by Nicholas Cipolla
Post game interview with Alex Goldstein of the LI Titans after a dominant outing in the championship game pic.twitter.com/nRnnbDSmOg
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) August 21, 2021
Alex Goldstein appears to have saved his best outing this summer for last as he was near untouchable in tonight’s championship game between the LI Titans Palermo and Dodgers Nation Jasmin.
This game was the definition of a pitcher’s duel that unfortunately someone had to lose.
Final: LI Titans: 1 Dodger Nation: 0.
Alex Goldstein goes the distance and strikes out 9 in a complete game shut out pic.twitter.com/FJK9WOsBnV
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) August 21, 2021
Goldstein was unbelievable and his coaches probably couldn’t have asked for a better start out of him.
Goldstein finished the game with a stat line of 7 complete innings pitched, no runs, 2 hits, 5 total base runners (HBP, walk, fielder’s choice), and 8 strikeouts. He was attacking hitters and getting ahead in counts, setting up his nasty breaking ball that either induced ground ball outs or strikeouts.
For Dodger Nation, Daniel Jasmin left it all out there and gave his team a chance to win. He also threw 7 complete innings, allowing 1 run on three hits, and striking out 8 batters.
Both pitchers kept the game scoreless through 5 innings of play and it seemed neither was going to let up a run. That was until the top of the 6th inning.
Chris Stegmuller worked a leadoff walk, Charlie Centeno sac bunted Stegmuller to second, giving Bryan Birkl a chance to knock in the first run of the game. Birkl came through in a huge moment and hit a go-ahead double to left field to knock in Stegmuller from second to make it 1-0 Titans.
Dodger Nation almost tied this game up in the bottom of the seventh with a runner on second and no one out. Sean Mylan hit a line drive to right for a base hit that was almost certainly going to tie this game up at one. However, the Titans made a great relay to get the ball in quickly and unfortunately for the Dodgers, the runner tripped about 5 feet in front of the plate, robbing us of a close play at the plate but did provide the first out of the inning.
After a fielder’s choice for the second out, the Titans sealed the deal when Alex Goldstein struck out the final batter to end the game and the season on a high note.
It was another great summer for Long Island Youth baseball that ended with an incredible game. This reporter can’t wait to see what the future holds for these young athletes this upcoming school season and of course, Summer 2022.
