Provenzano's HR, Espinal's pitching help Islip clinch League V title

Islip had scratched, wheedled and otherwise crept its way from behind in Friday's Suffolk League V baseball finale against Hauppauge. It was up to Stephen Provenzano to provide a more decisive end to the proceedings as the Buccaneers clinched the league title.

Provenzano smacked a hanging curveball just beyond the wall in left for a three-run home run off Derek Labarbera, capping a five-run sixth inning as the Buccaneers won, 8-3, at Islip. R.J. Going had just singled to drive in the go-ahead run.

Islip (15-3) and Hauppauge (14-4) entered the contest with identical records after the Eagles won the first two games in the season-ending series. Islip clinched the second seed in the playoffs; Hauppauge will be seeded fourth.

"If we didn't win, it would be a huge letdown," Islip coach Pete Blumenauer said.

Said Provenzano: "I've been on varsity for four years and this is always the biggest rivalry. But [right now] every game we play, every pitch is the World Series."

It was a quick reversal of fortune for Islip, which trailed 3-0 before scoring two in the third. With Islip down 3-2 in the fifth, Ed Macaluso hit a searing line- drive single to right to drive in Edvardas Matusevicius from third and tie the score.

Jacob Seymour began the sixth with an infield single and advanced to third on the next two outs before Matusevicius was hit by a pitch. Winning pitcher Matt Espinal walked and Going singled to left to make it 4-3. Matusevicious scored on an errant pickoff throw and Provenzano's homer made it 8-3.

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But before Islip could ignite its late-game rally, 5-5 lefthander Espinal had to keep the faith.

Hauppauge scored two of its three runs on outs, and Espinal walked Steven Dill with the bases loaded in the third to force home another run.

After a quiet fourth, the soft-tossing Espinal was tested in the fifth. He allowed two two-out singles before inducing John Colby to line out to third base, thus preventing Hauppauge from building on its one-run lead. "That right there was big for us," Blumenauer said. "It was a huge lift."

Espinal "pales in the intimidation factor" compared with Islip's other pitchers, Blumenauer said, "but he's as good, if not better, than those guys."

The cerebral Espinal allowed seven hits in his complete game, striking out one. He changed speeds effectively, using a catalogue of changeups, a big swooping curve and a fastball to keep Hauppauge off balance.

"It's a surprise [for hitters] when they see me," Espinal said. "It's like, 'Who's this kid?' "

Added Provenzano: "He was huge for us."

"Ironically," Espinal shot back.