Volume 22, Number 11 | The Newspaper of Lower Manhattan | July 24 – 30, 2009
The Downtown Little League Minors tournament team won their opener, but were eliminated after losing the next two games.
Juniors still standing after three teams make tourney
JUNIORS
Having fielded summer tournament teams in three qualifying age groups for the first time in its history, Downtown Little League is now down to one surviving squad. That team, the 13 and 14-year-old Juniors under Coach Norman Kleiman, advanced out of District 23 after a forfeit by Inwood Little League on July 9. The Juniors squad will face a Long island champion on Saturday in Rockaway.
MAJORS
Westside Little League vs. Downtown Little League
Downtown Little League’s 12-year-old Majors team was eliminated from the district tournament after losing by a score of 5-4 in extra innings to Westside Little League on July 12, at Marcus Garvey Field in Harlem.
After giving up a pair of runs in the first two innings, starting pitcher Robbie Martino settled down and pitched four strong innings for the Downtowners. Behind 2-0, D.L.L. scratched one run across in the third inning and then took a 3-2 lead in the fourth when Will Merrill doubled to drive in Sean McGowan and Louis Moreschi.
In the bottom of the fourth, Moreschi’s defense in centerfield single-handedly preserved D.L.L.’s lead. He made a pair of tough catches on sinking line drives and threw out a runner who failed to tag up after the second catch for an inning-ending double play.
A tiring Martino walked the first two batters he faced in the fifth and was replaced by McGowan. D.L.L.’s ace extinguished the rally to hold the lead by striking out the two batters he faced and tagging out a Westside runner at the plate who tried to score on a wild pitch.
McGowan retired the first batters he faced in the sixth, but with D.L.L. one out from victory and behind in the count 2-1 to the third batter of the inning, he reached his allotted pitch count limit.
McGowan was replaced by Merrill, who walked the inherited and subsequent batters. After the runners advanced to second and third, Westside tied the game when D.L.L.’s catcher overthrew the pitcher on a throw back to the mound. Manager Scott Noga called time out and summoned his players around the mound to settle his team down and, on the very next pitch, the final inning of regular play ended with the score tied when the Westside batter grounded to Martino at second base.
D.L.L. recaptured the lead in the top of the seventh. With McGowan at first base, Brian Burns hit a double off of the top of the right field fence that just missed being a home run. McGowan raced home from first for the go-ahead run, but the missed home run proved to be a harbinger of things to come. After advancing to third, Burns was gunned down at the plate by Westside’s second baseman when he tried to score on Martino’s grounder and the game moved to the bottom of the seventh with D.L.L. ahead by only 4-3.
Merrill struck out Westside’s leadoff hitter and after he successfully fielded a bunt attempt by their second batter, Downtown was again one out away from victory. But Westside’s third batter hit a hard grounder to the shortstop, which the usually reliable McGowan was unable to field. The error kept the inning alive for Westside’s cleanup hitter, who homered over the right field fence breaking the hearts of the D.L.L. players and families and sparking a magical run of comeback victories for Westside that ultimately took them to the district championship game.
MINORS
Stuyvesant Little League vs. Downtown Little League
The seven returning members of last year’s D.L.L. team were perhaps still reeling from last year’s painful losses to the mighty Stuyvesant team, but the team soldiered on during a game July 12 at Cooney Grauer Field in the Bronx.
Despite losing the coin toss, the team was awarded the home advantage by the Stuyvesant coach; a clever move, as the Mets dominated against Jackson Vertucci on a very painful first inning for the Downtown team. Will Higgins made it to first when Valentino Rosa couldn’t hold onto the throw from third. Sean Jennings cranked a double, moving Higgins to third. Rocky Rockefeller singled and drove in run No. 1 when Kai Glick’s throw was late to first from short. John Myles and Henry Schaeffer each took a base on balls, walking in run No. 2. Bryce Andrews’ hit to centerfield must have gotten lost in the glare of the sun, as Michael Bogdanos was unable to stop it, and another run scored. Henry Kessler was hit by a pitch, bringing in another runner. Max Goldstein’s fly to the mound was gloved by Vertucci for the first out. Luke Kelly’s blast to left field got past Downtown’s Nicky Leong, and two more runs scored, and once more, Vertucci faced the top of Stuyvesant’s order.
Higgins made it to first in a close play, scoring run nine. Jennings went down looking for a much-needed out two, but Rockefeller walked. Myles hit another shot to left field, bringing in the 10th run. Schaeffer’s grounder to Spencer Kiehl at third was handled perfectly for out three. Tyler Rohan waited patiently in right field, but he was the only defender not to handle the ball from the 14 Stuyvesant batters.
Down 10-0, the Downtown team needed to score at least one run to stay in the game, but it was not meant to be in the first inning. Glick and Valentino Rosa were unable to connect with the pitches thrown by Stuyvesant’s Myles. Kiehl took a base on balls, but was stranded there when Bogdanos succumbed to strikes. The Downtown team was able to shut out their opponent in a well-played top of the second, though. Although Andrews took a base on balls after a full count, Kessler’s flare to Kiehl was caught for out one, and his quick throw back to first nabbed Andrews in an exciting double play. Goldstein walked, and Kelly blasted another to left field, this time for a double. Leong was able to slide on his knees to catch Higgins’ fly to left for out three.
In the bottom of the inning, the Downtown team struggled to close the gap. Vertucci’s grounder to second resulted in out one, but Leong’s crank to right field brought him to first for Downtown’s first hit. Douglass Stapler’s grounder went through the infielders and into right field, bringing him to first. Rohan’s walk loaded the bases, and James Borrelli’s base on balls walked in run No. 1 for Downtown. But Glick struck out and Rosa’s grounder was fielded for out three, and the score was now 10-1.
In the top of the third, now against Jonathan Sandella on the mound, Jennings led off with a line drive to left field that was handled well by Leong for out one. Rockefeller hit to right field, and Devin Minnihan gloved that for the second out. Myles once again blasted one to the outfield, this time to center, where Bogdanos could not move fast enough to grab it out of the air. Myles landed on second, and moved to third when Nathaniel Kue smashed one to left field. Leong threw home, and Stapler threw back to Sandella on the mound, a smart play that saved a run. But Andrews walked to load the bases, and when sub Conor Niegowski was hit by a pitch, the Mets had 11. Goldstein’s grounder to Borrelli at second ended the carnage.
The Downtown team had their best offensive inning in the third. Kiehl’s hard grounder to short had him safe at first on an overthrow that ended up out of bounds. During the next two at-bats, which ended in strikeouts for Bogdanos and Sandella, Kiehl stole second. Leong walked and stole, making it easy for Stapler’s bomb to left field to score both runners easily. Minnihan’s punch to left center gave him a R.B.I. single, and Borrelli took another base on balls, but Glick’s strikeout ended the inning at three more runs for Downtown.
In the top of the fourth, Sandella walked Kelly, Higgins and Jennings, loading the bases with no outs for Rockefeller. His single scored Kelly. Myles got on base as but Kiehl’s dead-on throw nailed Higgins at home. Kue walked, and when Andrews sent the ball flying into centerfield, Bogdanos tried to throw home from centerfield but was not in time and Rockefeller scored. Stapler whipped the ball to first to try to nab Andrews, and Jennings was sent home in another aggressive base-running move. But Dante Secada-Oz sent the ball home and nabbed Jennings for out three.
In the bottom of the inning, Secada-Oz, now facing Andrews on the mound, led off with a walk. Kiehl’s grounder to short was thrown to second, nailing the runner for out one. Bogdanos grounded to second, and Kiehl was forced out. Sandella went down looking, and the score remained 13-4.
Downtown did their best to hold them in the fifth, but Sandella walked Niegowski and then Goldstein to start the inning. Kelly’s line drive was scooped out of the air by Glick for out one, but Higgins drove in Niegowski on a sacrifice play that brought Stuyvesant to 14. Jennings’ hit to Borrelli at second made for out three, but the damage had been done. The Stuyvesant team was now ahead 14-4, and Downtown needed a run to avoid the 10-run mercy rule.
But it was not to be. Leong grounded to third base for out one, Rosa struck out and Minnihan’s pop fly was caught by Kue at first base. The final score was 14-4, Stuyvesant.
The Stuyvesant game left the Downtown team with a 1-1 record in the double-elimination tournament, but Downtown lost again last weekend and is now out of the tournament.
