The 14-and-under Gauchos went to Middle Village, Queens, to enter the Greater New York Sandlot Athletic Alliance July 4 tournament earlier this month and the results were outstanding.
The Gauchos began by beating Middle Village’s Dodgers, a prestigious Queens organization, 8-4. Chris Toro was the winning pitcher and game M.V.P. In the second game, the Gauchos played another top program (and the eventual tournament runner-up), the Long Island Cardinals. After giving up 4 runs in the first inning to the Cardinals, the Gauchos rebounded behind the hitting of Brian Estevez and won, 12-4.
The Gauchos then came up against the Urban Guerrillas. The game was a mismatch with the Gauchos winning, 20-0. In a stellar performance, Jordan Frair and Juan Dominguez combined for a no-hitter. Dominguez walked the third batter in the fourth inning or it would have been a perfect game.
The Long Island Cardinals came back to face the Gauchos in the finals. The Gauchos came out smelling blood in the first inning and scored a whopping 10 runs. With a 10-0 deficit before they batted, the Cardinals were faced with an insurmountable challenge. They played well after that inning, but were never able to figure out the pitching of Andrew Oquendo, eventually falling, 15-3.
The Gauchos are now 23-5-1, and began the N.A.B.F. regional July 12 in Brooklyn at the Parade Grounds.
Juan Dominguez, who first made the Gauchos as a 12-year-old, has turned into the Gauchos’ version of Cal Ripken, extending his consecutive-games-played streak to 92.
