By David H. Ellis
Downtown Little League first baseman Alex Wainger held on for the out in a tournament game against East Harlem Saturday.
Facing a tough Uptown team, members of the minor division Downtown Little League lost their first game in their minor league tournament last Sunday 4-0.
Despite playing at home on the Battery Park City ballfields, the team of nine and 10 year-olds got behind early in the contest with the East Harlem team collecting two runs in the first inning on several errors.
“Actually, they had some jitters in the first,” said Ernie Shore, one of the Downtown coaches. “But they calmed down and ended up in a close game. The kids really played hard.”
The visitors would collect another run in the second and third frames before the contest turned into a pitching duel, with Downtown player Brandon Diaz delivering a formidable performance on the mound, allowing only one earned run. Even though Jaylen Amaker, the East Harlem hurler, earned a no-hitter, the Downtowners placed runners in scoring position in the later innings, but they were not able to convert on the opportunity.
The Downtown squad will play their next game at Inwood field on Friday July 9 at 5:30 p.m. in their second game of the double elimination tournament.
Coaches of the Majors division were not able to gather enough players to participate in their division of tournament this year.
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