by James Ryder
The 10u Ticketbash Junior Ducks met up with the Long Island Black Diamonds Saturday morning at Pro Game Field in Deer Park. The game ended up being a one-sided affair, as the Black Diamonds dominated over the course of only three innings of play. The game was called just over an hour into the game due to mercy, and the Black Diamonds took victory over the Junior Ducks, 17-0.
Nicola Cespe started the game on the mound for the Black Diamonds and had great success. He had five strikeouts and only gave up a single walk. Each batter in the Ticketbash order faced him once, with the exception being leadoff hitter Anthony Kotarski, who drew the lone walk. The only other batter to reach base for the Junior Ducks was Gino Milone, who was hit by a pitch. Both events occurred in the bottom of the first. Cespe followed that up by throwing two straight 1-2-3 innings. He even struck out the side in the second inning.
The Junior Ducks pitchers were not so lucky. Three players touched the rubber, but none of them went unscathed facing the LI lineup. Dylan Girard got the start and allowed two runs in the top of the first inning. Joe Petrucelly led off with a single up the middle of the infield. After stealing second and third base, he came home on and RBI single to center field by Ben Delanoy. Delanoy went to third on Justin Sabella’s infield single and then scored on another infield single from Jake Mileski to make it 2-0 LI.
Final Score: 17-0 after 3 innings due to mercy. Here is Coach James on what was most important about this performance: pic.twitter.com/GXHaRpOEZz
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) July 13, 2019
The Black Diamonds continued to role in the top of the second. The inning began and ended with Cespe at the plate. Cespe hit a leadoff infield single, stole second, and went to third on Peter Malone’s single to left field. Tom Licata attempted a bunt for the suicide squeeze, and reached first safely, but it was too close for Cespe to break for the plate. This meant bases loaded for the Black Diamonds. After a passed ball made Cespe attempt to steal home and get thrown out for the first out, LI worked four straight walks to score three runs. Finally, an error on a ground ball at third base scored another run to make it 6-0. This spelled the end for Girard, who was replaced by Kotarski.
Kotarski was able to record the second out by striking out Sabella, but he then allowed a single to CF by Mileski that easily scored two runs. The throw back into the infield caused Mileski to find himself in a run down. The distraction between first and second base allowed Petrucelly, who started on first, to score the ninth run of the game. Mileski wound up safe at second. Cespe grounded out to the shortstop for the final out of the inning.
Andres Herrera went into pitch the top of the third inning, where the Black Diamonds would bat around the order for the second straight inning and force the game to eventually end early. The 8-run inning began with a bullet from Malone to LF that took one hop and went over the fence for a leadoff ground-rule double. Licata lined one at Herrera, but it was dropped, giving LI runners on first and third. Nick Abi-Zeid hit an RBI single to RF to bring the score to 10-0. Petrucelly’s ground ball to third resulted in an RBI and the first out on a fielder’s choice force out at third base. Matt Tomasello’s single to CF loaded the bases for Delanoy, who walked to make it 12-0. The final five runs scored on another error at third base, and RBI single from Mileski, an RBI infield single from Cespe, a pass ball, and another infield single from Licata, respectively.
It is known that Diamonds are formed due to immense amounts of pressure. However, there was no pressure whatsoever involved in the performance of these Black Diamonds. LI dominated at the plate and on the mound to roll over Ticketbash. Final Score: LI 17, Junior Ducks 0.
