The North Fork Ospreys’ regular season finale certainly had the makings of a Hollywood ending.

Consider this unlikely scenario: The player wearing the number of the late son of the team’s general manager slams the game-tying home run. Some Hollywood producers probably would dismiss the premise as too far-fatched, but the scene transpired in front of several hundred fans at Cochran Park in Peconic on Tuesday night.

Shortstop Anthony Equale’s late inning blast tied the game that ended 2-2 against the South Shore Clippers in the Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League finale. The contest, which included pre-game ceremonies honoring families who have been hosting players this season, was scheduled as a seven-inning affair and ended after eight.

The Ospreys qualified for the playoffs, which begin on Thursday night.

Dylan Newman, a Southold High School graduate and a member of the baseball and basketball teams, passed away at the age of 18 in September 2022 due to a rare bone cancer. Ospreys general manager Todd Newman is his father.

The team surprised Newman and his wife, Tanya, by wearing green jerseys in honor of Dylan, including the Newman name on the back. As it turned out, Equale wore Dylan’s no. 5 throughout the season.

Newman admitted he was surprised by the team’s gesture.

“When I walked in here and saw all these players wearing green, you will not believe it,” he said. “The reason I do this is for my son. He always told me I should do this.”

Added his wife: “I was really surprised. I had no idea but it makes us feel like he’s still with us and everybody remembers him and we will continue to remember him.”

Equale, a Houston resident who will return to Washington University this fall, led off the sixth, slamming a 2-0 pitch from Sean Mylan over the left field fence for his second homer of the season, to pull the hosts into a tie.

“Coming in I had no idea what this number meant to the program and to the community,” he said. “Once I found out about it, I felt honored to have it and almost played through Dylan. Tonight was a lot more than baseball. I think everyone here knew it. Everyone got chills while we were doing the ceremony at the beginning.”

Circling the bases was a special experience.

“I went around the bases as I looked up at the sky, I wouldn’t say like a conversation with him,” Equale added. I definitely said, ‘Yeah, like that was kind of for you, for us, for the number. I’m just glad I’m just doing my best to represent him. I didn’t know him. But from what I’ve heard, he was a great kid and I’m trying my best to honor the number. The Newman family has done so much for us and we’re forever grateful.”

Todd Newman said he considered not using Dylan’s number with the Ospreys this season, but he was glad he did.

“I could not be happier that young man wears the number,” he said. “That means so much to my family and this community. Anthony Equale is an incredible kid beyond baseball. And so is his family. His family is amazing. So personally, to land on him, perfect.”

The Ospreys (20-15-1), who finished second to the Sag Harbor Whalers (21-15) in the six-team league, will begin the playoffs against the third-place  Shelter Island Bucks (20-16) in a best-of-three, semifinal series at Cochran Park on Thursday at 7 p.m. Game 2 is set for Shelter Island Friday at 4 p.m. Game Three, if needed, would be hosted by the Ospreys on Saturday at 7 p.m.

The Ospreys enter the playoffs as a confident side.

“We’re a strong team,” said Equale, who batted .363 this season, fourth best in the league. “We have something a lot of new teams don’t and that’s character. We have a lot of good strong leaders on the team. We’ve worked really well. We’ve made a little family, good brotherhood. We can trust each guy at the plate and on the mound. I’m really excited. I think we have a great shot.”

Manager Vinnie Morelli knows the Bucks will be a formidable foe.

“They’re a good team,” he said. “They’re well coached. Their pitching staff has been really strong for the most part of the year. They’re going to throw their best at us. We just got to be able to put our best ABs [at-bats] in the box and do what we can on the mound and shut them down.”

The Ospreys would love to have another Hollywood ending and finish the playoffs in style with a championship.