s
Environment, Planning and Agriculture Committee (EPA) by presiding
Officer William Lindsay for the second year in a row. Schneiderman
has a background in science education and has been involved with
numerous environmental initiatives including land preservation and
water quality protection. Schneiderman currently has a bill pending
before the EPA committee that would establish a county-wide setback
from wetlands for fertilizer application. “Nitrogen and phosphorus
from fertilizers are contributing to nutrient overload in our bays
and harbors,” claims Schneiderman, “this is causing algal blooms that
are devastating shellfish populations and other marine life.”
Schneiderman believes the new law will be adopted earlier this year.
The elation the Whalers felt coming off the floor last Thursday after a hard fought 45-30 win over Ross nearly eased the torment of last Tuesday’s one-sided loss to Mercy. That sinking feeling of coming undone was back again last night as undefeated Stony Brook took a 29-8 lead to end the first half. The Whalers played even the rest of the way to take some sting out of the week’s second loss, the score 50-29 at the buzzer.
Pre-season favorite and still undefeated Greenport made Monday’s game one to forget, Pierson heading home after an 84-36 hammering. The Porters’ Ryan Creighton, close to becoming Long Island’s all-time leading scorer, pushed through a jaw-dropping dunk to the delight of the home crowd and poured in 25 points in all.
With a 3-3 record in league play the Whalers are currently fourth in the standings, just behind Bridgehampton’s Killer Bees who are now 4-2 after yesterday’s 58-43 win over Ross. Pierson plays host to the resurgent Bees, winners of three straight, next Tuesday at 4 p.m.
Pierson travels to play winless Smithtown Christian tomorrow at 4:30; Bridgehampton is at Stony Brook at 7:30 p.m. Ross, now 2-4, has tough home games ahead, meeting Mercy tomorrow and Greenport Monday; both match-ups are at 6:15 p.m.
