With rainy weather playing such havoc with the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League schedule this past month and so many games being replayed in a condensed time period, it has taken its toll on every team's pitching staff.

But with the playoffs scheduled to begin on Saturday, and teams bunched together in the standings, the Riverhead Tomcats and the North Fork Ospreys are both in a frantic dash to grab a playoff spot. Through Tuesday's games, the Westhampton Aviators (24-15) were in first place, followed by the Southampton Breakers (22-14), the Ospreys (22-15) and the Tomcats (21-16).

The Kaiser Division semifinals will be held on Saturday, with the first-place team facing the fourth-place team, and the second- and third-place teams battling each other in the single-elimination round. The best-of-three finals will be held on Sunday and Monday. On Aug. 6, the Kaiser Division champion will face the Wolff Division champion for the ACBL title.

The Tomcats stumbled a bit this past week, dropping three straight games.

Riverhead lost to the Sag Harbor Whalers, 5-4, last Thursday at Mashashimuet Park.

The next day, the Ospreys topped the Tomcats, 5-2, in Riverhead. Riverhead led by 2-1 after six innings, but in the seventh, the Ospreys rallied for three runs. Mike Gastelum had a run-scoring single and Jamie Liebowitz singled home two runs. Gastelum went 3 for 3 while teammate Rob Andrews had two hits. Scott Gussaroff got the win for the Ospreys, as he scattered seven hits over seven innings. Steve D'Angelo pitched the final two innings to earn the save. Nick Tropeano, despite striking out 12, took the loss for the Tomcats.

The Breakers then beat the Tomcats, 7-1, on Saturday in Riverhead. Chris Zaccherio got the win for Southampton, allowing one run over seven innings. Justin Sylvester went 4 2/3 innings and took the loss for the Tomcats. He walked eight batters, which led to his undoing. Cass Hargis had two hits for the Tomcats.

"We've had so many doubleheaders in a row, you run out of pitchers," Tomcats manager Ron Davies said. "A couple of kids have left to go home and some are tired. This is one of the most unusual endings to a season I have ever seen. It is a little tiring, but it has been worth it. The kids have worked hard and they have improved their skills."

The Ospreys had a good week. In addition to beating Riverhead, they defeated Southampton, 9-1, last Wednesday at Mattituck High School. Then they split a doubleheader on Sunday with Westhampton, winning the first game by 4-2 and falling in the second game, 3-1, at Hite Field.

In the win over Southampton, Daniel Etienne hurled a brilliant game for the Ospreys, allowing only four hits over eight innings. He struck out 14 and walked one batter.

"Daniel was locating all his pitchers and he kept the hitters off balance," Ospreys manager Sean Epidendio said. "He really kept them frustrated."

The Ospreys erupted for six runs in the sixth and added three more in the seventh. Jason Rago's grand slam was the big blow for the Ospreys in the sixth. Michael DiBiase had a two-run double in the seventh.

In the Ospreys' first game against Westhampton on Sunday, Adam Clear hit a home run and Gastelum ripped a key two-run double in the fourth. Kevin Rigopoulos got the win.

"We had a good week," Epidendio said. "We got solid pitching and timely, situational hitting. The pitching has been the key to our winning. They are doing a good job keeping us in the games, and we are scoring the runs we need to win."

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