by Trevor Dugan
The Islip Owls earn a five inning victory in their first game of the Father’s Day Liberty Classic!
FINAL (5): Owls 6 – Team Beast 4
PJ Scandale: 3-3, RBI, R
Ben Russo: 1-2, 2 RBI
Hunter DePinto: 3.0 IP 2 ER 4 K, W pic.twitter.com/IsfKVvTQn9— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) June 19, 2026
The 16u Islip Owls clawed their way out of a 3-0 hole at Fireman’s Field Friday, earning a comeback victory over Team Beast 2028 on day one of the Bases Loaded Baseball Father’s Day Liberty Classic Qualifier.
In their first tournament of the summer, the Owls fell behind early after a messy first inning. In the bottom of the first Team Beast scored on a wild pitch, an error, and an RBI groundout to take a 3-0 lead heading into the second inning.
Following a shaky first, Owls starting pitcher Hunter DiPinto settled in to toss back-to-back scoreless innings. The 2028 East Islip graduate went on to earn the win for the Owls, finishing with four strikeouts and three runs allowed in 3.0 innings pitched.
The Owls’ offense was kept in check for the first three innings Friday by Team Beast SP Aaron Chang (Calhoun 2028). The right-hander stranded runners on second and third in both the second and third innings, picking up some timely strikeouts in the process.
Leadoff man Jordan Haines got the Owls on the board in the top of the third with an RBI groundout, trimming the Team Beast lead to 3-1.
Still trailing 3-1 in the top of the fourth, the Owls finally got the breakthrough they were looking for. Shortstop Aiden Gibbs (BBP 2028) led the inning off with a double, and came around to score and bring the Owls within one two batters later on an RBI single by Marco Ascher (East Islip 2028).
Ascher would move to second on a single by left fielder PJ Scandale (East Islip 2027), then scored on a game-tying RBI double off the bat of Tyler Drago (Bay Shore 2027). With the score tied at 3-3 and two out in the inning, catcher Ben Russo (Bay Shore 2028) capped the rally off with a two-run single, giving the Owls a 5-3 lead midway through the fourth.
Scandale finished 3-3 Friday with an RBI and run scored, and was named GameChanger player of the game for his efforts.
“We always have faith in our guys; we knew we would come back,” Scandale said after the win.
After their four run rally, the Owls replaced their starter DePinto with Hunter Johnson (ESM 2028), who would pitch the remainder of the game. The left-hander tossed a shutdown bottom of the fourth in his first inning of work.
Scandale added one more run to the Owls’ total with an RBI single in the top of the fifth, his third hit of the day, stretching their lead to 6-3.
Facing the time limit in the bottom of the fifth, Team Beast needed three runs to stave off defeat. They managed to pick up one on an RBI single by third baseman Hanley Rodriguez, but Johnson stopped the rally in its tracks, ending things with a strikeout to finish off a 6-4 win for the Owls.
The 16u Islip Owls will move on in the Father’s Day Liberty Classic Qualifier, returning to action Saturday June 20, 8:00 A.M. against MVP NY Prime 2028.