Rookies
Philadelphia Phillies vs. Houston Astros Ninety-plus degree temperatures didn’t stop the Philadelphia Philllies and the Houston Astros from having a great game last Saturday in the annual Downtown Little League Rookie division Governors Island day. The four-inning game started off strong with the Astros up first as the away team.
Oscar Rachmansky, the leadoff batter connected with an infield single. The Phillies played strong defense with Max Goldstein catching a fly ball while playing first base, and then tagging a runner for a double play. In the bottom of the first inning, Phillies Ty Cutler had a diving slide into home plate after CJ Boustany hit a scorching line drive towards third. At the top of the second inning, the Astros’ Milo Kern hit a triple with the bases loaded driving in Elijah Jhyong, Jack Chin and Scarlet Baughman. The Phillies came back against the Astros’ strong batting with lots of slugger action of their own. Both Frey Rinaldo and Ayan Sawhney hit pop-fly doubles, while Tensi Masuda had a two run triple. At the top of the third inning, Astros’ Jack Doyle had a long double, which was answered right back by the Phillie Peyton Torgan’s hard grounder, which brought 2 runners home. In the last inning, Astros John Anthony outran the throw to first, while Phillies Nicholas ‘Nico’ Lord blasted a two-run line drive right at the pitcher (Phillies coach Bruce Cutler).
Mets vs. Angels
The ferry. The heat. The ballgame.
In the first road-game for the Mets and Angels, these rookies were up for the challenge. The heat had no effect on these well-hydrated teams this past Saturday on Governors Island.
The Mets led off with powerful hitting from Jamie Morrison, Mack Hallett, Sam Vaillancourt, Rylie Speigel, Eden Mills & Sebastian Soros propelling there team. Jamie Morrison hit a solid line-drive right into the Angels coach pitcher, & Jonathon Soros came in the third inning to knock one deep into left field. Jack Lee, Noah Vakin & Griffin Picciani demonstrated swift base running. Griffin Picciani quickly found home plate several times. Zachary Cassell had the defensive play of the day for the Mets with a fly ball catch between his legs. Finally, Graham Stuard showed solid defensive skills throughout the game, especially in his play at first base.
The Angels came through with Danny Coffee, Jeffrey Lau, Edward Dowd, Oliver Ripps, and Michael Trotta. The Angels’ offense continued strong. Defensively, the team continued to develop. On the defensive side Oliver made three straight outs via force-outs at his position on third base. Jeffrey was able to make two outs in the final inning as he was helped by the Mets’ coach/pitcher who threw a ‘come-backer’ to him at first, twice.
The game came to an end in the usual tie, and not too soon, as the sun soared high in the sky.
Marlins vs. Athletics
It was a ninety-plus degree scorcher on the open fields of Governors Island last Saturday, as the Marlins and Athletics took the field for the Downtown Little League, Gov Day event.
The young players skipped their usual pre-game calisthenics, as the walk from the Ferry to the field was warm-up enough! Despite the heat, the teams were anxious to play, with parents ready on the sidelines to offer frequent juice breaks.
The aqua-shirt Marlins were first at bat, with Sovann Woodin socking one out for a double—which might have been a triple were it not for the quick fielding of the A’s Dylan Knox who stopped the runner at second base.
After several strong swings, the next Marlin at bat, Stan Gould, finally fired one right to the A’s shortstop, but was able to make it to first base, beating the throw. Marlin Lorenzo Frugiuele then kept the rally going, hitting one far out to left field, sending his teammates home. Alexander Picone then got a solid hit to right field, putting another Marlin on base.
While Luca Black, the next Marlin at bat, hit one hard to center field, the A’s infield was able to hold Luca at first. The A’s were not so lucky, though. When Eli Harrell came to bat, with a hard, high hit to center field, Eli was able to bring two of his teammates home. What a hit; and what a break for the Marlins! Finishing the Marlins at bat was younger brother Harper Harrell, who, despite his small size, sailed one far over the head of A’s second baseman for a single.
It was then the A’s turn to show their stuff at bat. Nate Braus didn’t disappoint; he hit hard and ran fast for a double for the team. The A’s Frederico Cestero then sailed one out for a triple. Luke Sullivan kept the A’s fans cheering as he fired one to right field for a single, followed by Jack Beaumont who ripped one out to center.
August Biggio, the next A’s at bat, took a few right-handed swings as a before switching to a left-handed stance—which must have been the trick, because he sailed one out far into left field. Dylan Knox then kept the A’s rally rolling as he hit one deep into center field, bringing teammates Nate Braus, Luke Sullivan, and August Biggio home. A’s powerhouse, Luca Vertucci, kept things moving, with a hard hit past the pitcher to take a double.
Last at bat, A’s Michael Morin, finished the game and the inning with the most important declaration of the day. “Wait, wait,” he yelled, “I can’t bat yet; there’s a butterfly on the field, a butterfly! I don’t want to slam it!”
While parents, coaches, and players all waited patiently for the butterfly to flit away and Michael to take his stance at bat, we were reminded, yet again: We can only be as serious about the game as a six year old will allow us to be.
MAJORS
Crawfords vs. Houstons
Two of the hottest teams in the Majors Division faced off, as the Crawfords hosted the Cubans on sun-baked Governors Island Sunday afternoon. Despite the 95-degree temperature, the Cubans pitching turned the Crawfords’ bats ice cold as the Cubans hung on for a thrilling 5 – 3 win over the first place Crawfords.
The Cubans jumped out to a quick 1 – 0 lead in the top of the first when shortstop Andrew Bakst lined a double and scored on a two-out double into the right-center gap by catcher Leanne Elefterakis. Cubans starter, Justin Wenig, set down the dangerous top of the Crawfords’ lineup in order in the first inning.
Crawfords starter Adam Kester found his groove in the second inning, retiring the Cubans in order. Wenig then suffered some wildness in the bottom of the second inning as the Crawfords tied the score on walks to Peter Manny, Zach Kraehling, Sean Gannon and Sasha Auerbach. The Cubans escaped further damage on a nicely executed force out at home from Sam Cohen to Leanne Elefterakis and two strike outs by Wenig.
The Cubans took a lead they would never relinquish in the top of the third. Andrew Bakst hit a single for the second of his three hits on the day and advanced to second and third on wild pitches. After Connor Cimino walked, Leanne Elefterakis had her second clutch R.B.I. with a sharp base-hit scoring Bakst. The Crawfords got out of the inning without further damage as catcher Peter Manny and third baseman Sean Gannon executed a nice throw-and-swipe tag to catch Cimino trying to take third on a wild pitch.
Wenig shut down the Crawfords on only eight pitches in the third inning and escaped without any runs scoring after allowing two walks in the fourth. Meanwhile Adam Kester had his strongest inning in the fourth as he set down the Cubans on just nine pitches. The Cubans, however, took a commanding 5 – 1 lead in the fifth inning. Walks to Alex Irikura and Sam Cohen proved costly when Bakst scorched a double to drive in two more runs. Connor Cimino then lofted a long fly to center and Bakst tagged up on the catch, but the throw to third was well off the mark, allowing Bakst to score for the third time. Leanne Elefterakis had the last of her three hits on the day, before Isaac Simons came on in relief to retire the side without further damage.
But the Crawfords still had some fight left in them. In the bottom of the fifth, they loaded the bases on walks to Jacob Roter, Dylan Pryor and Nathan Goldberg. Roter scored on Adam Kester’s fielder’s choice grounder. With runners at second and third, Elefterakis then retired the dangerous Peter Manny to end the rally. With the score at 5 – 2, the Crawfords staged a final rally in the bottom of the sixth. As they had in the fourth inning, Zach Kraehling and Sean Gannon drew walks to put runners at first and second with nobody out. The Cubans brought on Andrew Bakst in relief. Jack Anderson promptly grounded into a fielder’s choice to third base for the first out. Sasha Auerbach followed with a long double lofted down the right field line for the Crawfords’ first hit of the game, scoring Gannon from second base. With two outs and runners at second and third, Dylan Pryor walked, forcing a showdown with one of the league’s best hitters, Isaac Simons, with the winning run on first. Simons mashed a fly ball to center that seemed destined to clear the bases for a Crawfords win, but center fielder Manny Alvarez streaked to the ball and made a fantastic catch to preserve the 5 – 3 win for the Cubans.
Minors
White Sox vs. Reds
The weather had cooled off slightly from the 90-degree temperatures for the earlier games that day, and the teams were a little cooler in the shadow of the still-idle Goldman Sachs construction project. The fans were treated to a pitching duel between the Reds’ Kai Glick and Jack McGreevey for the White Sox.
Nicky Leong led off with a single for the Sox, but he was stranded. But The Reds squeaked out one run against McGreevey in the bottom of the inning, with a monster hit by Spencer Kiehl, who stretched a double into a triple by sliding underneath the tag at third. Sam Frere-Holmes’ grounder scored Kiehl.
Will Best sent a searing grounder up the first base line, and, despite his sore toe, Tom Caruso made a fabulous diving play to put him out.
The Reds came into the bottom of the third with a 1-0 lead. Liam Barwick and Taylor White each took a base on balls, and Kiehl limped to first after being hit by a pitch. Tyler Rohan tried desperately to clear the bases, but was walked to bring a run in. Glick torpedoed the ball into right field for a base-clearing double (advancing to third on the throw to home). Frere-Holmes’ double brought Glick home for the fifth (and final run) of the inning.
The White Sox faced Glick again in the fourth. Leo Tozzi struck out, and Jack Fergus took a base on balls. A time-out was then called due to an octogenarian interruption — two avid fans of catcher Jonathan Parker (his aunt and grandmother) chose center field as the place to watch the game. Parker made the long trek from behind home plate to find them a safer vantage point. And it was a good thing they moved, since Leong fired a cannon into centerfield for a stand-up double. Mettle squashed the ball and his throw to second was almost in time for a tag-out.
In the bottom of the fourth, Tyler Kraehling and Best walked, however, and Dylan Fuerst was brought in as relief pitcher. Sal Derogatis was hit by a pitch, and the bases were loaded for Oliver Mettle. Mettle and Barwick each took a base on balls, White struck out, and Kiehl, Rohan and Glick walked in runs to add another five. With the score 11 – 0 in the bottom of the fourth, the Reds were officially declared the winners, but all agreed to play on and take advantage of the open field as the sun set behind the buildings, and the breezes from the Hudson cooled the players and fans.
And what a final inning it was for the Sox! Rohan took over for Glick and was unable to find the strike zone for Simmons, Berrie, Haddad-Salah or Clayton. Fuerst connected and sent a hard grounder to Derogatis at second, who bobbled the ball and was unable to get it to first in time. Caruso smacked a hard grounder to Rohan on the mound, who gloved it neatly but overthrew to Kraehling at first, allowing two runs. Best came in to relieve Rohan, and walked Dante Vega-Lamere. Higgins grounded to the second baseman, who beat him to first for a sacrifice R.B.I. (though the throw to home almost snagged Vega-Lamere as he crossed the plate). Fergus struck out; then Tozzi’s grounder to the pitcher was mishandled for another run. Leong’s single and stolen base brought him to second, and McGreevey’s single brought in Tozzi. Leong tried for home as well, but Kraehling’s throw to Parker at home was on target for a tag-out to end the scoring rally of eight runs.
The Reds took another at-bat as well, but were unable to add to their 11 runs in the bottom of the fifth. Noah Berrie robbed Frere-Holmes of a single with a fantastic catch, and Kraehling singled and stole two bases but was stranded at third when Parker struck out and Best grounded out.
