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By Tucker Terranova/Axcess Baseball

The Shelter Island Bucks are no strangers to early deficits.

Four games into the season, the Bucks are already shaping their identity as a resilient, high-powered lineup. After erasing a 1-0 deficit with 11 unanswered runs on Opening Day, they followed it up Tuesday with another statement win, scoring nine straight to cruise past the South Shore Clippers, 9-1, in six innings.

Offensively, the Bucks have been relentless, averaging a league-best 6.5 runs per game through the season’s first week.

“One through nine in the lineup, we’ve been putting together good at-bats,” said center fielder Billy Fluharty (Bucknell). “We’re taking it one pitch at a time. Hopefully, we can keep this going the rest of the way.”

All nine batters in the Bucks’ lineup reached base Tuesday, as the offense continued its early-season tear with 10 hits and eight walks. Fluharty—the leadoff man—set the tone, reaching in all four of his plate appearances.

After the Clippers opened the scoring with a run-scoring groundout in the first, the Bucks responded quickly. Fluharty and JD Stemhagen (Manhattan) drew walks, and John Gannon (St. Lawrence) was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Jack Vallario (Fordham) then laced a line drive past third to bring home Fluharty and Stemhagen. After steals by Vallario and Alex Barrist (Lafayette), both came around to score on a base hit to left by Gibby Sullivan (Bates), making it 4-1.

The Bucks were aggressive on the basepaths from the jump, swiping six bags—all within the first two innings—and advancing three more times on wild pitches. They pace the HCBL with 18 steals on the season, six more than the next highest total.

“We want to go out there and take it,” said Fluharty, who stole two bases and is tied for the team lead with four. “From pitch one, we were trying to be aggressive.”

That approach didn’t let up. Shelter Island added two more runs in the second and one in the third. Once again, it was the top of the order doing damage. Fluharty and Stemhagen reached and stole bases to get into scoring position, then scored on a double to left from Barrist.

Mikey Rodriguez (Mount St. Mary’s) got things going again in the third with a single, and after Willie Landman (St. Lawrence) followed with a base hit, Fluharty delivered once more—lining a run-scoring single up the middle to push the Bucks’ lead to 7-1.

“I was just trying to swing at the right pitches,” Fluharty said. “I trust all eight guys behind me, so I knew we’d have guys on base and have a chance to put some runs together.”

That early cushion gave Bucks starter Diego Sarabia (Bates) plenty to work with and he made the most of it. After allowing a run in the first, Sarabia settled in, allowing just one hit and four total baserunners over his five innings of work. He struck out five on 74 pitches in a dominant outing that showcased his efficiency and command.

“I’m glad he’s on my team,” Fluharty said after the win. “Watching from center field, he’s just so impressive. When he’s out there shoving like that, it gives all of us confidence—if we go out and score, we know he’s going to hang up zeroes.”

The Bucks added insurance in the fifth inning, as Gannon lined a two-run single to score Zach Dellerman (Wheeling Jesuit) and Landman, stretching the lead to 9-1.

Joe LaPrade (St. Lawrence) took over on the mound in the sixth and tossed a clean inning before the game was called early due to weather.

With the win, Shelter Island improves to 3-1 and will host the North Fork Ospreys—who share the HCBL’s top spot with an identical 3-1 record—tomorrow at 5 p.m. The Clippers, now 1-2, travel to Westhampton for a matchup with the 1-3 Aviators at the same time.