Bucks Volpi Becomes Fifth HCBL Player to hit 3 HR’s in a Game
By Greg Diener
Alex Volpi (Holy Cross) of the Shelter Island Bucks has become one of the top players in the Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League 2018 season. Coming into Wednesday’s action, Volpi had already been named the New Era Cap Player of the Week back in Week 1 and had five home runs and 11 RBI for the Bucks.
The native of Mohegan Lake, New York would make HCBL and Bucks history in Wednesday’s road game against the Westhampton Aviators on Wednesday. Volpi became the fifth player in the history of the HCBL to hit three home runs in a game and became the first Shelter Island player to accomplish the feat.
Volpi first came up to bat against the Aviators in the top of the first with the bases loaded, Volpi hit an RBI single scoring Andrew DuPont (St. John’s) to give the Bucks a 1-0 lead. Shelter Island would score another run in the first to take a 2-0 lead.
Westhampton would tie the score at 2-2 in the bottom of the third on a two-run home run from Tyler Becker (Adelphi). Volpi would lead off in the top of the fourth and hit his first home run of the afternoon on a 2-2 pitch to deep left field to give Shelter Island the lead back.
Volpi’s next at-bat would come in the top of the fifth with two men on base and one out. Volpi would mash his second home run this time a three-run shot, and the Bucks were now up by a score of 6-2.
Westhampton would get two runs in the bottom of the fifth on RBI’s from Curtis Robison (Penn State) and John Tuccillo (Stony Brook) to get within two of Shelter Island.
Volpi would get his fourth hit of the day in the top of the seventh on a two-out single, however the Bucks would fail to score in the inning.
Shelter Island in the top of the ninth would try and give Volpi another chance to come up to bat who was due up fourth. Volpi’s Buck teammate DuPont would give him that opportunity when he led off with a solo home run to right field.
That put Volpi up to the plate with an opportunity to join his name in an elite club in the HCBL. Volpi would sit on the first five pitches running the count full. Volpi would foul off two pitches until he saw the one pitch he liked. Volpi took the 3-2 from Westhampton pitcher Joe Greco (Sacred Heart) to left field becoming the fifth player in the HCBL history to hit three home runs in a game.
Bucks pitcher Patrick Webler (Southern Connecticut State) who came on in relief during the bottom of the fifth, retired Westhampton in the bottom of the ninth to preserve the 8-4 victory on the road for Shelter Island.
Prior to Volpi, the most recent player to hit three home runs in a game was Westhampton’s Joe Curcio (LIU Brooklyn) who hit three home runs against the Sag Harbor Whalers last season at Aviator Field in a 15-6 win for the Aviators. Volpi also tied the HCBL single game record for total bases in a game with 14 which was set by Curcio in that game last season.
Volpi also became the second Buck to record six RBI in a game joining teammate Cal Christofori (Yale) who did it on June 15th against the Long Island Road Warriors in Yaphank. The Holy Cross Crusader also tied a single game record for the Bucks in RBI becoming the fourth player to reach the mark of six.
Volpi now leads the HCBL in home runs with eight on the season and has 17 RBI which is one shy of Westhampton’s Becker for the league lead.
Shelter Island (6-8-1) now travels to Southampton High School to play the Southampton Breakers on Thursday.
HCBL Players With 3 HR’s In One Game
Date Player
6-24-09 Joe Vaskas (Concordia (NY)/Westhampton) vs. North Fork
7-1-12 Tim Panetta (Cortland/North Fork) vs. Riverhead
7-16-12 Josh Mason (William & Mary/Riverhead) vs. Westhampton
6-15-17 Joe Curcio (LIU Brooklyn/Westhampton) vs. Sag Harbor
6-20-18 Alex Volpi (Holy Cross/Shelter Island) vs. Westhampton
Shelter Island Bucks With 6 RBI In One Game
Date Player
7-6-12 Zach Collett (New Haven) vs. North Fork
6-29-17 Jacob Stracner (McNeese State) vs. Riverhead
6-15-18 Cal Christofori (Yale) vs. Long Island
6-20-18 Alex Volpi (Holy Cross) vs. Westhampton
HCBL Players with 12 or more Total Bases in One Game
Date Player
6-20-18 Alex Volpi (14) (Holy Cross/Shelter Island) vs. Westhampton
6-15-17 Joe Curcio (14) (LIU Brooklyn/Westhampton) vs. Sag Harbor
6-23-16 Doug Trimble (13) (Delaware/Southampton) vs. North Fork
7-16-12 Josh Mason (12) (William & Mary/Riverhead) vs. Westhampton
7-1-12 Tim Panetta (12) (Cortland/North Fork) vs. Riverhead
6-24-09 Joe Vaskas (12) (Concordia (NY)/Westhampton) vs. North Fork
6-14-09 Peter Greskoff (12) (Brown/Riverhead) vs. North Fork
