by Nick Cipolla
Yet another summer of Long Island Baseball is officially underway as Memorial Day tournaments have been played and champions have been crowned.
The Massapequa Cyclones Gold 11u team was on the winning end of the first tournament of the summer as they were able to take down Team Francisco Notorious 9 Select on a beautiful day for baseball at Cantiague Park by a score of 11-7.
This game was full of action early on as Team Francisco jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first thanks to a Jacob Font RBI groundout but that lead wouldn’t last long.
The Cyclones would get things going almost immediately in the top of the first. With two on and no one out, Charlie Puricelli laces a two-run double to center field to give the Cyclones a 2-1 lead. From this point on, the Cyclones would never lose the lead throughout this one.
Puricelli would score on the very next at bat as Chase Vetro hit an RBI single to make it 3-1 Cyclones. Two more runs scored on two consecutive errant pickoff throws to third base to make it a 5-1 lead for the Cyclones.
Anthony Ferri pushes the Cyclones lead to 5 as he hits an RBI single to make it a 7-2 game in the third pic.twitter.com/SLXItT0gH8
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 29, 2023
Team Francisco would get a run back in the second with an RBI Single courtesy of Will DeSantis to make it a 5-2 affair. However the Cyclones got that run back in the bottom half of the frame with an RBI Fielder’s choice to make it 6-2.
The cyclones got two more runs in the bottom of the third, pushing the lead to 8-2. Anthony Ferri hit an RBI single up the middle and would later score on an RBI triple by Matty Franzese.
Matty Franzese makes it 8-2 with an RBI triple pic.twitter.com/irPuVAzKp7
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 29, 2023
Team Francisco got another run in the fourth on an RBI Groundout by Johnathan Acquaviva to make it an 8-3 game. In response to this, the Cyclones put three runs on the board in the bottom of the fourth. Chase Scarry knocked in the first run with an RBI infield single to shortstop to make it 9-3. The Cyclones got the remaining two runs in a very unorthodox way, a dropped third strike with two outs and men on second and third lead to some chaos. During the play, the catcher from Team Francisco overthrew the first baseman and the ball sailed into the outfield. This allowed both runners to score and make it an 11-3 game.
Facing the chance of being ruled in the 5th (8 Runs after 5 run rule in ECYB Play), Team Francisco started an improbable comeback attempt. They would get their leadoff hitter on and Brady Finn kept the game alive with an RBI Triple to cut the Cyclones lead to seven and avoid being mercied. Jacob Font hit his second RBI Groundout of the game to make it 11-5. Another run scored on a passed ball to make it 11-6.
After a scoreless bottom of the 6th, the Cyclones entered the sixth up 5 and a chance to seal the deal. Team Francisco would scratch a run on an RBI Single by Logan Auleta to make it 11-7 but that would be all that Team Francisco would get. Ryan Love put the finishing touches on a gritty complete game performance by getting the next batter to ground out and securing the 11u Memorial Day Bash Championship
