Rain canceled most of the Downtown Little League last weekend but the League’s Minors division proved they were major mudders as they managed to get in a few games on Saturday.
MINORS
ANGELS and CARDINALS
Fans were seeing red at the Ballfields Saturday, as the Cardinals in their crimson jerseys met the Angels, also wearing red, for an exciting showdown of Minor level heavyweights. Jack Finio, the Cardinals exciting rookie starter, battled the drizzle, muddy baseballs, and a patient Angel lineup, throwing four courageous innings. Ian Petracca, the Cardinals catcher, was a great defensive presence behind the plate, blocking balls and holding runners with great skill. The Angels countered with Jack Hatton, who starred at catcher and hurled three innings of no-hit, shutout baseball. Friso Clarke and Adam Kester pitched ably in relief, remaining steady under pressure, as a rally by the Cardinals fell short.
MARINERS and BRAVES
How can two teams combine for only two hits and 20 runs? Answer – rain and mud! And a lot of both! The adverse conditions made for a wacky day on the diamond. Shortened to a three inning game, the Braves and Mariners were valiant in their efforts to play on a difficult surface. The Braves were helped by aggressive base running and fabulous work by catcher Louis Moreschi, who stopped many muddy baseballs thrown in the dirt from getting past him.
WHITE SOX AND ORIOLES
The White Sox and the Orioles battled to an 11-11 tie Saturday. Michael Porter pitched a strong 3 innings for the White Sox with John Zito, Isaac Simons, and Zak Kraehling helping in relief while the Orioles countered with Campbell Weaver also pitching a solid three innings. Both teams displayed excellent base running skills and took advantage of the difficult weather conditions to make the game very exciting. Aiden Northington of the Orioles, played a strong defensive game behind the plate in tough field conditions. Northington made a great play blocking the plate to prevent the White Sox from scoring an additional run in the top of the second. Tyler Goldberg hit a base-clearing double in the bottom of the second, and eventually came around to score on a throwing error. The entire White Sox team aggressively ran the bases, with steals by Cameron Spector, Clayton Brandt, Gordon Spector, Jonathan Lane, and Connor Weitz.
Marlins and A’s
The Marlins held off a late-inning rally by the A’s on Saturday and squeaked by with a 13-10 win. The A’s pushed five runs across the plate in the fourth inning before the Marlins, led by pitcher Tyler Brandon, sealed the victory. The A’s saw clutch hitting from Sasha Auerbach, Mason Grassfield, Tyler Paige, Grant Glovin, and Elijah Turner, and fine relief work from Joe DeMarco.
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