by Gabe Zoda
Spoke with Thomas Lomonaco after the South Shore Chiefs win
Lomonaco contributed on the mound and at the plate in this game.
He Pitched 5 innings and only gave up 2 runs.
He also went 2-3 with 2 singles and the game tying RBI in the bottom of the 6th inning. pic.twitter.com/TobVBQBjoo
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 29, 2023
Memorial Day is a day that marks the start of summer for most. A day full of people going to the beach and opening up their grills. Memorial Day is also a day that is synonymous with baseball as we saw in the Memorial Day Clash.
The 14u Championship game between the Long Island Storm and the South Shore Chiefs had it all: good pitching, nice defensive stops and clutch hitting. The South Shore Chiefs would do those three things the best and would end up taking the championship by the score of 3-2.
The first score of the game would come all the way in the bottom of the 4th inning. Both starting pitchers were very effective in this game. Matt Vlahakis for the Storm and Thomas Lomonaco for the Chiefs we’re dealing to start. Both of them were using weak contact and trusting their gloves behind them to make the correct plays.
But in the bottom of the 4th inning, that would change when the Chiefs would get on the board. It started with Nicky Mauro and Jake McBride, who both got free passes to first base. Thomas Lomonaco then helped himself with a single that would load the bases for Jack Mulligan. Mulligan would then ground one right to the second baseman but was just slow enough to allow Mauro to score the game’s first run.
Now trailing 1-0, the Long Island Storm knew they had to respond immediately and they would with 2 runs of their own in the top of the 5th inning. All of their damage was on the back of a long 2-out rally. Ethan Johnson got the offense going with a 1-out bloop single right over the head of the first baseman. He then stole second and then moved over to third on a 4-3 groundout. This gave Matt Vlahakis the perfect opportunity to tie up the ballgame. Vlahakis then ripped the first pitch of his at bat to right field to allow Johnson to score. The next two batters would then get hit by pitches to load up the bases for Richie Conte. Conte would then work the count, fouled off three pitches and worked a walk to give the Storm a 2-1 advantage.
In the bottom of the 6th inning. South Shore would strike back and it started with Nicky Mauro once again. Mauro led off the inning with a single to left field. He would then steal second and move to 3rd on a groundout, similarly to how the Storm scored their first run. Thomas Lomonaco would then step up to the plate and help himself once again, this time with an opposite field RBI single right over the head of the Shortstop to tie up the game at 2 apiece.
Then we move to the 7th. In the top half of the inning, South Shore would go to their closer John Neary. He got through the top half without too much stress using his overpowering fastball.
B7: South Shore Walks it off
Jake McBride walks with the bases loaded to win the game for the South Shore Chiefs.
Final:
Chiefs: 3
Storm: 2 pic.twitter.com/GYgAF7Igc2— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 29, 2023
The bottom half is where the Memorial Day fireworks came out. It started immediately with a Jake Schneider walk. After the walk, the next two batters would get out leaving it up to the top of the order to take this one home. John Neary would get on after getting hit by a pitch. Nicky Mauro contributes once again with a single that loads the bases and then Jake McBride would win the ballgame for the South Shore Chiefs with a walk. That was a 9 pitch at bat, including close misses, foul tips to stay alive and finally, the ball 4 call that marked the end of the ballgame.
Everything that anyone could’ve asked for, they received in this championship game. Congratulations to the South Shore Chiefs in their victory.
