Brendan O’Connell draws a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the 7th and South Shore Chiefs capture the 11u Championship with a 5-4 win @EcybTournaments pic.twitter.com/tSFEgjvIU8
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) September 4, 2022
It was an exhilarating and well played championship game on Sunday at Plainedge Park between Team Francisco and South Shore Chiefs for the 11u Labor Day Bash Championship.
Both teams brought the energy in a rematch of Sunday morning’s pool play game in which the Chiefs came away with a 7-5 victory to enter the finals with a 3-0 record.
In the top of the first inning, Team Francisco took a 1-0 lead on an RBI single by Joee “Moose” Agostino. Trey Alberto drew a two-out walk and stole second base before scoring on Agostino’s hit.
The lead did not last long, though, as the Chiefs got the run back in the home half of the first. After Trey Alberto retired the first batter, a walk drawn by Gennaro Cremonese and a HBP of William Harding put a runner into scoring position. Brendan O’Connell hit a fly ball to shallow left field that was misplayed and allowed a run to score. The next two batters were retired to end the inning.
Both teams went down quietly in the second inning, but the Chiefs took the lead in the third inning. A leadoff single by Ryan Mifsud was followed by an E6. A perfect bunt by Cremonese loaded the bases with one out. William Harding hit a bloop single to right field to score a run and give the Chiefs a 2-1 lead. Alberto escaped further damage with a 1-2-3 double play and a ground out to second base.
Bottom 3: A bloop single drops in for William Harding and South Shore takes a 2-1 lead pic.twitter.com/YN8CJMp2qQ
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) September 4, 2022
Fast forward to the top of the fifth inning when it was Team Francisco’s turn. Jon Acquaviva hit a one-out infield single and stole second. After a ground out for the second out of the inning, Mason Martinez came through with a clutch, two-out inside-the-park home run to give TF a 3-2 lead and send his team into a frenzy. They were not done yet, either. Alberto followed with an opposite field triple and scored on a wild pitch to make it a 4-2 ballgame.
Top 5: Mason Martinez comes through with a clutch 2-out, inside-the-park home run to give Team Francisco a 3-2 lead. They added another on a wild pitch that scored Alberto pic.twitter.com/bl9CjQNPto
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) September 4, 2022
Alberto went back out and fired a 1-2-3 inning and it certainly appeared the clock was about to strike midnight on the Chiefs offense.
But they were not ready to back down.
Bottom 6: A clutch, 2-out game tying single by Jake Coppola and South Shore Chiefs even the score at 4-4 pic.twitter.com/V4AaS1ETzq
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) September 4, 2022
With their backs firmly against the wall, Cremonese led off with a walk and Harding grounded one up the middle for a single. A comebacker allowed both runners to mover up and Scrimenti hit an RBI ground out to make it a 4-3 ballgame but now there were two outs. Jake Coppola stepped up and laced a game-tying RBI single up the middle to make it a 4-4 ballgame.
Alberto struck out the next batter to send the game into extras.
Cremonese came on in relief and fired a 1-2-3 inning to get his offense back in the dugout looking for the win.
The first two batters drew walks and TF went to the bullpen. The next batter, Chris Normile, was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs. The next batter, Cremonese, attempted a squeeze play but the ball landed right on home plate and the catcher was able to get the force at the plate. the next batter popped out to second and it appeared this game would be headed to the 8th. But Brendan O’Connell drew a bases loaded walk to bring in the winning run and propel the Chiefs to the victory.
