Bayport-Blue Point baseball dominates Center Moriches behind another lights out performance from Cooper Fuller
Bayport-Blue Point starting pitcher Cooper Fuller delivers a pitch against Center Moriches on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. Credit: George A. Faella
Bayport-Blue Point righthander Cooper Fuller dialed up one more ground ball. And, fittingly, shortstop Tyler McKillop fielded it and fired to first baseman Ryan Kloss for the final out and the Bayport-Blue Point juggernaut rolled on.
The Phantoms downed second-place and host Center Moriches, 10-0, in a Suffolk League VII baseball game Tuesday afternoon. Fuller’s 99th and final pitch sealed his second consecutive shutout over Center Moriches this season. He’d beaten the Red Devils, 1-0, on April 2.
Bayport-Blue Point improved to 15-0 and Center Moriches fell to 12-3. Fuller got 14 outs via the ground ball and struck out three to improve to 5-0 with a 0.00 ERA.
“He’s been unhittable this season,” Bayport-Blue Point coach Vic Manzella said. “He’s getting stronger as the game goes on and the bigger the spot, the better he throws.”
Fuller has thrown 27 1⁄3 scoreless innings and allowed only 11 hits. He credits the team’s defense for his success.
“Our defense was stellar again,” Fuller said. “And I’m very confident with them. If my slider is going well, I’ll get my strikeouts. If not, I rely on my defense.”
McKillop led a flawless Bayport-Blue Point defense with three putouts and five assists. The Phantoms turned double plays in each of the first three innings.
“We lost in the Class A final last season to Kings Park and we felt our defense needed to be better this season,” Manzella said. “Now our defense has been our strength.”
Center Moriches coach Paul Gibson Jr. would agree.
“The shortstop moved around the field really well,” Gibson Jr. said. “It’s pretty simple — they made the plays, and we didn’t.”
Center Moriches threatened to end Fuller’s scoreless streak in the bottom of the first inning. Max Rayburn and JT Bonventre hit back-to-back one-out singles to put runners at first and second.
Brayden Hromada drilled a two-hop grounder up the middle toward centerfield. McKillop ranged to his left, snagged it, and turned an inning-ending double play.
“The ball got past Coop and skipped off the infield lip,” McKillop said. “I got it just in time. That set the tone for the game.”
Bayport-Blue Point used a three-run second inning to open a 3-0 lead. Colin Most singled and Brady Gelling drew a one-out walk. With two outs, McKillop singled through the five-hole to score Most for the 1-0 lead. Sam Devore followed with a two-run single to make it 3-0.
The Phantoms added a run in the fifth and three in each of the sixth and seventh innings. Brendan Mattimore had a two-run single in the sixth and Fuller added a two-run single in the seventh.
Center Moriches starter Joe Hiller walked four and allowed four hits and three runs while striking out eight over four innings.
“I knew we struck out quite a bit, but we also scored 10 runs on 10 hits,” Manzella said.
Center Moriches’ pitchers recorded 15 strikeouts.
“We didn’t score early and then the game got away from us,” Gibson Jr. said. “We need to be better. We are better.”
Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.
