A LOOK AT LEGION

All-Star game rescheduled

2008-08-13T16:49:00.004-04:00

As many of you know (or should know by now), the Oneida County American Legion All-Star Game had to be postponed due to unplayable field conditions at DeLutis Field this past Sunday.

The game has been rescheduled for Sunday, August 17th at DeLutis Field. The game starts at 7 p.m. with an Awards Ceremony beforehand at 6:45 p.m.

Smith Post: The Aftermath

2008-08-11T17:45:00.007-04:00

There's only so much you can say or write about a baseball game (or any game) to try and convey the action to those who couldn't be there.

http://www.uticaod.com/sports/x1806338441/Smith-falls-in-final

In today's Observer-Dispatch, I tried my best to give readers an in-depth account of yesterday's American Legion New York State championship game. As I'm sure most all of you know by now, Smith Post fell to Anaconda 9-8 in that game - an 11-inning heartbreaker.

However, I realize there are many more things that I simply could not fit into that article that tell so much more about Smith and its season. So, I thought I'd post the transcripts of my interviews with three Smith players - Jason Nowicki, Kyle Richardson, and Zack Ciccotti - and the two Smith coaches - manager Tony Abone Sr. and coach Tony Abone Jr. - so that you all can hear (from them) about this season, and what it's meant to them. It will also provide you with their thoughts on yesterday's game.

Jason Nowicki (final year with Smith)
AD: Try to sum up for me this season.
JN: It’s was just an amazing season. I’ve been playing base for, I don’t even know how many years, but this has been my favorite season of all; one I’ll remember for the rest of my life. Great teammates; we’re like a family in here. You can tell that everyone’s a little upset now. But, it’ll get better every day. For the overall season, I couldn’t ask for anything more in my last year. Just that state title, that would have been the top.

AD: Looking back on this week, you guys lost on the first day, and then you fought back to make all the way to this game. You were right there. What does that say about this team?
JN: The resiliency on this team is just amazing. We knew what happened the first day. We knew had to win a couple games to get to the big one, and see what happens. We showed a lot of heart this week. We really did.

AD: Looking back on your legion career – these past three years – tell me what this team has meant to you, and what playing for Smith has meant to you?
JN: Playing for Smith – around the state of New York – it’s the best legion program there is. The years here just go by so quick. I’ll remember these years for the rest of my life – my three favorite baseball years. To go to the state tournament three times – couldn’t come out on top – but the three years that I had were just phenomenal. I couldn’t ask for anything more. I really couldn’t.

Kyle Richardson (one year of eligibility remaining)
AD: You lost your first game of the tournament, and then you fought all the way back to this point. Tell me what that tells you about your team?
KR: We have a lot of fight. We worked hard. We had a little bit of luck along the way, but you can’t do it without the heart that we had. We bounced back after that first day and did everything we could. We played a good game today. We lost some opportunities, but so did they. That’s the way the game goes and they came out with the win.

AD: Bases loaded in the ninth inning – what didn’t happen there that needed to happen?
KR: It’s just chance. It’s getting hit then instead of another time; me getting a hit on the first pitch instead of getting hit in the back. It’s just the way things happen.

Zack Ciccotti (two years of eligibility remaining)
AD: You guys had a chance with bases loaded in the top of the ninth. What do you think it was? What just didn’t click there?
ZC: We just weren’t capitalizing. We tried to fight. Maybe we were tired; I don’t know. We tried to give it everything we had. That’s the game of baseball. Stuff happens life that – a strikeout and a fly-out. You can’t really do much. We tried everything we could to fight to win this game. We were up 8-4 in the bottom of the eighth. We blew the game.

AD: What are your thoughts when you think about this season?
ZC: I just love the players I played with. We did have a great year. It would have been better if we won a state championship, but the year was phenomenal. This is the best team I’ve ever played on in my life – hands down.

AD: Coming back next year, I know you guys lose some key players. Having said that, what do you think the potential is for the future of this team?
ZC: We’re still going to be good next year. We’ve got young guys still coming up. We’ve still got Joe (Melioris) if he comes back; maybe (Garrett) Baker if he wants to come back. We can battle it out next year; maybe win the counties again. We have a good team coming back, and we have a good coach. I think coach is going to get us in shape and make us a good team.

Smith Manager Tony Abone Sr.
AD: Try to sum up this season for me.
TA Sr.: We just had a great, great year. These kids worked hard all summer long. They practiced every night. They worked hard. Even thought we didn’t win the state championship, we were runner-up, and there are 157 other teams in the state that would like to be right where we are. We’re very proud of the kids. They gave it all they had. We just ran a little short. We had our opportunities. We had a four-run lead. But those things happen in baseball. They were just a little bit hungrier than we were, but you can’t ask for a better bunch of kids than we have here.

AD: What does it say about your programs that our team has made it to the state tournament three years in a row now, and finished runner-up in the last two?
TA Sr.: We have a great program. We just get so much support. We had people coming here from all over, and listening on the radio and reading the paper’s coverage. The kids are just proud to be here. I know they’re disappointed, but what are you going to do? You can’t win them all. And we had, what, 31 wins this year? That’s a lot of wins.

Smith Coach Tony Abone Jr.
AD: You guys had the bases loaded in the ninth, with probably the two guys (Ryan Kramer and Nate Mallinder) you wanted coming up to hit. Go through your thought process with me there, and on through how the game ended?
TA Jr.: We hit the starter (Aaron Sapp) early on. He throws hard, but he was right down the middle of the plate. We had a good plan going to the plate. When he came back in, actually we were kind of excited. We hit him pretty good. We had the same plan – just look fastball. He wasn’t getting anything else over the plate. Ryan Kramer battled him and battled him on the one strikeout. He fouled him off a couple of times and then he got him. And then Nate flew out. That happens. You go back to the Ilion game where Nate hits the inside-the-park homerun. It happens. We had more opportunities. We were up early and then they kind of scratched back in, and then we went up again. When it was 8-4, at that time, we felt pretty good. We were thinking, let’s just get outs, let’s get outs. And then a little dink here, a little dink there, and then the double there. Then the wheels started falling off there. We had no more gas. We played two games in a day and six games in five days. Everybody gave everything they had…Like I told these guys, ‘You guys battled and that’s all we can ask you to do. Today you didn’t come out as the winner, but, you’re winners. To go 31-5 as we did, and win the games that we did, and how we won the game. You can’t ask for any more than that; we go 11 innings in the state championship game.

AD: You have Kyle (Richardson), Garrett (Baker), and Joe (Melioris). They’ve been your three big guys all year. None of them were pitching on full rest today. What does it show you about them that they put it all on the line today?
TA Jr.: They’re grinders. They all work real hard. They’ve all been in it ever since Little League on up. They’ve always been the big-game pitchers all the way on up. They showed it this week. When we needed to get outs, they got outs. When we were down and needed an arm to go in, we got an arm to go in. That’s a credit to those kids. They’ve got a lot of pride in themselves. They’ve got a lot of confidence in themselves. All three of them have been in big-game situations in high school and legion ball. They’re going to be successful in whatever they do in life. They stuck this out in a situation where some guys would fold.

On the final outcome of the season...
TA Jr.: No complaints. Yeah, we’re a little disappointed. Like I told them, “It will hurt for a few days, and you’ll think about the ifs and what’s and all that kind of stuff. But, in another week or two, you’ll be real happy that we went this far. It was a great journey.

Check in later for more on Smith Post

2008-08-10T22:57:00.007-04:00

I talked to a few Smith Post players after the game - Jason Nowicki, Kyle Richardson and Zack Ciccotti - as well as Smith manager Tony Abone Sr. and coach Tony Abone Jr. following the heartbreaking loss. I'll post more details from our talks in a blog post later.

While all the guys were visibly upset - a few were in tears - they understand the magnitude of what they have accomplished as a team, and said they know they'll look back on the season with very positive memories.

Until tomorrow, good night legion fans and take care.

FINAL: Anaconda 9, Smith 8 (11 inn.)

2008-08-10T13:48:00.148-04:00

The American Legion New York State championship game between the Anaconda Indians and Smith Post will start at approximately 3 p.m.

I'm going to grab something to eat and will fill you guys in on the starting lineups and other game notes when I return...

UPDATE (2:58 p.m.): I just got re-settled in up here in the press box. The grounds did a great job of cleaning up the field while I was chowing down on some pizza at Tuscan Pizza in downtown Newburgh.

We're likely about 20-25 minutes from the first pitch of the state championship. Anaconda is taking its infield-outfield warmups as I type. Smith will follow.

UPDATE (3:05 p.m.): I spoke with Smith's Jason Nowicki during the break. Jason was a legion rookie in 2006 when I was in my last year with New Hartford. He was hanging out in the dugout and was sporting a very determined demeanor. The first thing he said to me was, "I'm not finishing second in the state two years in row."

I also found out that Kyle Richardson will be starting on the hill for Smith. Richardson threw six innings in Friday's 9-6 victory over defending state champion Melvin Roads. While he likely won't have his best stuff, Richardson is also very determined to top last year's second-place finish. Richardson can only pitch six innings as per American Legion rules (a pitcher can only throw a maximum of 12 innings in a consecutive three-day stretch).

When I asked Nowicki if Garrett Baker might be able to go if needed, before he could even answer, Baker who was sitting a few people down from Nowicki, said, "No way." Baker was rubbing some pain-relief cream on his arm after picking up the four-out save in today's semifinal game.

Nowicki did say that Smith will likely go with Ryan Kramer as the first reliever, followed by Dustin Colgan.

Starting lineups:
Smith (31-4-1)
1. Kyle Richardson, P
2. Ryan Kramer, SS
3. Nate Mallinder, CF
4. Zack Ciccotti, C
5. Jason Nowicki, LF
6. Joe Melioris, 3B
7. Ryan Marquette, 1B
8. Eli Hendrington, 2B
9. Ryan Cooke, RF
Pitcher: Kyle Richardson, RHP

Anaconda (41-9-1)
1. Aaron Pennings, 3B
2. Billy Nikolski, CF
3. Aaron Sapp, P
4. Bobby McLaughlin, 2B
5. Eddie Shivley, SS
6. Shawn Kennedy, 1B
7. Alex Massaroni, RF
8. Mike Center, LF
9. Mike Fischer, C
Pitcher: Aaron Sapp, RHP

*Anaconda's lineup today looks a bit different today than it did in last night's 4-3 loss to Smith. That's because normal right fielder, and No. 2 hitter, Jordan Pennings is suspended from today's game after being ejected in last night's contest. J. Pennings threw his bat after being called out on strikes to end last night's game. Under American Legion rules, any player who is ejected from a tournament game is automatically ineligible for the rest of the tournament (unless the tournament director decides otherwise).

*As has been the case for the entire tournament, Smith again has the bigger cheering section in this game. In fact, the Smith fans likely outnumber those of Anaconda at least two-to-one (if not three-to-one). And you could tell without even looking in the stands. The Smith fans are loud...really loud!

UPDATE (3:20 p.m.): We'll be underway in just a few minutes as the introductions for each teams have concluded. The American Legion code of sportsmanship will be performed, followed by the National Anthem, and then we'll kick off the state championship game.

*Smith will be the visiting team. And the chants of "Let's go Smith Post" have already started as the Smith fans belted it out on Richardson's walk up to the plate to lead off the game.

Top 1st: Richardson doubled to the gap in right-center to lead off. After failing to get a bunt down in fair territory, Kramer grounded out to Sapp (who checked Richardson back to second) for the first out. Mallinder grounded out 6-3 for the second out (Richardson advanced to third on the play). Ciccotti popped out to the catcher in foul territory for the third out.

Bottom 1st: Pennings got beaned in the shoulder to lead off. Nikolski popped up a bunt right to Richardson for the first out (Pennings just beat Richardson's throw back to first for the double play). A goose just landed in left field and caused a short pause in the game as one of the umpires had to chase it off the field. Sapp grounded into a 6-4 fielder's choice for the second out. McLaughlin was retired on a broken bat fly out to Nowicki in left to end the inning.

Smith 0, Anaconda 0

*If the first inning was any indication of what we can expect in this championship game, we're in for quite the treat. Why? Well, not only did we have a goose roaming around left field, but an aluminum bat broke cleanly in half - those two things don't happen all that often, much less in the same half inning.

Top 2nd: Nowicki singled through the hole on the left side of the infield to lead off. Melioris took the first pitch through the hole on the right side of the infield for another single, putting runners on first and second with no outs. Marquette dropped down a beautiful 1-3 sacrifice bunt to move the runners to second and third with one out. Hendrington fought off an inside fastball for an RBI single to right, scoring Nowicki from third (runners on the corners, one out). Smith 1, Anaconda 0. Cooke hit an RBI single to right to score Melioris from third. Smith 2, Anaconda 0. Hedrington was cut down by the right fielder, trying to go from first to third, for the second out. Richardson popped out to the shortstop for the third out.

Bottom 2nd: Shivley grounded out 6-3 for the first out. Kennedy grounded out to Melioris at third for the second out. Massaroni bombed a two-out triple to the gap in left-center. Massaroni came on an error as Center's groundball squeaked through the legs of Melioris at third. Smith 2, Anaconda 1. Fischer popped out weakly to Kramer to end the inning.

Smith 2, Anaconda 1

Top 3rd: Kramer struck out on a check swing that was appealed to the first baseman (who said he went) for the first out. Mallinder struck out swinging on a nice offspeed pitch from Sapp for the second out. Ciccotti reached on a bloop single to center that was just out of the reach of the diving second baseman. Nowicki lined a single up the middle (it nearly hit Sapp in the back) into center to put runners on first and second with two outs. Melioris grounded out 4-3 for the third out.

Bottom 3rd: Pennings struck out swinging for the first out. Nikolski reached on an infield single as his hard-hit grounder ricocheted off Richardson and toward Kramer, but Kramer's throw to first was just late. Sapp struck out looking for the second out. Nikolski stole second, but McLaughlin struck out swinging on the next pitch to end the inning.

*The Anaconda fans (who seem to have grown a bit since the game's start) have started a chant of their own. They're doing the well-known Florida State Seminoles and Atlanta Braves war chant. As a Miami Hurricane, you can rest assured that I cannot stand that chant! I don't like it when the Seminoles do it, and therefore I'm not really enjoying it right now.

Smith 2, Anaconda 1

Top 4th: Marquette doubled to right-center to lead off. Hedrington laid down a 3-4 sacrifice bunt, moving Marquette to third with one out. Cooke hit an RBI single (his second of the game) to left, scoring Marquette from third. Smith 3, Anaconda 1. Richardson reached on a bad-hop single that shot past the third baseman, putting runners on first and second with one out. Kramer struck out looking on a full-count fastball that caught the inside corner for the second out. Mallinder grounded out 4-3 for the third out.

Bottom 4th: Shivley roped a single to right on the first pitch to lead off. Kennedy flew out to center for the first out. Massaroni struck out looking for the second out. Center dropped a base-hit into left-center to put runners on first and second with two outs. Fischer flew out to Nowicki just in front of the warning track in left to end the inning.

*Dustin Colgan was throwing in the bullpen for Smith during the last half inning. Ryan Kramer went down to the pen upon returning from the field and is now throwing.

Smith 3, Anaconda 1

Top 5th: Ciccotti grounded out to the third baseman for the first out. Nowicki grounded out 6-3 for the second out. Melioris flew out to center for the third out.

Bottom 5th: Pennings lined out to Hedrington for the first out. Nikolski blooped a single to shallow left field. Sapp flew out to Cooke in right for the second out (runner on first, two outs). McLaughlin reached on a fielding error by Melirois (his second of the game) to put runners on first and second with two outs. Shivley hit a check-swing blooper down the first baseline that Marquette made a nice diving catch on to end the inning.

Smith 3, Anaconda 1

*Reminder: While Richardson is pitching very effectively - he's allowed only four hits and one run (it was unearned) through five - he can only pitch one more inning today as per American Legion pitching rules.

Top 6th: Marquette singled to right to lead off. Hedrington popped up a bunt to Sapp for the first out. Cooke chopped a grounder to the second baseman for the second out (Marquette went to second on the play). Anaconda manager Jim DeMidio just went out to the mound to have a conference with his pitcher and infielders. Richardson hit what looked to be an RBI single up the middle, but McLaughlin made a great diving stop and throw to save a run and end the half inning.

Bottom 6th: Kennedy reached on a double to the left-center field gap on what was nearly a stellar diving catch by Nowicki. Massaroni fought off an inside fastball for an RBI single into center, scoring Kennedy from second. Smith 3, Anaconda 2. Center laid a perfect bunt down the third baseline and beat Melioris' throw to first. Massaroni was hustling the entire play and went all the way from first to third (runners on first and third, no outs). Smith manager Tony Abone Jr. just trotted out to have a talk with his pitcher and infielders. The "Let's go K. Rich" chants have started from the Smith Post cheering section. Fischer laid down a 1-3 sacrifice bunt (it might have even been a safety squeeze), putting runners on second and third with one out and the top of the order coming to the plate. Pennings struck out swinging for the second out. Nikolski ripped a liner to left-center that looked like it might be the third out, but Mallinder slipped on the wet outfield surface and the ball went past him and all the way to the wall for a bases-clearing, two-RBI triple. Anaconda 4, Smith 3. Abone Jr. just came out and relieved Richardson in favor of Garrett Baker. Richardson went to center field, Mallinder moved to left and Nowicki shifted to right. Baker will take Cooke's spot in the batting order. Sapp popped out to Baker to end the inning.

Anaconda 4, Smith 3

Top 7th: Kramer walked on seven pitches to lead off. DeMidio just came out and relieved Sapp in favor of tall right-hander Dave Filak. Shivley will take over at third base, taking Pennings out of the game. Sapp will take Shivley's spot at shortstop. Filak will bat in Pennings' place. Mallinder greeted Filak with a hard-hit groundball single up the middle to put runners on first and second with no outs. Ciccotti hit into a grounder to the third baseman who stepped on third for the first out and then threw to first in an attempt to turn the double play, but his throw was low and skidded past the first baseman, allowing Mallinder to go from first to third and Ciccotti to reach second. A wild pitch from Filak allowed Mallinder to score and tie the game (Ciccotti went to third). Smith 4, Anaconda 4. After a conference on the mound with his coach, Filak threw a second straight wild pitch, bringing Ciccotti home from third and giving the lead back to Smith. Smith 5, Anaconda 4. Nowicki drew a one-out walk. Melioris struck out swinging for the second out. Marquette walked (runners on first and second, two outs). DeMidio pulled Filak and brought in Center (he took the loss in last night's game against Smith). Billy Purtell came in to right field and Massaroni slid over to left. Hedrington grounded into a 6-4 groundout for the third out.

Bottom 7th: McLaughlin grounded out 5-3 for the first out. Baker was moving his throwing arm around in rapid circular motion after that out. He looks pretty tired and is likely going on nothing more than adrenaline and emotion right now. Shivley lined out to Melioris at third for the second out. The "Garrett Baker" chants have started up. Kennedy struck out looking at a backdoor curveball from Baker to end the inning.

Smith 5, Anaconda 4

*Melioris, who threw a complete game in last night's win over Anaconda, just went down to the bullpen.

Top 8th: Baker struck out looking at a filthy curveball from Center for the first out. Richardson walked on five pitches. Kramer grounded into a 6-4 fielder's choice and then advanced to second as the second baseman made an ill-advised errant throw to first that got away from the first baseman. Kramer went to third on passed ball. Mallinder walked to put runners on first and third with two outs. Ciccotti poked an RBI single past the diving third baseman and into left field (runners on first and second, two outs). Smith 6, Anaconda 4. Nowicki smoked the first pitch from Center for down the left field line for a two-RBI double that one-hopped the fence. Smith 8, Anaconda 4. Anaconda left fielder Alex Massaroni is down on the warning track in left field. A rabid Smith Post celebration was cut silent as Massaroni fell to the ground and did not get up after throwing Nowicki's hit back to the infield. Massaroni finally sat up after nearly five minutes with the Anaconda coaches and medical personnel. Massaroni was greeted by all of the Anaconda fielders upon sitting up. The Smith fans showed great sportsmanship, greeting Massaroni with cheers of "Let's go Alex" once he rose to his feet nearly 10 minutes after going down. It appears that Massaroni will stay in the game, moving back to right field (where he started the game). Sapp will replace Center on the mound (he was the original starter for Anaconda). Center went back to left field, Purtell moved to second base, and McLaughlin moved to shortstop. Melioris grounded out 4-3 for the third out of a very long inning.

Bottom 8th: Massaroni (who was down for nearly 10 minutes in the last half inning) ripped a line-drive double down the left field line to lead off. Center reached on a freak single on an inside fastball - the ball tipped off the handle of his bat and into fair territory, and Baker's throw to first, which likely would have been late anyway, hit Center in the back (runners on first and second, no outs). Fischer hit an RBI single to left, scoring Massaroni from second (runners on first and second, no outs). Smith 8, Anaconda 5. Purtell laid down a 1-3 sacrifice bunt, moving the runners to second and third with one out. Nikolski lined out to Hedrington for the second out. Sapp smoked a two-RBI double down the left field line (two-hopped the fence) to put Anaconda within one. Smith 8, Anaconda 7. McLaughlin blooped an RBI single to right to score Sapp from second and tie the game. Anaconda 8, Smith 8. Shivley grounded out 5-3 (Marquette made a nice pick on a low throw to first) to end the inning.

Anaconda 8, Smith 8

Top 9th: Marquette blopped a single to shallow left to lead off. Abone Jr. conferenced with his father, Smith manager Tony Abone Sr. and then decided to bring in Dustin Colgan to pitch run for Marquette. That could very well mean Baker will be moving to first base and Melioris is coming in to pitch in the bottom of the ninth (just a guess though, nothing definite). After two foul bunt attempts (just barely foul), Hedrington grounded out weakly 6-3 for the first out, but Colgan advanced to second. Baker ripped a single through the hole on the left, but it was hit to hard to score Colgan from second (runners on first and third, one out). Richardson got beaned in the back to load the bases for Kramer with one out. Kramer struck out swinging for the second out. Mallinder flew out to center for the third out, stranding the bases loaded.

*Just as I guessed, Melioris has come in to pitch and Baker moved to first base. Colgan will take over in right field and Nowicki is going to third base.

Bottom 9th: Kennedy flew out to left for the first out. Massaroni struck out swinging for the second out. Center hit a line-drive to right that tipped off Colgan glove and all the way to the wall for a two-base error. Fischer blooped a hit to center that was caught over-the-shoulder by Kramer to end the inning and send the state championship game into extra innings.

Anaconda 8, Smith 8

Top 10th: Ciccotti flew out to left for the first out. Nowicki hit a weak groundout to the pitcher off the end of his bat on the first pitch for the second out. Melioris ripped a grounder right back at the pitcher on the first pitch, but Sapp snagged it and threw him out at first for the third out.

*Sapp needed just five pitches to retire the side in the top of the 10th.

Bottom 10th: Purtell flew out to Mallinder in left for the first out. Nikolski grounded out to Baker at first on the first pitch from Melioris for the second out. Sapp flew out to Colgan in right to end the inning.

Anaconda 8, Smith 8

*Melioris threw just nine pitches in the bottom of the 10th.

*The 7-8-9 hitters (Colgan, Hedrington, Baker) are due-up for Smith in the top of the 11th.

Top 11th: Colgan struck out swinging for the first out. Hedrington grounded out to first on the first pitch from Sapp for the second out. Baker flew out to center for the third out.

*Anaconda has its 4-5-6 batters (McLaughlin, Shivley, Kennedy) due-up in the bottom of the 11th.

*This is the last inning Melioris can throw today after throwing nine innings last night (the American Legion pitching rule only allows a pitcher to throw only 12 innings in a three-day span).

Bottom 11th: McLaughlin poked a leadoff double that hit the line in right field. Melioris intentionally walked Shivley to set up the double play (runners on first and second with no outs). Kennedy dropped a 1-3 sacrifice bunt, moving the runners to second and third with one out. The state championship winning run is just 90 feet away for Anaconda. Melioris intentionally walked Massaroni to load the bases with one out. Center hit a sacrifice fly to Mallinder and the left fielder's throw home was just a split second late, allowing McLaughlin to score the game-winning run.

FINAL: Anaconda 9, Smith 8 (11 innings)

*Anaconda is the 2008 American Legion New York State champions

*Check back later tonight as I'll post a new blog with the aftermath of today's state championship. I'll talk to several Smith players and share their thoughts with you guys. I'll always include my own thoughts on Smith's season.

FINAL: Smith 6, Newburgh 4

2008-08-10T10:50:00.086-04:00

Good morning legion fans (I don't know if I've said that once this year). I'm just getting settled in here at Newburgh's Delano-Hitch Stadium for today's American Legion New York State championship tournament semifinal game between Smith Post and Newburgh. The winner of this game will take on Anaconda in the championship game slated for 2 p.m.

Smith advanced to today's semis with a dramatic, come-from-behind 4-3 victory over Anaconda last night. Newburgh, the host team, qualified by topping Jurek 7-6 in yesterday's other game.

Newburgh entered this week's state tournament with the worst record of the eight participants at 19-13, and did not even qualify for its district tournament (it recieved an automatic berth because it's hosting). I think it's safe to say that Newburgh, regardless of this today's outcome, is a pretty good Cinderella story of for year's tournament.

Starting lineups:
Smith (30-4-1)
1. Kyle Richardson, CF
2. Ryan Kramer, SS
3. Nate Mallinder, P
4. Zack Ciccotti, C
5. Jason Nowicki, LF
6. Joe Melioris, 3B
7. Ryan Marquette, 1B
8. Eli Hendrington, 2B
9. Ryan Cooke, RF
Pitcher: Nate Mallinder, RHP

Newburgh (22-14)
1. John Pliego, SS
2. Bobby Bittles, 3B
3. John Degtoodt, 1B
4. Jack Crawford, DH
5. Tommy Hand, CF
6. Sean Leahy, LF
7. Vinny Mascoto, RF
8. Matt Kaldon, C
9. Joe Clarke, 2B
Pitcher: Steve Pickney, LHP

*Smith will be the visiting team for the first time all tournament. We have a six-umpire crew on hand for today's semifinal and championship games.

Top 1st: Richardson ripped a double over the head of the left fielder to lead off the game. Kramer singled to right, but was caught trying to advance to second on the throw to the cutoff (9-3-4-3) for the first out (Richardson went to third on the play). Mallinder hit an RBI single to left to score Richardson from third. Smith 1, Newburgh 0. Ciccotti reached on a throwing error by the pitcher on a dribbler down the third baseline (runners on first and second, one out). Nowicki flew out to left on the the first pitch he saw for the second out. Melioris grounded out 5-3 for the third out.

Bottom 1st: Pliego walked on four pitches to lead off. Pliego advanced to second on Mallinder's seventh straight ball on a passed ball that scooted away from Ciccotti. Bittles grounded out 6-3 for the first out (Pliego went to third). Degroodt hit an RBI single to right to tie the game. Newburgh 1, Smith 1. Crawford singled up the middle to put runners on first and second with one out. Hand hit into a 6-4 fielder's choice for the second out on a nice play up the middle by Kramer to snag the hard-hit grounder and flip the ball to Hendrington (who nearly turned the double play). Leahy grounded out to Mallinder to end the inning, stranding runners on first and third.

Newburgh 1, Smith 1

*Things are getting a bit heated in the stands between the Smith and Newburgh fans. The PA announcer just made an announcement asking the fans to "keep their cheering to their own team." He said he would "not hesitate to clear the stands" if negativity toward the opposing team persists.

Top 2nd: Marquette grounded out 4-3 for the first out. Hendrington reached on a bloop single to left that dropped safely between a diving second baseman and right fielder. Cooke singled to right on the first pitch and Hendrington went from first to third (runners on first and third, one out). Richardson hit a sac fly to the right fielder, allowing Hendrington to score from third, just avoiding the tag on a very close play at the plate. Smith 2, Newburgh 1. Kramer lined a two-out single to left (runners on first and second, two outs). Mallinder popped out to right for the third out.

*Here's Hendrington scoring the go-ahead run on Richardson's sac fly:

Bottom 2nd: Moscato walked to lead off. Kaldon popped up a bunt attempt to Ciccotti for the first out. Smith coach Tony Abone Jr. just ran out to the mound for a short conference with his pitcher and infielders. Clarke walked to put runners on first and second with one out. Pliego popped out (on the first pitch) to Ciccotti in foul territory for the second out. Bittle popped out to Cooke in right to end the inning.

Smith 2, Newburgh 1

Top 3rd: Ciccotti singled past the diving third baseman to lead off. Nowicki lined a single to left-center (runners on the corners, no outs). Melioris picked up an RBI on a 6-4 fielder's choice for the first out, bringing Ciccotti home from third. Smith 3, Newburgh 1. Marquette struck out looking for the second out. Hendrington popped up a bunt to the catcher on the first pitch for the third out.

Bottom 3rd: Degroodt led off with a single up the middle. Crawford walked to put runners on first and second with no outs. Hand laid down a bunt that was turned into a 1-6 fielder's choice for the first out (runners on first and third, one out). Leahy ripped an RBI double down the left field line, scoring Degroodt from second. Smith 3, Newburgh 2. Hand tried scoring from first on the play, but was cut down 7-6-2 on a play at the plate (Leahy advanced to third on the throw home). Moscato was beaned to put runners on the corners with two outs. Kaldon grounded out 4-3 to end the inning.

Smith 3, Newburgh 2

Top 4th: Cooke flew out to left for the first out. Richardson flew out to left for the second out. Kramer hit a two-out single to center. Mallinder ripped the first pitch down the left field line, past the diving third baseman, for an RBI double (Kramer raced all the way home from first). Smith 4, Newburgh 2. Ciccotti grounded out 6-3 for the third out.

*Smith has double-barrel action going in the bullpen with Mike Stevens and Dustin Colgan warming up.

Bottom 4th: Clarke reached on an error by Kramer as the shortstop bobbled the grounder and then couldn't make the throw in time to get Clarke. Pliego grounded out 4-3 for the first out on a chopper up the middle (runner on second, one out). Bittle grounded out weakly 4-3 for the second out (Clarke went to third). Degroodt (who has two singles in two at-bats) was intentionally walked (runners on first and third, two outs). Crawford flew out to right on the first pitch he saw to end the inning.

Smith 4, Newburgh 2

Top 5th: Nowicki grounded out 6-3 for the first out. Melioris singled a groundball to left. Marquette blooped a single to right field to put runners on first and second with one out. Hendrington lined a single to left to load the bases with one out. Right-hander Todd DeGroot has replaced Pickney on the mound for Newburgh. DeGroot needed only one pitch to get out of the jam as Cooke grounded into a 4-6-3 double play to end the half inning.

Bottom 5th: Hand flew out to Richardson for the first out. Leahy ripped a line-drive double down the left field line. Moscato gounded back to Mallinder, who checked the runner back to second, for the second out. Kaldon reached on a throwing error by Hendrington that pulled Marquette off the bag. Leahy raced all the way home from second on the play and scored as Marquette throw sailed wide of Ciccotti for another error (Kaldon reached second on Marquette's throwing error). Smith 4, Newburgh 3. Clarke reached first and Kaldon scored from second on another error by Hendrington (a grounder scooted under his glove and into center). Newburgh 4, Smith 4. Pliego reached first and Clarke went to second on a third error by Hendrington as he bobbled a grounder and couldn't make the throw to first in time. Bittles lined it straight back at Mallinder who made a great catch to end the inning.

Newburgh 4, Smith 4

*All nine starters have at least one hit for Smith through five innings. Smith has a total of 13 hits compared to just five for Newburgh.

*Newburgh has stranded 10 runners on base (two each inning) through the first five innings.

Top 6th: Richardson walked to lead off. Richardson stole second on a 2-2 ball to Kramer. Kramer walked on the next pitch to put runners on first and second with no outs. Mallinder grounded out to the first baseman for the first out, moving the runners to second and third. Ciccotti hit the first pitch he saw for an RBI single, scoring Richardson from third (runners on first and third, one out). Smith 5, Newburgh 4. Crawford, a lefty who was the DH, has come on to relieve DeGroot on the mound. Nowicki greeted Crawford by lining an RBI single to left-center to score Kramer from third (runners on first and second, one out). Smith 6, Newburgh 4. Melioris struck out looking for the second out. Marquette grounded out 1-3 for the third out.

.
Bottom 6th: Degroodt singled to right-center to lead off. Crawford flew out deep to center (on the first pitch) for the first out. Hand flew out to center (on the first pitch) for the second out. Leahy ripped a double down the left field line to put runners on second and third with two outs. Moscato grounded out to Kramer on the first pitch he saw to end the inning.

Smith 6, Newburgh 4

*Newburgh stranded two runners on base for the sixth straight inning. Seven of the 12 runners stranded have been in scoring position.

Top 7th: Hendrington grounded out 4-3 for the first out. Cooke grounded out to Crawford for the second out. Richardson struck out swinging for the third out.

*The top of the seventh marked the first half inning in which a runner has not reached base. It was also the first inning that Smith has not recorded a hit.

Bottom 7th: Kaldon flew out to left for the first out. Clarke got hit in the back to put a runner on first with one out. Pliego grounded into a 5-4-3 double play to end the inning.

Smith 6, Newburgh 4

Top 8th: Kramer grounded out 3-1 for the first out. Mallinder struck out looking for the second out. Ciccotti struck out swinging for the third out.

Bottom 8th: Bittles popped out to Marquette on a great play in foul territory for the first out. Degroodt grounded out 1-3 for the second out. Crawford hit a two-out double to right. Hand singled to right (runners on first and third, two outs), bringing Leahy, who is 3-for-4 with three doubles, to the plate. Smith just brought in Garrett Baker to relieve Mallinder. Mallinder moved to left field and Nowicki slid over to right (Cooke is now out of the game). Leahy popped out in foul territory to Melioris on a 3-1 pitch to end the inning and the threat.

Smith 6, Newburgh 4

Top 9th: Nowicki singled up the middle to lead off. Melioris struck out swinging for the first out. It just started raining. It's not quite pouring out, but it's coming down pretty steadily. Marquette struck out looking for the second out. Hendrington grounded out weakly to the first baseman for the third out.

*This is it. Newburgh needs to score two runs to extend the game and three to win. It will have its 7-8-9 hitters coming to the plate. Smith is three outs away from advancing to the state championship (for the second straight year) against Anaconda.

*The Smith fans have really gotten loud over the past inning. They're chanting "Let's go Smith Post" and "Garrett Baker."

Bottom 9th: Moscato grounded out 6-3 on the first pitch for the first out. Kaldon popped out to Marquette in foul territory for the second out. Clarke struck out looking to end the game.

FINAL: Smith 6, Newburgh 4

*Smith advances to face Anaconda in the state championship game that will likely not get underway until at least 3 p.m. Steady rain has turned into a downpour and it's going to take quite some time to get the field ready for play, and for each team's players to warm up. I'll start a new blog for the championship game.

FINAL: Smith 4, Anaconda 3

2008-08-09T18:45:00.081-04:00

Hey legion fans. I just arrived at Newburgh's Delano-Hitch Stadium for the nightcap between Smith Post and Anaconda in the American Legion New York State championship tournament.

Here's a quick recap of yesterday's action: Anaconda remained undefeated in the tournament with a 7-5 victory over Jurek Friday night in a game that did no start until after 10 p.m. due to rain delays ealier in the day. Before that, Smith advanced with a 9-6 win over Melvin Roads (eliminating the defending state champion) in the day's second game.

Tonight's implications: With a win today, Smith will advance to Sunday's semifinals against Newburgh (it beat Jurek 7-6 in today's 4 p.m. game) at 11 a.m. tomorrow. If Smith loses, it will be eliminated from the tournament and Newburgh will take on Anaconda in the championship round on Sunday, needing to win twice to capture the state title. The games will be played at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. (if necessary). Anaconda will play in the championship round regardless of the outcome of the game against Smith tonight. If it loses tonight, it will meet the winner of Sunday's 11 a.m. semifinal in a winner-take-all championship game at 2 p.m.

This is totally unrelated, but I thought it might enteratin you guys before the game starts: While I'm down here for the tournament, I'm staying with my brother, Matt, in Nanuet (just north of the New York/New Jersey border). Since I had so much free time before today's game, I went down to his worksite in Haworth, N.J. today. He's working as an engineer on a water treatment plant this summer. Here I am on site with my brother, "supervising," if you will:

Now that you've had the pleasure of seeing me in my reflective vest, hardhat and protective glasses, let's get on with tonight's game...

Starting lineups:
Smith (29-4-1)
1. Kyle Richardson, CF
2. Ryan Kramer, SS
3. Nate Mallinder, LF
4. Zack Ciccotti, C
5. Jason Nowicki 3B
6. Ryan Marquette, 1B
7. Rocco DeBlasiis, DH
8. Eli Hendrington, 2B
9. Ryan Cooke, RF
Pitcher: Joe Melioris, RHP

Anaconda (41-8-1)
1. Aaron Pennings, DH
2. Jordan Pennings, RF
3. Billy Nikolski, CF
4. Bobby McLaughlin, 2B
5. Eddie Shivley, 3B
6. Aaron Sapp, SS
7. Mike Center, LF
8. Shawn Kennedy, 1B
9. Mike Fischer, C
Pitcher: Alex Massaroni, RHP

*It looks like we won't be getting underway until at least 7:20 p.m. as neither team has taken its infield-outfield warmups yet. I'll keep you guys updated if I hear anything new on a starting time.

*While we're waiting, here's a link to the Anaconda Indians' team website for those of you who would like to know a bit more about Smith's opponent tonight: http://www.eteamz.com/IndianBaseball/index.cfm

*Keep this in mind during tonight's game: As I said earlier, Anaconda has already qualified for tomorrow's championship round regardless of the outcome of this game. This likely has affected the Anaconda coaching staff's decision on a starting pitcher and possible relievers as they will most definitely be looking to save their best arms for tomorrow.

UPDATE (7:13 p.m.): Smith just finished its infield-outfield warmups. Anaconda will now have eight minutes to complete its warmups. The pregame coach-umpire meeting, and the National Anthem and American Legion code of conduct reading will take another few minutes, so we're looking at a 7:25 to 7:30 p.m. start time.

*Tonight's crowd is pretty sparse. There can't be much more than 100 fans in attendance. However, like last night, the majority of the fans that are here, are Smith fans.

UPDATE (7:30 p.m.): The pregame ceremonies (player introductions, code of conduct, and National Anthem) have just finished up. Smith is running on to the field and will be the home team in tonight's game (Smith is now four-for-four in winning the pregame coin tosses in the tournament).

Top 1st: A. Pennings struck out swinging to lead off the game for the first out. J. Pennings hit a line-drive single to left on the first pitch he saw from Melioris. Nikolski walked to put runners on first and second with one out. McLaughlin ripped a liner down the left field line that got caught under the fence for an RBI groundrule double (runners on second and third, one out). Anaconda 1, Smith 0. Shivley grounded out to Marquette at first for the second out, but picked up an RBI as Nikolski scored from third on the play (McLaughlin went to third). Anaconda 2, Smith 0. Sapp hit an RBI single up the middle to score McLaughlin. Anaconda 3, Smith 0. Center reached on an infield single to put runners on first and second with two outs. Kennedy flew out to right for the third out.

*Early observation: I know it's still EXTREMELY early, but Anaconda just showed that it can swing the bats. It will be interesting to see if Anaconda continues to hit the ball as well as it did in the last half inning, and, if it does, it will be very interesting to see how long Melioris can last.

Bottom 1st: Richardson reached on a throwing error by the shortstop as his throw pulled the first baseman off the bag on what would have been a great play (the SS ranged to his left and then made a strong throw, but it was just wide). Kramer laid down a 1-3 sacrifice bunt (he nearly beat it out) for the first out, moving Richardson to second. Mallinder grounded out 4-3 for the second out (Richardson went to third on the play). Ciccotti popped out to end the inning on a great catch over the fence in foul territory by the first baseman.

Anaconda 3, Smith 0

Top 2nd: Fischer popped out to Ciccotti in foul territory for the first out. A. Pennings singled to right after fouling off several pitches in a long at-bat. J. Pennings grounded into a 5-4-3 double play for the second and third outs.

*Smith has double-barrel action going in the bullpen with Ryan Kramer and Nate Mallinder warming up.

Bottom 2nd: Nowicki grounded out to the third baseman for the first out. Marquette struck out looking for the second out. DeBlasiis was beaned to put a runner on first with two outs. Hendrington grounded out 5-3 to end the inning.

Anaconda 3, Smith 0

Top 3rd: Nikolski grounded out 4-3 for the first out. McLaughlin ripped a single up the middle. Shivley walked to put runners on first and second with one out. Sapp grounded out 4-3 for the second out (the runners advanced to second and third). Center grounded out to Hendrington (his third assist of the inning) for the third out, stranding two runners in scoring position.

Bottom 3rd: Cooke flew out for the first out on a well-hit ball to left field. Richardson struck out swinging for the second out. Kramer popped out weakly to the first baseman to end the inning.

Anaconda 3, Smith 0

Top 4th: Kennedy smoked the inning's first pitch for a one-hop double off the left field wall. Fischer struck out swinging for the first out. A. Pennings grounded out to Hendrington for the second out (Kennedy went to third on the play). J. Pennings struck out swinging for the third out, stranding Kennedy at third.

Bottom 4th: Mallinder singled to right to lead off. Mallinder stole second. Ciccotti flew out to center for the first out. Mallinder was thrown out attempting to steal third for the second out. Nowicki flew out to left to end the inning.

Anaconda 3, Smith 0

Top 5th: Nikolski flew out to Cooke in right for the first out. McLaughlin flew out to Mallinder in left for the second out. Shivley grounded out to Hendrington for the third out.

*Melioris seems to be getting stronger as the game goes on. After a shaky first, he's been cruising (minus a few hard hit balls) over the last four innings.

Bottom 5th: Marquette walked to lead off. DeBlasiis drew a second straight walk to put runners on first and second with no outs. Anaconda made a pitching change, bringing in Center (who was in left field) in place of Massaroni. A. Pennings moved from DH to left field. After failing to get a bunt down (two foul balls), Hendrington struck out looking for the first out on a nasty curveball from Center. Cooke hit a grounder to the second baseman who tagged DeBlasiis for the first out, then threw to first to get Cooke to complete the double play and end the inning.

Anaconda 3, Smith 0

*Here's Massaroni's final line (now that we know neither of the runs scored that he would have been responsible for): 4+ IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 H, 2 K, 2 BB, 1 HBP.

Top 6th: Sapp grounded out to Marquette for the first out as the first baseman made a nice play to dive and touch the bag just before Sapp could reach it. Center drew a one-out walk. Kennedy grounded out 2-3 on a chopper in front of home plate for the second out (Center moved to second on the play). Fischer struck out looking for the third out.

Bottom 6th: Richardson walked to lead off. Kramer reached on an error on a bunt attempt as the first baseman dropped a good throw from Center (runners on first and second, no outs). Mallinder ripped an RBI single down the left field line, just out of the reach of the diving third baseman, to score Richardson from second (runners on first and second, no outs). Anaconda 3, Smith 1. Ciccotti grounded out 5-3 for the first out, but the runners moved up to second and third on the play. Nowicki hit what looked to be a routine groundout to the third baseman, but his throw was low and skipped past the first baseman for an error, allowing Kramer to score from third, Mallinder to move up to third, and Nowicki to go all the way to second. Anaconda 3, Smith 2. Marquette got beaned in the hand to load the bases with one out. Mallinder scored on a wild pitch from Center (Nowicki went to third and Marquette advanced to second). Smith 3, Anaconda 3. DeBlasiis walked to reload the bases with one out. Hendrington grounded into a 6-4 fielder's choice for the second out, and beat out the second baseman's throw to first to complete the double play, allowing Nowicki to score from third to put Smith in front (runners on the corners, two outs). Smith 4, Anaconda 3. Cooke flew out to the warning track in left to end the inning.

Smith 4, Anaconda 3

Top 7th: A. Pennings grounded out 3-1 for the first out. J. Pennings grounded out to Kramer at short for the second out. Nikolski struck out looking for the third out.

*The Smith fans just went nuts after the strike out by Melioris to end the top of the seventh. It's clear that the momentum has shifted in Smith's favor big time.

Bottom 7th: Richardson reached on an infield single as he beat out a high chopper to the shortstop to lead off. Kramer laid down a 2-3 sacrifice bunt for the first out, moving Richardson to second. Mallinder lined out to the right fielder for the second out (Richardson tagged and moved up to third). Ciccotti grounded out sharply 4-3 to end the inning.

Smith 4, Anaconda 3

Top 8th: McLaughlin grounded out 6-3 for the first out. Shivley struck out looking at a beautiful curveball from Melioris for the second out. Sapp reached on an infield single that was stopped on a dive by Kramer, but hit soft enough for Sapp to reach base safely. Center ripped a groundball single up the middle to put runners on first and second with two outs. Smith coach Tony Abone Jr. just trotted out to the mound to have a talk with his pitcher and infielders. Melioris struck Kennedy out looking at a nasty curveball for the third out, stranding two runners on base.

*Mallinder is warming up in the bullpen for Smith. However, Melioris is still going strong as he's allowed just five hits and no runs over the last seven innings after giving up three runs on four hits in the first.

Bottom 8th: Nowicki struck out swinging for the first out. Marquette struck out swinging for the second out. DeBlasiis ripped a two-out groundball single to left. Dustin Colgan came in to pinch run for DeBlasiis. Colgan stole second to put a runner in scoring position. Hedrington struck out swinging to end the inning.

Smith 4, Anaconda 3

*Anaconda will have its 9-1-2 hitters due up, needing to score at least one run to extend the game.

Top 9th: Fischer flew out to left for the first out. A Pennings struck out looking for the second out. J. Pennings struck out looking to end the game.

FINAL: Smith 4, Anaconda 3

*Smith stays alive and advances to tomorrow's 11 a.m. semifinal game against Newburgh. The winner of that game will play Anaconda at 2 p.m. in a winner-take-all state championship game.

Smith to play at 7 p.m. tonight

2008-08-09T09:46:00.004-04:00

NEWBURGH — Smith Post will play Anaconda at 7 p.m. tonight in the American Legion New York State championship tournament at Delano-Hitch Stadium.

Anaconda remained undefeated in the tournament with a 7-5 victory over Jurek Friday night in a game that did no start until after 10 p.m. due to rain delays ealier in the day.

Smith advanced with a 9-6 win over Melvin Roads in Friday's second game. With a win today, Smith will advance to Sunday's semifinals against the winner of today's 4 p.m. game between Jurek and Newburgh at 11 a.m. Sunday.

If Smith loses, it will be eliminated from the tournament and the winner of the Jurek vs. Newburgh game will take on Anaconda in the championship round on Sunday, needing to win twice to capture the state title. The games will be played at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. (if necessary).

Anaconda will play in the championship round regardless of the outcome of its game with Smith tonight. If it loses today, it will meet the winner of Sunday's 11 a.m. semifinal in a winner-take-all championship game at 2 p.m.

*I'm still down in Newburgh and will be covering tonight's game. As always, I'll provide live play-by-play action on the blog and welcome you guys to follow along.

*For now, I'm going to to grab some food and check out my brother's work site in northern New Jersey (about an hour from Newburgh) to kill some time. He is working as an engineer on a water treatment plant this summer. Needless to say, this is going to be something new for a journalist such as myself. Have a good day. I'll check in with you guys later on...

FINAL: Smith 9, Melvin Roads 6

2008-08-08T15:03:00.061-04:00

Hey legion fans. I just arrived at Newburgh's Delano-Hitch Stadium about 30 minutes ago for today's losers bracket matchup between Smith Post and defending state champion Melvin Roads. The game was scheduled to start at 3 p.m., but it looks like we're not going to get underway for at least another two hours as rain and lightning has delayed today's first game (Rockland vs. Newburgh) over an hour.

The field is in terrible shape from a steady dose of rain over the last three days. There are puddles throughout the infield and the batters box is a disaster. There are 13 people working on the infield right now, raking and spreading quick dry in an attempt to get today's games in. The PA announcer just made an plea for more help over the loud speaker, asking "any Newburgh Nuclear fathers that are available" to help clean up the field.

The drive down here was something else. There was steady rain throughout, but a few patches of terrential downpours that were not fun to drive through. I was going 30 mph on the thruway at some points because of the terrible conditions.

I'll keep you guys up-to-date on the status of the Smith game. But, like I said before, it looks like it will be at least another two hours before it gets started.

UPDATE (3:40 p.m.): The improvised grounds crew has done a great job of getting the field cleaned up. They just finished lining the first and third base lines, and the batters box. It looks like the Rockland-Newburgh game will resume within the next 20 minutes. The game was delayed over an hour ago with the two teams tied at nine in the seventh inning. The Smith game will follow shortly after the conclusion of that game.

The Smith players have been waiting patiently in the stands during the delay. The team is hanging out in the grandstand, just relaxing and joking around to pass the time. Several players have made trips to the concession stands and bathroom to break the monotiny.

UPDATE (3:50 p.m.): I just spoke with Smith assistant coach Brad Waters. He told me his team has been at the field since 1 p.m. today and, while the guys are getting a little tired of sitting around, they're dealing okay with the long delay. He said it's becoming a bit of a trend for them as their first-round game Wednesday was delayed for nearly three hours. They arrived at Delano-Hitch Stadium at 8 a.m. that day, only to wait until 1 p.m. to get their game started.

Waters said he thinks today's game against Melvin Roads will be the biggest test for Smith. He said if they can get past Melvin Roads, they "should be in good shape." He also said his team is extra motivated for today since Melvin Roads is the team Smith lost to in last year's state championship game. Kyle Richardson will be the starting pitcher for Smith. Waters said Garrett Baker will likely be used in relief after throwing just 65 pitches in yesterday's win.

The PA announcer just announced that the Rockland-Newburgh game will resume at 4:15 p.m. Again, that game is tied at nine in the seventh. The Smith game will follow once that game concludes.

UPDATE (5 p.m.): The Rockland-Newburgh game is now in the bottom of the eighth inning with Newburgh leading 12-10. Newburgh is the home team.

The Smith-Melvin Roads game will start approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of this game.

UPDATE (5:23 p.m.): This Rockland-Newburgh game seems like it might never end. It looked like Newburgh was well on their way to sending Rockland home with a 14-10 lead going into the top of the ninth inning. But, Rockland wasn't going to go down without a fight. Now, nearly five and half hours after the game's first pitch was thrown, Rockland scored two runs to cut the lead in half and now has runners on second and third with two outs.

UPDATE (5:26 p.m.): Well, we're going to be waiting a bit longer for the Smith game. Rockland just tied the game with a 2-RBI single past Newburgh's diving shortstop. It now has the go-ahead run on first. Newburgh is the home team.

UPDATE (5:37 p.m.): The Rockland-Newburgh game is heading into extra innings tied at 14.

UPDATE (5:50 p.m.): Newburgh just beat Rockland on a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the 10th inning. Newburgh advances to face the loser of tonight's Jurek-Anaconda game (orginally scheduled for 7 p.m., but they obviously aren't going to get started then) at 4 p.m. tomorrow. We're looking at a 6:40 p.m. start time for the Smith-Melvin Roads game. I'll keep you guys posted...

UPDATE (6:15 p.m.): We're about 25 minutes away from the start of a losers bracket game between Smith and Melvin Roads. Smith fell 8-4 in the tournament's first round on Wednesday and then eliminated Horseheads with a 16-5 mercy-rule victory yesterday to get to today's game. Melvin Roads beat Newburgh 4-0 Wednesday and then lost 7-6 to Anaconda last night after holding a 6-0 lead. Melvin Roads is the defending New York State champion.

The tournament is now down to five teams: Anaconda (2-0), Jurek (2-0), Smith (1-1), Melvin Roads (1-1), and Newburgh (2-1). Anaconda and Jurek meet in today's final game (following Smith vs. Melvin Roads) with the winner advancing to face the winner of the Smith-Melvin Roads game at 7 p.m. tomorrow. The loser of the Anaconda-Jurek game takes on Newburgh at 4 p.m. tomorrow. The loser of the Smith-Melvin Roads game will be eliminated from the tournament.

Now, on to Smith's third game of the state tournament. Smith is the home team after winning the coin toss for the third time in three games.

Starting lineups:
Smith (28-4-1)
1. Kyle Richardson, P
2. Ryan Kramer, SS
3. Nate Mallinder, CF
4. Zack Ciccotti, C
5. Jason Nowicki, LF
6. Joe Melioris, 3B
7. Eli Hendrington, 2B
8. Ryan Marquette, 1B
9. Ryan Cooke, RF
Pitcher: Kyle Richardson, RHP

Melvin Roads (24-13)
1. Kevin Barnes, SS
2. A.J. Ragone, 2B
3. Mike Krogh, 3B
4. John Barna, 1B
5. Ryan Regan, LF
6. Anibal Maldonado, CF
7. Joe Fazioli, DH
8. Mike Barana, C
9. Anthony Valenti, RF
Pitcher: Ethan Lyons, RHP

*If the fans could score runs, Smith would win this one by the mercy rule. Smith has a noticable advantage in crowd size and loudness. The Smith fans went nuts during the team's introduction. You could hear a pin drop while Melvin Road's players were being introduced. I think the big Smith crowd is an Oneida County thing. When I was here for the 2005 NYS tournament and the 2006 Mid-Atlantic Regional as a player for New Hartford, we always had the biggest crowd (even bigger than the hometown Newburgh team - Smith has that too).

*I have a great view of the action from up in the press box. However (and this unfortunate), the view only re-enforces my opinion that the state tournament should be permanantly moved to Murnane Field's Donovan Stadium in Utica. The facilities here at Delano-Hitch Stadium are nice, but the field itself is far from the best (not even close to Murnane) and the crowds that are drawn to the tournament games here are nowhere near as large as they are when the tournament is held in Utica. The tournament is just much better overall when it is played in Utica (and I speak from experience having played in two state tournaments at Murnane, and a state and Mid-Atlantic Regional tournament here at Delano-Hitch).

*6:47 p.m. - We're finally underway here in Newburgh (three hours and forty seven minutes after the originally scheduled start time).

Top 1st: Barnes grounded out to Melioris at third for the first out. Ragone grounded out weakly to Melioris for the second out. Krogh single past a diving Melioris to give Melvin Roads a two-out base runner. Barna grounded out 6-3 to end the inning.

Bottom 1st: Richardson ripped a line-drive double down the left field line to lead off. Kramer laid down a 2-4 sacrifice bunt to move Richardson to third with one out. Mallinder bombed a RBI triple off the base of the wall in center field to put Smith in front. Smith 1, Melvin Roads 0. Ciccotti ripped a shot off the left field fence (a foot higher and it would have been a home run) for an RBI double. Smith 2, Melvin Roads 0. Nowicki singled to left to put runners on the corners with one out. Melioris walked to load the bases with one out. Hendrington hit a sacrifice fly to left to score Ciccotti from third (runners on first and second, two outs). Smith 3, Melvin Roads 0. Marquette flew out to center to end the inning.

Smith 3, Melvin Roads 0

Top 2nd: Regan doubled down the left field line to lead off. Maldonado was beaned to put runners on first and second with no outs. Fazioli grounded into a 6-4-3 double play (runner on third, two outs). Regan scored on a passed ball on a pitch in the dirt that tipped off Ciccotti's glove all the way to the backstop. Smith 3, Melvin Roads 1. Barana struck out swinging for the third out.

Bottom 2nd: Cooke gave it a ride to deep center, but was retired for the first out on a nice running catch by Maldanado. Richardson hit a double to the gap in right-center (his second double of the game). Kramer reached on a throwing error by the third baseman as his throw was high and pulled the first baseman off the bag. Mallinder flew out to deep center for the second out. Richardson tagged on the play (runners on first and third, two outs). Richardson scored from third as Kramer stole second and the catcher's throw was low and skidded into center field. Kramer went to third and Richardson scored on the errant throw. Smith 4, Melvin Roads 1. Ciccotti walked and Kramer scored on the play as the catcher dropped the ball when he went to throw it back to the pitcher. The ball slipped out of his hand and rolled all the way into the Smith dugout on the third base side, allowing Kramer to come home. Smith 5, Melvin Roads 1. Nowicki flew out to the warning track in left field to end the inning.

Smith 5, Melvin Roads 1

Top 3rd: Valenti grounded out 6-3 for the first out. Barnes struck out swinging for the second out. Ragone hit a two-out single to right. Krogh singled to put runners on first and second with two outs. Barna hit an RBI single to right and then advanced to second on Cooke's throw to the plate (runners on second and third, two outs). Smith 5, Melvin Roads 2. Regan continued the two-out rally with a two-RBI single to right. Smith 5, Melvin Roads 4. Maldonado grounded out sharply 1-3 for the third out.

*Garrett Baker is warming up in the Smith bullpen. Baker needed just 65 pitches to pick up the win in yesterday's game. Smith assistant coach Brad Waters told me that Baker would likely be who they go with if they need to relieve Richardson.

Bottom 3rd: Melioris singled to center to lead off. Hedrington laid down a 1-3 sacrifice bunt to move Melioris to second with one out. Marquette hit a RBI double to right to score Melioris from second. Smith 6, Melvin Roads 4. Cooke reached on an infield single that turned into quite the whacky play. Cooke just beat the second baseman's throw to first on a weakly hit grounder up the middle. The throw was low and got away from the first baseman for an error. Marquette went to third on the single and then scored when the throw skipped away from the first baseman. Cooke advanced to second as the first baseman's throw home (in an attempt to get Marquette) was wild. Smith 7, Melvin Roads 4. Richardson grounded out 5-3 for the second out (Cooke went to third on the play). Kramer popped out to the first baseman in foul territory to end the inning.

Smith 7, Melvin Roads 4

Top 4th: Fazioli popped out to Marquette in foul territory for the first out. Barana popped out to Melioris for the second out. Valenti popped out to Marquette in foul territory for the third out.

Bottom 4th: Mallinder reached on a error by the second baseman as he bobbled a grounder and couldn't recover in time to make the throw to first. Ciccotti laid down a 1-3 sacrifice bunt to move Mallinder to second with one out. Nowicki singled to left to put runners on the corners with one out. Nowicki stole second. Melioris reached on a throwing error by the shortstop as his throw was high and pulled the first baseman off the bag (bases loaded, one out). Hedrington hit a sacrifice fly to center (his second of the game) to score Mallinder from third (runners on first and second, two outs). Smith 8, Melvin Roads 4. Marquette walked to load the bases. Cooke flew out to center to end the inning, leaving the bases loaded.

Smith 8, Melvin Roads 4

Top 5th: Barnes singled to right to lead off. Ragone laid down a 5-3 sacrifice bunt to move Barnes to second with one out. Krogh hit an RBI double to right to score Barnes from second. Smith 8, Melvin Roads 5. Barna singled home Krogh, but was thrown out (9-3-6) trying to reach second on the right fielder's throw to the cutoff man. Smith 8, Melvin Roads 6. Regan doubled to the gap in left-center. Maldonado struck out swinging for the third out.

Bottom 5th: Richardson grounded out 5-3 for the first out. Kramer popped out to the second baseman for the second out. Mallinder drew a two-out walk. Ciccotti flew out to left to end the inning.

Smith 8, Melvin Roads 6

Top 6th: Fazioli struck out swinging for the first out. Barana popped out to Marquette for the second out. Valenti grounded out to Richardson for the third out.

Bottom 6th: Nowicki struck out for the first out. Melioris popped out to the catcher for the second out. Hendrington grounded out to third to end the inning.

Smith 8, Melvin Roads 6

*Garrett Baker has replaced Richardson on the mound for Smith. Baker threw 65 pitches and picked up the win in yesterday's 16-5 victory over Horseheads. Richardson moved to center. Mallinder shifted over to left field and Nowicki went to right. Baker will bat in the nine hole, replacing Cooke.

Top 7th: Barnes struck out on a check swing (that was appealed to the first base umpire) for the first out. Ragone singled to left. Krogh flew out to Nowicki in right for the second out. Barna singled up the middle. Ragone went from first to third on the play and Barna advanced to second on Richardson's throw to third that was just late. Regan grounded out to Hendrington for the third out, stranding two runners in scoring position.

Bottom 7th: Marquette struck out swinging for the first out. Baker grounded out 4-3 for the second out. Richardson struck out swinging to end the inning.

Smith 8, Melvin Roads 6

Top 8th: Maldonado singled to left to lead off. Tyler Rose has come in the pinch hit for Fazioli. Rose struck out swinging for the first out. Maldonado was caught stealing for the second out (it wasn't even close as Ciccotti gunned him down with plenty of time to spare - Malodonado didn't even bothering sliding). Baker struck out Barana swinging for the third out.

*Who knows what would have happened had Malodano not been thrown out stealing, but the unsuccessful steal attempt is definitely something the Melvin Roads coaching staff will be kicking themselves about if they end up losing this game. Trailing by two runs in the top of eighth and trying to steal second is awfully questionable. Perhaps there was a mix-up in the signs? Either way, it was a big play at a very important time in the game.

Bottom 8th: Kramer struck out for the first out. Mallinder got beaned to put a runner on first base. Ciccotti singled to left (Mallinder went from first to third) to put runners on the corners with no outs. Nowicki smoked a RBI double to the wall in left (runners on second and third, one out). Smith 9, Melvin Roads 6. Melioris struck out swinging for the second out. Hedrington struck out looking to end the inning.

Smith 9, Melvin Roads 6

Top 9th: Valenti grounded out to Kramer for the first out. Barnes flew out to left for the second out. Ragone singled to right on a fly ball that was just out of the reach of a diving Nowicki. Krogh struck out swinging to end the game.

FINAL: Smith 9, Melvin Roads 6

Smith stays alive at states

2008-08-07T12:22:00.003-04:00

Smith Post scored nine runs in the first inning on its way to a 16-5 seven-inning, mercy-rule shortened victory over Horseheads Post Thursday in a losers bracket game of the American Legion New York State Championship tournament at Newburgh's Delano-Hitch Stadium.

Smith advances to face the loser of tonight's game between Anaconda and defending state champion Melvin Roads at 3 p.m. tomorrow. With the loss, Horseheads becomes the first team eliminated from the eight-team state tournament.

Smith beat Anaconda 2-1 in an earlier season matchup in Albany. The last time the Romans faced Melvin Roads was in last year's state championship game when they fell victim to a no-hitter in a 13-0 loss.

Check out the update from the OD's website and check back there later for more details on today's win: http://www.uticaod.com/homepage/x977626534/Smith-Post-wins-at-Legion-state-tourney

Oneida County All-Stars

2008-08-06T18:12:00.003-04:00

Hey legion fans. I just received an e-mail from Whitestown Post manager Paul Engelhart with the rosters for the annual Oneida County American Legion All-Star Game between the Blue Division All-Stars and the Gold Division All-Stars.

This year's game will be played on Sunday, August 10th at 7 p.m. at DeLutis Field. A short awards presentation (for the league's top players in select statistical categories) will take place before the game at 6:45 p.m.

Now to the rosters...

Blue Division All-Stars
Pitcher
Garrett Baker - Smith Post 24
Mike Mahay - Whitestown Post 1113
Tyler Mann - Roberts Post 161
Matt Martin - Helmuth-Ingalls Post 232
Joe Melioris - Smith Post 24

Catcher
Zack Ciccotti - Smith Post 24
Andy Munn - Parkhurst Post 1448

First Base
Tyler Beck - Whitestown Post 1113
Cory Sprague - Parkhurst Post 1448

Second Base
Conner Flisnik - Whitestown Post 1113
Matt Rotundo - Adrean Post 625

Shortstop
Alex Ferenti - Whitestown Post 1113
Ryan Kramer - Smith Post 24

Third Base
Dan Barnes - Parkhurst Post 1448
Jason Nowicki - Smith Post 24

Right Field
Steve Campbell - Adrean Post 625
George Hajjar - Whitestown Post 1113
Nick Iselo - Roberts Post 161

Center Field
D.J. Forbragd - Moran-Meeker-O'Rourke Post 66
Kyle Richardson - Smith Post 24

Left Field
Nate Mallinder - Smith Post 24
Jeff Sergott - Parkhurst Post 1448

Gold Division All-Stars
Pitcher
TJ Abounader - Utica Post 229
Alex Giovannone - New Hartford Post 1376
Joe Perrotta - Utica Post 229
Sean Redmond - Fort Schuyler Post 1290

Catcher
Mike Doyle - New Hartford Post 1376
Matt Sayles - Sherrill Post 230

First Base
Mike Scotellaro - Utica Post 229
Eric Verbikas - New Hartford Post 1376

Second Base
Joe Carcone - New Hartford Post 1376
Mark Van Dreason - Utica Post 229

Shortstop
Joe Betar - New Hartford Post 1376
Mark Dixon - Sherrill Post 230

Third Base
Ryan Donovan - Utica Post 229
Ed Schulze - Fort Schuyler Post 1290

Right Field
Joe Desens - New Hartford Post 1376
Jared Marshall - Fort Schuyler Post 1290

Center Field
Ryan Dungey - Sherrill Post 230
Mike Matt - New Hartford Post 1376

Left Field
Cody Hitt - Love Post 406
Devin Warmack - Utica Post 229

*So what do you guys think? Who was left off that should have made the teams? Who is on the roster that you don't think deserves the spot? Let the debating begin...

State tourney: Smith falls in first game

2008-08-06T14:37:00.006-04:00

Smith Post lost to Jurek Post 8-4 today in the opening game of the American Legion New York State championship tournament at Delano-Hitch Stadium in Newburgh.

The start of the game was delayed for two hours due to rain. The loss moves Smith into the losers bracket of the double-elimination tournament where it will next play at 10 a.m. tomorrow against the loser of today's 5 p.m. game between Horseheads and Rockland.

Here's a more detailed account of today's game from OD sportswriter Ron Moshier: http://www.uticaod.com/breaking/x903585818/Smith-Post-loses-in-first-round-of-American-Legion-tourney

Smith playing in state tourney opener

2008-08-04T16:40:00.004-04:00

The schedule for this week’s American Legion New York State championship tournament in Newburgh is set as Oneida County and District V champion Smith Post (27-3-1) looks to take home the state title a year after finishing runner-up.

Smith plays in the tourney opener Wednesday at 10 a.m. against District VIII representative Jurek Post (Buffalo). All of the tournament’s games will be played at Delano-Hitch Stadium in Newburgh with the winner (eventual state champion) advancing to next week’s Mid-Atlantic Regional tournament in Colonial Heights, Va.

The state tournament's teams are drawn from seven districts across New York State, with the host district receiving an extra bid to round out the eight-team field. Each team is champion of its respective district (with the exception of the host).

Here is a look at the tournament field, by district:

District III: Melvin Roads Post
District IV: Anaconda Indians
District V: Smith Post
District VI: Horseheads Post
District VII: Greece Post
District VIII: Jurek Post
District IX: Rockland OTB Pirates (Eller/Laders Post)
Host team: Newburgh Nuclears

Here is a look at the complete schedule for the double-elimination state tournament:

Wednesday, August 6
Game 1: Jurek Post vs. Smith Post, 10 a.m.
Game 2: Greece Post vs. Anaconda Indians, 1 p.m.
Game 3: Horseheads Post vs. Rockland OTB Pirates, 5 p.m.
Game 4: Melvin Roads Post vs. Newburgh Nuclears, 8 p.m.

Thursday, August 7
Game 5: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 3, 10 a.m.
Game 6: Loser of Game 2 vs. Loser of Game 4, 1 p.m.
Game 7: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 3, 5 p.m.
Game 8: Winner of Game 2 vs. Winner of Game 4, 8 p.m.

Friday, August 8
Game 9: Winner of Game 6 vs. Loser of Game 7, 12 p.m.
Game 10: Winner of Game 5 vs. Loser of Game 8, 3 p.m.
Game 11: Winner of Game 7 vs. Winner of Game 8, 7 p.m.

Saturday, August 9
Game 12: Winner of Game 9 vs. Loser of Game 11, 4 p.m.
Game 13: Winner of Game 10 vs. Winner of Game 11, 7 p.m.

Sunday, August 10
Game 14: Winner of Game 12 vs. Winner of Game 13, 11 a.m.
Game 15: Winner of Game 11 vs. Winner of Game 14, 2 p.m.

*So what do you guys think? Can Smith pull off the sweep and take the state title after winning the county and district crowns? Will Smith's limited three-man pitching rotation be enough to survive the grueling stretch that is the state tournament (remember, games are nine innings like in districts)? How about the bats? Can Smith bring the hit parade that we saw in Sunday's District V finals to Newburgh? Let's hear it...

Game 3 Final: Smith 18, NH 1 (7 inn.)

2008-08-03T15:09:00.049-04:00

A third-and-deciding Game 3 will be played to decide who advances on to the New York State championship tournament in Newburgh.

Smith evened the series at 1-1 with a 12-2 (7 inning, mercy rule) victory in Game 2. New Hartford won Game 1 9-8 in 10 innings on Friday night.

I've just learned that this game will start at 3:45 p.m. So check back then to follow the action.

*Smith will use the exact same line up that it used in Game 2, including the pitcher. Garrett Baker will start Game 3 after throwing 93 pitches in today's first game. He will only be allowed to throw a maximum of five innings as per American Legion rules. Baker entered today on just three days rest after throwing nine innings on Wednesday.

*Chandler Evans will start on the hill for New Hartford. He is on nearly two weeks rest, not having thrown since the first game of the Oneida County playoffs back on Monday, July 21.

Starting lineups:
Smith (26-3-1)
1. Kyle Richardson, CF
2. Ryan Kramer, SS
3. Nate Mallinder, LF
4. Jason Nowicki, 3B
5. Zack Ciccotti, C
6. Rocco DeBlasiis, DH
7. Ryan Marquette, 1B
8. Eli Hendrington, 2B
9. Ryan Cooke, RF
Pitcher: Garrett Baker, LHP

New Hartford (21-10)
1. Erik Sheridan, LF
2. Joe Carcone, 2B
3. Mike Matt, CF
4. Eric Verbickas, 1B
5. Joe Desens, DH
6. Dan Nelson, 3B
7. Pat Calli, RF
8. Mike Doyle, C
9. Joe Betar, SS
Pitcher: Chandler Evans, RHP

*Smith will be the home team for the second straight game after winning the coin toss.

Top 1st: Sheridan flew out to left for the first out. Carcone ripped a one-out double to the gap in left-center. Matt struck out looking for the second out. Carcone went to third on a passed ball that scooted away from Ciccotti. Carcone scored on the next pitch on a wild pitch from Baker. NH 1, Smith 0. Verbickas grounded out 4-3 for the third out.

Bottom 1st: Richardson flew out to center for the first out. Kramer grounded out 5-3 for the second out. Mallinder reached on an infield single up the middle. Mallinder went from first to third on a two-base throwing error by Evans on a pickoff attempt. Nowicki hit an RBI single up the middle to tie the game. Smith 1, NH 1. Ciccotti singled to left to put runners on first and second with two outs. DeBlasiis walked to load the bases. Evans threw a wild pitch over the head of Doyle, allowing Nowicki to score and Smith to take the lead (runners on second and third, two outs). Smith 2, NH 1. Evans threw another wild pitch over Doyle's head to let Smith score again. Smith 3, NH 1. Marquette struck out swinging to end the inning, stranding DeBlasiis at third.

*Smith has continued its hot two-out scoring streak. After scoring its first seven runs of Game 2 with two outs, Smith has scored its first three of this game with two down. Smith has scored 10 of its 15 runs today with two outs.

Smith 3, New Hartford 1

Top 2nd: Desens grounded out to Nowicki at third for the first out. Nelson struck out swinging at a change up for the second out. Calli struck out looking at a nasty backdoor curveball for the third out.

*Baker has thrown 25 pitches through two innings, bringing his full day total to 118.

Bottom 2nd: Hendrington reached on a weak chopper for an infield single down the third baseline. Cooke laid down a sacrifice bunt for the first out, moving Hendrington to second. Richardson reached on an infield single as Betar's attempt to tag Hendrington running to third was unsuccessful and then his throw to first was late. Hendrington scored on a throwing error as Betar's late throw to Verbickas was late. Smith 4, NH 1. Kramer singled to left to put runners on first and second with one out. Mallinder ripped a single past a diving Nelson to load the bases. Nowicki bombed the first pitch he saw off the wall in left-center field for a three-RBI, bases-clearing double. Smith 7, NH 1. Ciccotti popped out to Doyle in foul territory for the second out. DeBlasiis hit an infield single that was knocked down in the middle of the infield by Carcone to keep Nowicki from scoring (runners on first and third, two outs). Marquette popped out to Betar to end the inning.

Smith 7, New Hartford 1

*Smith changes: Baker has been relieved on the mound by Richardson. Mallinder took Richardson's place in center. Ryan Cooke went from right field to left field. Baker shifted to right field.

Top 3rd: Doyle flew out to center for the first out. Betar grounded out to short on a nice play by Kramer for the second out. Sheridan flew out to right for the third out.

*Richardson needed only seven pitches to retire the side in his first inning on the hill.

Bottom 3rd: Hendrington lined a single to left to lead off. New Hartford manager John Randall came out to relieve Evans in favor of Nelson. Desens took Nelson's spot at third, moving there from DH. Cooke grounded out to first on a nice diving stop by Verbickas for the first out. Hendrington went to second on the play. Richardson struck out swinging for the second out. Kramer grounded out 4-3 to end the inning.

Smith 7, New Hartford 1

*Smith's hot hitting from Game 2 has carried over into this one as it already has 10 hits in just three innings. After ripping New Hartford pitching for 18 hits in today's first game, Smith now has 28 hits in 10 innings.

Top 4th: Carcone grounded out to Richardson for the first out. Matt reached on an infield single in the hole toward third as Kramer's throw to first wasn't fast enough to get the speedy Matt. Ciccotti hosed Matt on a steal attempt for the second out. Verbickas blooped a single to shallow center field to give New Hartford a two-out base runner. Desens hit a high chopper to Hendrington and the second baseman made a strong throw to first just before Desens could touch the base for the third out.

Bottom 4th: Mallinder hit a triple to the gap in right-center to lead off. Nowicki ripped an RBI double down the left field line (his third hit and fifth RBI of the game). Smith 8, NH 1. Ciccotti hit an RBI double to the gap in right-center. Smith 9, NH 1. Baker (batting for DeBlasiis) walked to put runners on first and second with no outs. Marquette singled to right to load the bases with no out. Hendrington struck out looking for the first out. Cooke picked up an RBI with a walk to keep the bases loaded. Smith 10, NH 1. Richardson poked an RBI single to center. Smith 11, NH 1. Matt threw Marquette out at the plate for the second out as he tried scoring from second on Richardson's single. Cooke went to third on the throw home (runners on first and third, two outs). Kramer hit an RBI single to left to score Cooke (runners on first and second, two outs). Smith 12, NH 1. Mallinder walked to load the bases. Richardson scored on a wild pitch from Nelson that went behind the batter. Smith 13, NH 1. Kramer went to third and Mallinder advanced to second on the wild pitch. Nowicki flew out to center to end the inning.

Smith 13, New Hartford 1

*The offensive explosion for Smith continues...The Romans ripped off six hits in the fourth and now has 34 hits in 11 total innings today.

Top 5th: Nelson blooped a single to right-center to lead off. Calli struck out swinging for the first out. Doyle singled to left to put runners on first and second with one out. Betar flew out to Baker down the right field line. Sheridan struck out looking for the third out.

*Mike Bower has come in to pitch for New Hartford. Nelson moved back to third base and Desens is now out of the game (Bower will take his spot in the batting order).

Bottom 5th: Ciccotti drew a leadoff walk. Baker walked to put runners on first and second with no outs. Bower walked a third straight batter, Marquette, to load the bases with no outs. Hendrington hit an RBI single to center to keep the bases loaded. Smith 14, NH 1. Cooke picked up an RBI on a 6-4 fielder's choice (runners on the corners, one out). Smith 15, NH 1. Richardson bombed a three-run homerun over the fence in left. Smith 18, NH 1. Kramer singled up the middle on a lined shot that Bower just got out of the way of. Mallinder popped out to Calli in right for the second out. Nowicki singled up the middle to put runners on first and second with two outs. Matt Wanner has come on to bat for Ciccotti. Wanner popped out to Betar to end the inning.

*Richardson's three-run shot was his second homerun of the day. He hit a two-run homer to almost the exact same spot in Game 2 of the series.

*Smith now has 38 hits in 12 innings today. Smith has at least one hit in every inning.

Smith 18, New Hartford 1

*Dustin Colgan has come in to pitch for Smith. Richardson is now out of the game. Ryan Grogg has come in to the game at center field and Mallinder moved back to left field.

Top 6th: Carcone walked to lead off. Matt hit a hot-shot infield single at Nowicki that the third baseman knocked down, but couldn't relay to first in time. Verbickas walked to load the bases with no outs. Bower struck out swinging for the first out. Nelson grounded into a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning and the threat.

Bottom 6th: Baker ripped a single to left-center to lead off. Marquette struck out looking for the first out. New Hartford manager John Randall just made a bunch of changes (to have some of his final-year players recognized by the fans). Hendrington lined out to Carcone who made a great leaping grab and then threw to first to double off Baker who was caught off the bag to end the inning.

Smith 18, New Hartford 1

*New Hartford will have to score at least seven runs to avoid the seven-inning, 10-run mercy rule.

Top 7th: Kris Kallay (in for Calli) walked to lead off. Doyle struck out swinging for the first out. Kallay went to second on a wild pitch from Colgan. Betar walked to put runners on first and second with one out. Sheridan walked to load the bases. Carcone struck out swinging for the second out. Tyler Porter (in for Matt) grounded out to Kramer to end the game.

FINAL: Smith 18, New Hartford 1 (7 innings)

Game 2 Final: Smith 12, NH 2 (7 inn.)

2008-08-03T12:56:00.043-04:00

Hey guys. I'm here at DeLutis Field for Game 2 of the District V final series between New Hartford and Smith. As most of you probably know by now, New Hartford leads the series 1-0 after handing Smith its first loss to an Oneida County team on Friday night.

Smith coach Tony Abone Jr. told me yesterday that he did not know who would start on the hill for his team, but did say that ace Garrett Baker would definitely pitch at some point. Whether he would start or not, Abone Jr. did not know. Well, his mind is made up now as Baker is the starter on the lineup card. It will be a lefty-lefty matchup as Erik Sheridan will start for New Hartford.

Abone Jr. said his players were feeling better yesterday after Friday's heartbreaking loss.

"They're in a better frame of mind right now," he said. "Another day of rest, getting every a little more healthy, I'm sure is going to help."

It apparently helped center fielder and leadoff man Kyle Richardson as the tough do-all player will play today after dislocating his shoulder in the ninth inning of Game 1.

Now, let's get going with today's game. Smith is the home team after winning a pre-game coin toss. With a win, New Hartford advances to the NYS championship tournament. If Smith takes Game 2, a third-and-deciding Game 3 will follow to determine who moves on to Newburgh.

Starting lineups:
Smith (25-3-1)
1. Kyle Richardson, CF
2. Ryan Kramer, SS
3. Nate Mallinder, LF
4. Jason Nowicki, 3B
5. Zack Ciccotti, C
6. Rocco DeBlasiis, DH
7. Ryan Marquette, 1B
8. Eli Hendrington, 2B
9. Ryan Cooke, RF
Pitcher: Garrett Baker, LHP

New Hartford (21-9)
1. Erik Sheridan, P
2. Joe Carcone, 2B
3. Mike Matt, CF
4. Eric Verbickas, 1B
5. Joe Desens, LF
6. Dan Nelson, 3B
7. Pat Calli, RF
8. Mike Doyle, C
9. Joe Betar, SS
Pitcher: Erik Sheridan, LHP

Top 1st: Sheridan led off with a bomb of a double that one-hopped the fence in left-center field. Carcone laid down a sacrifice bunt for the first out, moving Sheridan to third. Matt drew a walk to put runners on the corners with one out. Verbickas was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Desens struck out swinging on a full-count change up for the second out. Nelson struck out swinging on a high fastball for the third out, stranding the bases loaded.

Bottom 1st: Richardson flew out to center for the first out. Kramer hit a high chopper to the hole on the left side of the infield for an infield single. Kramer was hosed out by Doyle on a steal attempt for the second out. Mallinder walked on a full-count fastball in the dirt. Nowicki drew a walk to put runners on first and second with two outs. Ciccotti ripped a single to right field to load the bases (Calli threw a perfect strike to the plate to keep the runner on second from scoring). DeBlasiis pulled the first pitch he saw through the hole between short and third and into left field for a two-RBI single (runners on first and second, two outs). Smith 2, NH 0. Marquette hit a grounder right at Sheridan and the pitcher made a nice diving stop and threw to third for the force out to end the inning.

Smith 2, New Hartford 0

Top 2nd: Calli hit a leadoff single that just squeaked under the glove of a diving Marquette. Doyle laid down a sacrifice bunt, but Ciccotti bobbled it, allowing Doyle to reach safely on an error (runners on first and second, no outs). Betar bunted toward third, but he hit it too hard as Nowicki scooped it up and touched third base on a dive for the first out (runners on first and second, one out). Sheridan struck out looking for the second out. Carcone drew a two-out walk to load the bases. After a first-pitch ball to Matt, Smith coach Tony Abone Jr. came out to the mound for a short chat with his pitcher. Baker struck out Matt on a 2-2 pitch for the third out as New Hartford stranded the bases loaded for the second straight inning.

Bottom 2nd: Hendrington lined out to Calli, who was playing shallow, for the first out. Cooke lined out to Matt in center for the second out. Richardson hit a two-out groundball single to left. Kramer lined out to left to end the inning.

Smith 2, New Hartford 0

*While New Hartford hasn't been able to score on Baker yet, its made the hard-throwing lefty work hard as he's already thrown 49 pitches through two innings. This will be something to watch as Baker is going on just three days rest after throwing a complete nine-inning game on Wednesday night. New Hartford's Sheridan, going on a full week's rest, has thrown 43 pitches.

Top 3rd: Verbickas flew out to left for the first out. Desens hit a nubber down the third baseline for an infield single. Nelson hit the first pitch he saw for a bloop single into center to put runners on first and second with one out. Calli struck out looking for the second out. Doyle hit a deep fly ball to left on the first pitch from Baker, but it was settled under by Mallinder for the third out.

*New Hartford has now stranded eight runners in scoring position in its three at-bats. Five of those runners were in scoring position.

*The last half inning was a good one for Baker as he only needed nine pitches to retire the side. His pitch count is now at 58 through three innings.

Bottom 3rd: Mallinder flew out to Desens in left on the first pitch from Sheridan. Nowicki ripped a line-drive single down the left field line (Desens made a nice play to cut it off and throw it in to keep Nowicki from getting extra bases). Ciccotti hit the first pitch he saw at Betar who turned the grounder into a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.

Smith 2, New Hartford 0

*Sheridan needed only four pitches in the bottom of the third. He's now thrown 47 pitches.

Top 4th: Betar flew out to Richardson for the first out. Sheridan took a fastball the opposite way to right field for a line-drive single. Carcone ripped a first-pitch curveball from Baker for a groundball single to left (runners on first and second, one out). Matt ripped a one-hop liner past Nowicki for an RBI single to cut the lead in half. Smith 2, NH 1. Carcone went from first to third on Matt's hit, just beating Mallinder's throw to third. Matt advanced to second on the throw (runners on second and third, one out). Verbickas was intentionally walked to load the bases with one out. Desens hit a sac fly to deep left to score Carcone from third and tie the game. NH 2, Smith 2. Nelson grounded out 4-6 to end the inning.

*New Hartford standed two more in the 4th (one in scoring position), and has now left 10 runners on base in the game.

*Baker needed 19 pitches in the top of the fourth and is now at 77 pitches through four innings.
Bottom 4th: DeBlasiis grounded out weakly to Sheridan for the first out. Marquette grounded out 4-3 for the second out. Hendrington pulled a liner past a fully-extended Betar at short for a two-out single. Cooke ripped a liner over the head of Desens in left (he misplayed the ball, running in too far and allowing it to get over his head) to score Hendrington all the way from first and give the lead back to Smith. Smith 3, NH 2. Richardson hit a second straight two-out RBI-double to the gap in left-center to score Cooke from second. Smith 4, NH 2. Kramer hit the first pitch from Sheridan up the middle for a single. Richardson was held at third and Kramer advanced to second on Matt's throw to the plate (runners on second and third, two outs). Mallinder grounded out 6-3 to end the inning, stranding two runners in scoring position.

Smith 4, New Hartford 2

*Smith has scored all of its runs with two outs.

*Sheridan threw 15 pitches in the fourth and is now up to 62 for the game. New Hartford has double-barrel action going in the bullpen as Pat Derrane and Mike Bower are warming up.

Top 5th: Calli hit a bloop single to left to lead off. Doyle popped out to Marquette in foul territory for the first out. Betar ripped a liner to left on the first pitch from Baker that was caught on a dive by the Mallinder for the second out. Mallinder threw to Kramer who relayed it to Marquette at first to double up Calli who was caught off the base.

*That was a big half inning for Baker as he needed only four pitches. He is now up to 81.

*It was the first inning New Hartford hasn't left a runner standed.

*A third New Hartford pitcher has gone to the bullpen as right-hander Kris Kallay is warming up.

Bottom 5th: Nowicki grounded out 4-3 for the first out. Ciccotti flew out to center for the second out. DeBlasiis poked a two-out single to left. Marquette drew a full-count walk to put runners on first and second with two outs. Hendrington ripped a line-drive to right-center, just out of the reach of a diving Matt, for a two-RBI double. Smith 6, NH 2. Cooke bombed an RBI triple to the gap in left-center. Smith 7, NH 2. *New Hartford manager John Randall came out to relieve Sheridan. Right-hander Pat Derrane is now pitching for New Hartford. Richardson flew out to center to end the inning, stranding Cooke at third.

Smith 7, New Hartford 2

*Smith has scored all seven of its runs with two outs.

*New Hartford's Derrane will lead off at the plate next inning. It will be just his second at-bat all season.

Top 6th: Derrane struck out swinging for the first out. Carcone popped out on a nice running grab by Ciccotti in foul territory. Matt struck out looking for the third out.

*The sixth was just a nine-pitch inning for Baker. He is now at 90 pitches. Remember, he's throwing on just three days rest.

*There is a huge crowd on hand here at DeLutis Field. The grandstands are full and the other bleecher sections are packed as well. A bunch of kids are running around and playing catch behind the bleechers.

Bottom 6th: Kramer worked a 10-pitch walk to lead off. Mallinder chopped an infield single down the third baseline that looked like it was going to roll foul, but was picked up by Nelson in fair territory. Nowicki flew out to center for the first out. Kramer tagged and went to third on the play (runners on the corners, one out). Ciccotti poked an RBI single to left (runners on first and second, one out). Smith 8, NH 2. DeBlasiis reached on a fielder's choice as he grounded to Nelson who stepped on third for the force and the inning's second out. Marquette grounded out to Verbickas on a nice backhand stop to end the inning.

Smith 8, New Hartford 2

*Smith is crushing the ball today and has 14 hits through six innings. Marquette is the only Smith batter without a base hit.

Top 7th: Ciccotti made a great catch in foul territory to retire Verbickas on one pitch for the first out. Desens ripped a liner on the first pitch from Baker, but Mallinder made a sliding catch in left for the second out. Nelson popped up to Hendrington for the third out.

*Baker needed the minimum - three pitches - to get through the seventh. His pitch count is at 93 after needing only 16 pitches (and facing only nine batters) over the past three innings.

*New Hartford substitutions: Tyler Porter has replaced Verbickas at first. Tim Whalen has come on to catch in place of Doyle.

Bottom 7th: Hendrington hit a chopper over the head of Nelson for a leadoff single. Cooke popped out to Desens for the first out. Hendrington stole second on a pitch in the dirt. Richardson bombed a two-run homerun over the fence in left. Smith 10, NH 2. Kris Kallay has come on to relieve Derrane on the mound for New Hartford. Mike Bower has replaced Nelson at third base. Kramer walked on four pitches. Mallinder reached on an infield single as Betar fielded the ball in the hole toward third and couldn't get the throw to second in time to force out Kramer. Kramer stole third. Nowicki hit an RBI single to left to score Kramer (runners on first and second, one out). Smith 11, NH 2. IF MALLINDER SCORES FROM SECOND, THE GAME WILL BE OVER DUE TO THE MERCY RULE. Mallinder stole third and Nowicki stole second. Ciccotti hit a sac fly to center to score Mallinder and end the game.

FINAL: Smith 12, New Hartford 2 (7 innings)

Game Two postponed

2008-08-02T13:10:00.006-04:00

Read more here: http://www.uticaod.com/sports/x390645025/District-V-Legion-game-postponed

UPDATE (3:50 p.m.): Game two of the best-of-three District V final series between New Hartford and Smith has been postponed until tomorrow (Sunday) at 1 p.m. at DeLutis Field.

UPDATE (1:50 p.m.): I tracked down Oneida County league commissioner Jack Huther to find out why the game has been delayed. Huther said the heavy rain that passed through the Rome area this morning soaked DeLutis Field and left the grounds crew with no choice but to push the start time back.

1 p.m.: Game two of the best-of-three District V final series between New Hartford and Smith has been delayed until 6 p.m. tonight.

I'm not quite sure why the game has been postponed, but I'm working on trying to find out right now. It's sunny and clear here in Utica, but I don't know what it looks like or did earlier today in Rome. Can any Rome fans out there fill us in?

Districts Finals Game one: The Aftermath

2008-08-02T03:05:00.005-04:00

Game one of the District V best-of-three series final is in the books.

New Hartford topped Smith 9-8 in a wildly entertaining and dramatic 10-inning game at DeLutis Field, handing Smith its first loss to an Oneida County team in 2008. New Hartford (21-9) leads the series 1-0 with game two scheduled for today (Saturday) at 2 p.m. Smith (25-3-1) will need to win today to keep its season alive and force a third-and-deciding game three on Sunday (game time TBD).

So what does it all mean? Yes, we know New Hartford is now only one win away from returning to Newburgh - where it last played in the 2006 Mid-Atlantic Regionals - and Smith will need to pull off two wins with its back against the wall to return to the state tournament for the third consecutive year. But, where does each team stand with pitching after three games in the district tournament? What key players might be hampered by injuries?

Let's start with the pitching...

There's no denying that New Hartford is in a much better pitching situation than Smith entering today's second game. NH has only used four pitchers in three games this week, and still has starter Erik Sheridan waiting in the wings. Chandler Evans, who had Oneida County's second-lowest ERA (1.28) during the regular season, has also yet to throw in the district tournament. However, I have heard rumors that his arm is bothering him, so perhaps he is not an option. But, either way, Sheridan is ready to go on a full week's rest and Pat Derrane is also available (and Eric Verbickas should also be able to go a few innings after throwing on Wednesday).

On the other side, Smith's top three starters, Garrett Baker, Joe Melioris and Kyle Richardson have each thrown at least seven innings (Baker went nine on Wednesday, Richardson went seven on Thursday, and Melioris threw seven on Friday) in the last three days. Smith's Dustin Colgan threw two innings on Thursday and was used again tonight (he was pulled after only eight pitches - all balls). Nate Mallinder pitched two innings tonight after having thrown only once all season (in a non-league tournament in Albany).

That begs the question of who Smith will go with today? Will it come back with Baker on just three days rest? My guess is no (although I do think he goes Sunday in game three if Smith wins today). I think Smith goes with Ryan Kramer (its shortstop). While Kramer has thrown just 1 inning all season (according to the team's statistics on legionbaseball.com), I've been told he was a pretty good pitcher for the Oneida High School team this past spring. Seeing as though he hasn't thrown in quite some time, this will be something to watch if the Abone's do indeed decide to go with him.

Now to the injuries...

New Hartford catcher Mike Doyle went in Friday's game one despite a bad throwing arm (a foul tip caught him the arm on Wednesday night). It wasn't until just minutes before Friday's game that the New Hartford coaches decided to go with Doyle over rookie backup Tim Whalen. While Doyle was solid behind the plate tonight and Smith did not really take advantage of his injury on the base paths, this is still something to watch if he plays tomorrow.

For Smith, Kyle Richardson came out of Friday's game in the bottom of the ninth inning after popping his shoulder out of its socket on a diving catch attempt. Richardson just missed the catch, which allowed New Hartford to tie the game and send it to extra innings. Smith coach Tony Abone Jr. said after the game that he had to pop Richardson's shoulder back into place for him and that he had ice on it the remainder of the game in the dugout. Abone Jr. did not know Richardson's status for today's game, saying that they were going to take him to the hospital on the way home from the field to find out the extent of the injury.

Smith's Joe Melioris may also be injuried. He didn't seem comfortable on the mound all night Friday (not like he has throughout the rest of the season), and he continued to shake his throwing hand back and forth. Abone Jr. said after the game that his pitcher's hand was indeed bothering him. This is important for today because, if Kramer does pitch for Smith, normal third baseman Eli Hedrington would be expected to slide to shortstop with Melioris playing third base. However, if Melioris' injury keeps him from playing today (again, this is all assuming Kramer throws), Smith may go with Jason Nowicki at third, leaving a void in right field (in addition to a possible void of Richardson in center).

Having said all that, I do think New Hartford is in a great position with its pitching availability compared to Smith's lack-there-of. The injury to Richardson could also be huge for Smith as the recent RFA graduate is arguably Oneida County's best all-around player (in my opinion he is the best). Having said that, I do think that if Smith can find a way to win today, it will be in good shape come game three. It would have ace Garrett Baker ready to go on four days rest (I have to believe he would throw).

That's all for now legion fans (and yes it's 3 a.m., and yes I'm going to bed)...

FINAL: New Hartford 9, Smith 8 (10 inn.)

2008-08-01T18:46:00.067-04:00

Hey legion fans. I'm here at DeLutis Field for the first game of the best-of-three District V final series between Smith and New Hartford. Game two is scheduled for 2 p.m. tomorrow.

A few things to keep an eye on tonight:
*New Hartford catcher Mike Doyle is playing with a badly bruised bicep (he was hit by a foul tip in Wednesday's game against Sackets Harbor). Doyle missed last night's game and was a last second decision (and when I say last second, I mean last second - the eight-hole in the batting lineup was left blank with only the No. 2 catcher's position filled in until five minutes before the game). The injury is to his throwing arm and has made it hard for the New Hartford High School quarterback to throw with his normal velocity. That will be something to watch as Smith can run and will run (i.e. Kyle Richardson and Ryan Kramer).

*Joe Melioris is on the hill for Smith. In 15 innings against New Hartford this season, Melioris has allowed no runs and no hits. It will be interesting to see if New Hartford can find a way to scratch a run across tonight after 29 scoreless innings against Smith this year.

*Alex Giovannone is pitching for New Hartford. He faced Smith in the team's first match-up this season and allowed no runs over eight innings in a no decision. Giovannone probably has more big-game experience than anyone else involved in tonight's game having pitched (and won) in both a New York State tournament and Mid-Atlantic Regional in his American Legion career.

*This really doesn't matter, but it's interesting - tonight's home plate umpire, Ron Starzciak, is the same umpire who was behind the plate for New Hartford and Smith's 15 inning marathon game earlier this season. The starting pitcher match-up for that game was Melioris vs. Giovannone.

New Hartford is sporting its navy blue jerseys with red trim, and Smith is wearing its white uniforms with navy blue pinstripes. New Hartford will be the home team after winning a coin toss in the coach-umpire meeting prior to the game.

Starting lineups:
New Hartford (20-9)
1. Erik Sheridan, LF
2. Joe Carcone, 2B
3. Mike Matt, CF
4. Eric Verbickas, 1B
5. Joe Desens, RF
6. Dan Nelson, 3B
7. Pat Calli, DH
8. Mike Doyle, C
9. Joe Betar, SS
Pitcher: Alex Giovannone, LHP

Smith (25-2-1)
1. Kyle Richardson, CF
2. Ryan Kramer, SS
3. Nate Mallinder, LF
4. Jason Nowicki, RF
5. Zack Ciccotti
6. Ryan Cooke, DH
7. Ryan Marquette, 1B
8. Eli Hedrington, 3B
9. Mike Stevens, 2B
Pitcher: Joe Melioris, RHP

Top 1st: Richardson struck out swinging for the first out. Kramer flew out to center for the second out. Mallinder reached on an error by Betar at short as he bobbled the grounder and then couldn't make the throw in time. Mallinder was picked off 1-3-6 on a 2-2 count to Nowicki for the third out.

Bottom 1st: Sheridan struck out swinging on three pitches for the first out. Carcone grounded out to Hendrington at third for the second out. Matt drew a two-out walk. Matt stole second, just beating Ciccotti's throw to second on a 1-1 fastball from Melioris. Verbickas flew out to center to end the inning.

New Hartford 0, Smith 0

Top 2nd: Nowicki reached on an infield single on a grounder deep in the hole between short and third. Nowicki advanced to second on an error as Betar's throw to first was high and got over the head of Verbickas. Ciccotti singled up the middle. Nowicki was held at third by manager Tony Abone Jr., but the center fielder (Matt) threw home anyway and his throw got over the head of Doyle, allowing Cicotti to move to second on the throwing error (runners on second and third, no outs). Cooke struck out swinging on the next pitch from Giovannone for the first out. Marquette punched a bloop single into center field for an RBI (runners on first and second, one out). Smith 1, NH 0. Hendrington hit a single to left to load the bases with one out. Stevens popped out to Verbickas for the second out. Richardson ripped a single down the third base line, just out of the reach of Nelson, to plate two more runs for Smith. Smith 3, NH 0. Hendrington raced all the way to third and Richardson went to second on the throw back into the infield. Kramer ripped a one-hop liner to the hole between short and third, but it was snagged by Nelson who threw to first for the third out.

Bottom 2nd: Desens drew a leadoff walk. Nelson ripped a single through the hole into left field (runners on first and second, no outs). After failing to get a bunt down, Calli struck out swinging for the first out. Doyle struck out looking at a 2-2 fastball down the middle for the second out. Betar ripped a single down the third base line for an RBI single, scoring Desens from second (breaking a 30 and 2/3's inning scoreless drought for New Hartford against Smith this season). Smith 3, NH 1. Sheridan poked a linedrive RBI-single to center to score Nelson from second. Smith 3, NH 2. Betar went to third and Sheridan went to second on an error by Richardson as the ball scooted under his glove in center. Carcone grounded out to Stevens at second to end the inning.

Smith 3, New Hartford 2

*We've got a packed house here tonight as all four bleacher sections here at DeLutis Field are pretty full. There are even a bunch of people in lawn chairs scattered behind the outfield fence.

Top 3rd: Mallinder grounded out to short for the first out. Nowicki ripped a single to right-center. Ciccotti grounded out to Nelson on a high chopper behind the pitcher's mound for the second out (Nowicki went to second). Cooke grounded out 4-3 for the third out.

*That half inning was just was the doctor ordered for Giovannone as he needed only nine pitches after throwing 48 through the first two innings.

Bottom 3rd: Matt drew an eight-pitch walk to lead off. Verbickas reached on a bunt single that scooted past a charging Hendrington (runners on first and second, no outs). Desens laid down a perfectly placed sacrifice bunt down the third base line to move the runners to second and third with one out. Nelson bombed a two-RBI double off the left-center field fence on an 0-2 fastball from Melioris to put New Hartford on top (its first lead on Smith all season). NH 4, Smith 3. Calli was beaned to put runners on first and second with one out. Doyle struck out looking for the second time tonight for the second out of the inning. Betar grounded out 6-4 to end the inning.

New Hartford 4, Smith 3

*Melioris is now up to 61 pitches through three innings. He threw 15 in the first, 22 in second, and 24 in the third.

Top 4th: Marquette hit a weak liner to Carcone for the first out. Hendrington hit a one-out single to left. Stevens hit an opposite field single to right to put runners on first and second with one out. Richardson hit a grounder to Nelson who threw to second to start the double play, but Carcone dropped the throw for an error, allowing Stevens to reach second, Richardson to reach first, and Hendrington to score all the way from second. Smith 4, NH 4. Kramer drew a full-count walk to load the bases with one out. Mallinder hit an RBI sac fly to center to put Smith on top (runners on first and second, two out). Smith 5, NH 4. Nowicki popped out to Verbickas to end the inning.

Bottom 4th: Sheridan struck out swinging for the first out. Carcone hit a one-out single past a diving Marquette. Matt drew his third walk of the game to put runners on first and second with one out. Verbickas grounded into a 4-6 fielder's choice for the second out (runners on first and third, two outs). New Hartford tied the game on a double steal. Verbickas broke from first while Melioris was still in his stretch, prompting Melioris to step off and throw to Stevens. Right when Melioris threw to second, Carcone broke for home and Stevens' throw to the plate was late, allowing both runners to reach safely (runner on second, two outs). NH 5, Smith 5. Desens struck out looking at an 0-2 curveball on the next pitch to end the inning.

New Hartford 5, Smith 5

Top 5th: Ciccotti grounded out 5-3 for the first out. Cooke was beaned by Giovannone to give Smith a one-out baserunner. Giovannone had Cooke picked off of first, but he escaped a rundown and reached second safely after Carcone dropped a throw from Verbickas for another NH error. Marquette ripped an RBI single to right-center to score Cooke from second and put Smith ahead. Smith 6, NH 5. Hendrington popped up a bunt to Giovannone for the second out. Stevens flew out to Desens in right for third out.

Bottom 5th: Nelson drew a seven-pitch walk to lead off. Calli popped out weakly to Marquette in foul territory for the first out. Doyle struck out swinging for the second out. Betar hit a grounder right at Hendrington, but a bad hop made the ball bounce off Hendrington's chest and into foul territory down the left field line, allowing Nelson to go all the way to third and Betar to reach on a double (runners on second and third, two outs). Sheridan grounded out 4-3 to end the inning, stranding two runners in scoring position.

*Tonight's game is hardly what most expected as it has proven to much more of an offensive battle than a pitching duel. Smith has nine hits off of Giovannone to New Hartford's seven off of Melioris. It appears that both team's may have to go to the bullpen much earlier than expected as Giovannone's pitch count is at 89 and Melioris is at 98 through five innings.

Smith 6, New Hartford 5

Top 6th: Richardson reached on an error by Betar as a routine groundball ate up the shortstop. Kramer laid down a sac bunt to move Richardson to second with one out. Richardson stole third on a 1-1 pitch to Mallinder. Mallinder grounded out 6-3, but picked up an RBI as Richardson came home from third on the play. Smith 7, NH 5. Nowicki grounded out to short for the third out.

*New Hartford now has six errors, five of which have come from its normally solid middle infielders (Betar has three at shortstop and Carcone has two at second base).

Bottom 6th: Carcone popped out to Hendrington in foul territory for the first out. Matt singled up the middle (he's reached base in all four plate appearances tonight). Verbickas popped out to Hendrington in foul territory for the second out. Desens got beaned in the back to put runners on first and second with two outs. Nelson drew a full-count walk to load the bases (like Matt, Nelson has reached base in all four plate appearances tonight). Smith coach Tony Abone Jr. came out for a short conference on the mound. Calli drew a full-count RBI walk to bring home Matt and keep the bases loaded. Smith 7, NH 6. Doyle flew out to Richardson in center to end the inning, stranding runners at every base.

Smith 7, New Hartford 6

*It will be interesting to see if Melioris returns to the mound for the bottom of the seventh as he's thrown 121 pitches through six innings and Dustin Colgan has been warming up in the Smith bullpen for a couple innings now. New Hartford's Giovannone has thrown 101 pitches.

Top 7th: Ciccotti singled up the middle to lead off. Cooke popped up a bunt that was caught by Doyle who threw to first for a double play as Ciccotti was caught off the bag. Marquette popped up to Betar for the third out.

*Melioris has returned to the mound for Smith. Giovannone needed only 10 pitches in the last half inning and is now at 111 pitches.

Bottom 7th: Betar singled to left to lead off (his third hit of the game). Sheridan laid down a bunt, but it was right back at Melioris who threw to second for the force (runner on first, one out). Sheridan went to second on a pitch that got away from Ciccotti for a passed ball. Carcone hit a hard grounder at Stevens that squeeked through the second baseman's legs for an error, allowing Carcone to reach first safely and Sheridan to score from second to tie the game. NH 7, Smith 7. Matt struck out swinging for the second out and was then called for interference to end the inning as Ciccotti threw to second trying to catch a stealing Carcone.

New Hartford 7, Smith 7

*Every batter in the game, except New Hartford's Doyle, has reached base at least once.

Top 8th: Hendrington drew a four-pitch walk to lead off. Stevens gave himself up with a sacrifice bunt, moving Hendrington to second (runner on second, one out). Richardson grounded out on a chopper to Nelson for the second out. Hedrington went to third on the play. Kramer walked on four-pitches to put runners on the corners with two outs. New Hartford manager John Randall just strolled out to the mound for a meeting with his pitcher and infielders. Mallinder hit the first pitch from Giovannone for an RBI single up the middle to put Smith back on top. Smith 8, NH 7. Nowicki grounded out 5-3 on a nice play by Nelson as he ranged deep to his right and then made an accurate throw to Verbickas to get the third out.

*Dustin Colgan has come to to replace Melioris on the mound.

Bottom 8th: Verbickas walked on four pitches to lead off. Smith manager Tony Abone Sr. just came out to mound to talk with Colgan after his reliever started with six straight balls. Desens walked on four pitches to put runners on first and second with no outs (eight straight balls from Colgan). Smith coach Tony Abone Jr. just came out to the mound to relieve Colgan after only eight pitches (all balls). Nate Mallinder has come on to pitch for Smith. Cooke took Mallinder's spot in left field. Nelson chopped a full-count pitch to Kramer for a 6-3 groundout, moving the runners to second and third with one out. Calli grounded right back to Mallinder for the second out (runners on second and third, two outs). Doyle flew out to Nowicki in right to end the inning, stranding two runners in scoring position.

*New Hartford has now stranded 11 runners in scoring position through eight innings.

Smith 8, New Hartford 7

Top 9th: Ciccotti popped out to Verbickas for the first out. Cooke struck out swinging for the second out. Marquette flew out to center for the third out.

*New Hartford needs to score one run to extend the game and two to win. It has its 9-1-2 hitters due up.

Bottom 9th: Betar ripped a 1-2 fastball to the gap in left-center for a double. Kramer's throw to second was wide for an error, allowing Betar to advance to third (it was a very close play Betar was called safe on a wild slide, just beating the throw from Ciccotti and tag from Hendrington). With the infield drawn in, Sheridan grounded out to Hendrington for the first out. Carcone hit a fly ball single to center to bring home Betar and tie the game. NH 8, Smith 8. The ball was just out of the reach of a diving Richardson who had to run a long way as the outfielders were playing pretty deep to avoid any extra base hits. Richardson was slow to get up after the play and will come out with an apparent injury. Ryan Grogg came in to left field and Cooke slid over to center. Carcone stole second and advanced to third on an error as Ciccotti's throw sailed into center field. The winning run is just 90 feet away for New Hartford. Matt drew an intentional walk (his fourth walk of the game). Verbickas was also intentionally walked to load the bases with one out. Desens struck out swinging on a full-count fastball for the second out. Nelson grounded to Hendrington who tagged out Matt trying to get to third to end the inning and send the game into extra innings.

New Hartford 8, Smith 8

*Nelson has come on to pitch in place of Giovannone. Desens went from right field to third base. Calli went from DH to right field.

Top 10th: Hendrington struck out looking for the first out. Stevens grounded out 6-3 for the second out. Grogg struck out swinging at a full-count fastball for the third out.

Bottom 10th: Calli grounded out 6-3 for the first out. Doyle hit a hard grounder that skip off Hendrington's fully extended glove for a double, putting the game-winning run at second with one out. Betar flew out to Grogg in left for the second out. Sheridan hit a grounder at Stevens that looked like it would end the inning, but a bad hop sent the ball sailing over Stevens' head and into right field for a game-winning, RBI single.

FINAL: New Hartford 9, Smith 8 (10 innings)

Smith wins on walk-off

2008-07-31T22:17:00.004-04:00

Smith scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to overcome a 4-1 deficit and beat Ilion 5-4 in the District V tournament. Smith advances to the best-of-three series final against New Hartford. Game one is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday at DeLutis Field.

Ilion Post had Smith Post on the ropes, leading 4-1 entering the bottom of the ninth inning. Just when it looked like Ilion would force a third and decisive game tomorrow, Smith cut the lead to 4-2 and then used a Nate Mallinder - get ready for this one - INSIDE THE PARK homerun to win it in walk-off fashion.

Kyle Richardson pitched seven innings for Smith tonight, a night after Smith ace Garrett Baker threw nine. Thus it would appear that No. 2 starter Joe Melioris will likely throw against New Hartford in the Friday's first game.

This sets up an interesting scenario as New Hartford still has its top two pitchers (possibly the third as well, but there are grumblings of a sore arm) rested and ready to go.

Obviously it's good for Smith that it has Melioris ready to go as he combined with Baker to hold New Hartford scoreless over 29 innings against its rival this season. But, it will be interesting to see what happens if Baker (and No. 3 starter Richardson) can't go in the finals. While I think both of would buck up and throw on short rest, I can’t help but think this puts New Hartford in the driver’s seat to make the trip to Newburgh.

What do you guys think? Is New Hartford now the team to beat? Is Smith still in control? How in the world did Smith pull off the comback? Were any of you there tonight? Let’s hear it…what do you guys think?

FINAL: New Hartford 4, Sackets Harbor 3

2008-07-31T15:51:00.027-04:00

I'm here for the second game of the best-of-three series between New Hartford and Sackets Harbor. New Hartford leads one game to nothing.

New Hartford is putting its youngest player in the spotlight today as 15-year-old Tyler Porter gets the start on the mound. Porter played varsity as an eighth grader at West Canada Valley this past spring. It will be interesting to see how the young guy performs in today's game as a spot in the District V final is on the line.

New Hartford is without catcher Mike Doyle as he's having trouble throwing after taking a foul tip off the bicep of his throwing arm in yesterday's game. That means New Hartford will go with Tim Whalen behind the plate. Whalen, who just turned 16 last month, was the starting catcher for the New Hartford JV team this past spring. He's seen some limited playing time this year, but none as big as today.

Starting lineups
New Hartford (16-7)
1. Erik Sheridan, LF
2. Joe Carcone, 2B
3. Mike Matt, CF
4. Eric Verbickas, 1B
5. Tim Whalen, C
6. Dan Nelson, 3B
7. Pat Calli, RF
8. Joe Desens, DH
9. Joe Betar, SS
Pitcher: Tyler Porter, LHP

Sackets Harbor (22-5)
1. Dan Magovney, SS
2. Brian Magovney, LF
3. Josh Cox, P
4. A.J. Capone, C
5. Brandon Cavalet, 3B
6. Jarod Mattingly, 2B
7. Will VanHoutten, 1B
8. Sam Cavallario, CF
9. Matt Roggie, RF
Pitcher: Josh Cox, RHP

Top 1st: Sheridan grounded out to the first baseman for the first out. Carcone grounded out 4-3 for the second out. Matt lined a single to left field and then stole second to put a runner in scoring position with two outs. Verbickas struck out swinging at a curveball in the dirt to end the inning.

Bottom 1st: D. Magovney struck out swinging but reached first safely as the ball got away from the catcher. B. Magovney grounded into a 1-6 fielder's choice for the first out. Cox grounded out to Verbickas at first for the second out. B. Magovney went to second on the play. Capone grounded out 4-3 to end the inning.

New Hartford 0, Sackets Harbor 0

Top 2nd: Whalen struck out swinging for the first out. Nelson grounded out 4-3 for the second out. Calli grounded out to the shortstop for the third out.

Bottom 2nd: Cavalet grounded out to the shortstop for the first out. Mattingly walked. Porter struck out VanHoutten on a big breaking ball for the second out. Cavallario struck out looking to end the inning.

New Hartford 0, Sackets Harbor 0

*Today's game has a weird feel to it. It's really quiet (I feel like I'm at a golf tournament) and the crowd is pretty sparse (the 4 p.m. start time probably has a lot to do with that as many people have yet to get out of work). It definitely doesn't feel like a district tournament game. Maybe that will change as the game goes on and more people show up though (let's hope so).

Top 3rd: Desens drew a leadoff walk. Betar laid down a sacrifice bunt, moving Desens to second with one out. Desens stole third on a ball in the dirt. Sheridan poked an RBI bloop single into right field and went to second on an error as the right fielder bobbled the ball. NH 1, Sackets 0. Carcone grounded out 6-3 for the second out. Sheridan went to second on the play. Matt grounded out to the shortstop, stranding Sheridan at third.

Bottom 3rd: Porter beaned Roggie to put the leadoff batter on for Sackets. D. Magovney bunted Roggie to second on a 1-3 sacrifice for the first out. B. Magovney grounded out 6-3 for the second out. Roggie went to third on the play. Roggie scored on a passed ball to tie the game. Sackets 1, NH 1. Cox struck out to end the inning.

Sackets Harbor 1, New Hartford 1

Top 4th: Verbickas walked to lead off. Whalen struck out swinging for the first out. Nelson grounded into a fielder's choice for the second out. Calli struck out looking for the third out.

Bottom 4th: Capone grounded out 6-3 for the first out. Cavalet walked. Porter struck out Mattingly for the second out. VanHoutten struck out looking to end the inning.

Sackets Harbor 1, New Hartford 1

Top 5th: Desens walked to lead off. Betar grounded out 5-3 for the first out. Desens went to second on the play. Sheridan walked to put runners at first and second. Carcone and Matt struck out back-to-back to end the inning, stranding two runners on base.

Bottom 5th: Cavallario grounded out to the shortstop for the first out. Sean Iles came in for Roggie. Iles flew out to center for the second out. D. Magovney lined out to left to end the inning.

Sackets Harbor 1, New Hartford 1

Top 6th: Verbickas struck out swinging for the first out. Whalen grounded out to the shortstop for the second out. Nelson and Calli hit back-to-back singles to put runners on first and second with two down. Desens struck out looking for the third out.

Bottom 6th: B. Magovney grounded out 4-3 for the first out. Cox struck out looking for the second out. Capone grounded out to the shortstop to end the inning.

Sackets Harbor 1, New Hartford 1

Top 7th: Betar struck out swinging for the first out. Sheridan grounded out 6-3 for the second out. Carcone grounded out 5-3 for the third out.

*Porter has a no-hitter going through six.

Bottom 7th: Cavalet ripped a line drive to left to give Sackets its first hit of the game. Mattingly bunted Cavalet to second on a sacrifice for the first out. VanHoutten grounded out 4-3 for the second out, moving Cavalet to third. Kody Beach came in to hit for Cavallario. With the go-ahead just 90 feet away, Porter struck out Beach swinging to strand the runner and end the inning.

Sackets Harbor 1, New Hartford 1

Top 8th: Matt struck out swinging for the first out (Cox's 10th strike out of the game). Verbickas drew a one-out walk. Whalen drew a four-pitch walk to put runners on first and second with one out. VanHoutten came in to relieve Cox (he moved to third base). B. Magovney went to first for VanHoutten. Chandler Evans came on to pinch run for Verbickas. Nelson greeted VanHoutten with an RBI double to deep right-center field ot score Evans from second. NH 2, Sackets 1. Calli ripped a two-RBI single up the middle to plate two more runs, Whalen from third and Nelson from second. NH 4, Sackets 1. Desens reached on a bunt single and Calli went to third as the first baseman bobbled the late throw from Cox. Desens got picked off of first for the second out. Betar grounded out 1-3 to end the inning, stranding Calli on third.

*Alex Giovannone has replaced Verbickas at first.

Bottom 8th: Iles walked to lead off. D. Magovney hit into a 5-3 fielder's choice for the first out. He reached second on a throwing error by Carcone. B. Magovney grounded out 5-3 for the second out. D. Magovney went to third on the play. Cox hit an RBI single to right. NH 4, Sackets 2. Nelson came in to relieve Porter. Desens went to third for Nelson. Porter's final line: 7.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 8 Ks, 1 HBP. Capone greeted Nelson with an RBI double over the head of Sheridan in left. NH 4, Sackets 3. Cavalet grouned out to short to end the inning, stranding Capone at second.

New Hartford 4, Sackets Harbor 3

Top 9th: Sheridan grounded out 5-3 for the first out. Carcone grounded out to short for the second out. Matt drew a two-out walk. Giovannone grounded out 6-4 for the third out.

*New Hartford is three outs away from advancing to the District V finals. Sackets Harbor needs to score one to extend the game and two to win it.

Bottom 9th: Mattingly struck out looking for the first out. VanHoutten flew out to center for the second out. Anthony Magovney is pinch hitting for Beach. A. Magovney grounded out to Carcone at second to end the game.

FINAL: New Hartford 4, Sackets Harbor 3

*New Hartford advances to the district final best-of-three series. The finals will start tomorrow if Smith wins tonight. If Smith loses to Ilion, it will not start until Saturday. Check back later as I'll post an update on the Smith-Ilion game and more from this one.

District Tournament starts Wednesday

2008-07-27T21:14:00.004-04:00

This week's District V American Legion baseball tournament schedule is set. All games in the four-team tourney will be played at DeLutis Field in Rome with the winner earning a berth in next week's New York State championship tournament in Newburgh.

Oneida County is represented by two teams, league champion Smith Post (22-0) and league runner-up New Hartford Post (15-7). Herkimer County champion Ilion Post and Jefferson County's Sackets Harbor round out the tournament field.

Here's a look at the complete schedule for the series-style tournament:

Wednesday, July 30
Game 1A: Sackets Harbor vs. New Hartford, 4 p.m.
Game 1B: Smith vs. Ilion, 7 p.m.

Thursday, July 31
Game 2A: Sackets Harbor vs. New Hartford, 4 p.m.
Game 2B: Smith vs. Ilion, 7 p.m.

Friday, August 1
Game 3A (if necessary): Sackets Harbor vs. New Hartford, 4 p.m.
Game 3B (if necessary): Smith vs. Ilion, 7 p.m.
If Games 3A and 3B are not needed, the championship series (Game 1C) will begin Friday at 7 p.m.

Saturday, August 2
Game 1C/2C: Winner of Series A vs. Winner of Series B, 4 p.m.

Sunday, August 3
Game 2C/3C: Winner of Series A vs. Winner of Series B, 1 p.m.
Game 3C (if necessary): Winner of Series A vs. Winner of Series B, 4 p.m.

*So what do you guys think? Are we in store for a Smith-New Hartford three-game series to decide who moves on to Newburgh? Or, will Ilion and Sackets Harbor come in and make some noise? Let's hear what you think...

Smith wins Oneida County title

2008-07-26T16:04:00.053-04:00

4:04 p.m.: The Smith-New Hartford county championship game is under a short delay due to heavy rain that passed through the area and soaked DeLutis Field. No official start time has been announced, but the rain has stopped and the grounds crew is fixing up the field.

4:20 p.m.: The rain has started up again. The grounds crew did a nice job of cleaning up the field from the first down pour, but it seems that their efforts may have to be repeated soon. Tarps are still down on the pitcher's mound and around home plate, and have been down since the conclusion of the New Hartford-Utica game.

4:37 p.m.: It's still raining here at DeLutis, albeit not as hard as it was earlier. But, the tarps are still down and there has been no activity by the grounds crew since it first touched up the infield about 20 minutes ago.

4:52 p.m.: The skies are starting to clear and the sun is peaking out. The grounds crew is spreading quick dry over some wet spots of the infield and pulling the tarps off of the pitchers mound and home plate. Smith's players are getting loose, playing catch in right field. Still no official start time.

5:06 p.m.: The skies have cleared and the field is looking pretty good considering all the heavy rain that came through in the last two hours. Smith just took the infield for warm-ups. Only the starters are on the field as it looks like an abbreviated warm-up session to speed things up. New Hartford's Erik Sheridan is warming up in the bullpen. Joe Melioris will take the hill on three days rest for Smith. New Hartford coach Greg Jones just told me that the game's tentative start time is now 5:30 p.m.

While we're waiting, let me fill you guys in on the recent history between these two rivals who are meeting to decide the county championship for the third straight year.

In 2006, New Hartford topped Adrean in the losers bracket final to set up a rematch with Smith, who beat New Hartford in the winners bracket final. New Hartford would beat Smith twice to claim the Oneida County crown. Last year, Smith went a perfect 4-0 in the county playoffs, capturing the 2007 title by beating losers bracket survivor New Hartford.

So what will happen this year? Will Smith repeat last year's perfect run through the counties, or will New Hartford find the magic of 2006 and take down the one-seed twice for the crown?

Starting lineups:
(1) Smith (21-0)
1. Kyle Richardson, CF
2. Ryan Kramer, SS
3. Nate Mallinder, LF
4. Jason Nowicki, RF
5. Zack Ciccotti, C
6. Rocco DeBlasiis, DH
7. Eli Hendrington, 3B
8. Ryan Marquette, 1B
9. Mike Stevens, 2B
Pitcher: Joe Melioris, RHP

(2) New Hartford (15-6)
1. Joe Desens, DH
2. Joe Carcone, 2B
3. Mike Matt, CF
4. Eric Verbickas, 1B
5. Mike Doyle, C
6. Dan Nelson, 3B
7. Pat Calli, RF
8. T.J. Zalocha, LF
9. Joe Betar, SS
Pitcher: Erik Sheridan, LHP

Before we get started, here's my prediction on the championship round: New Hartford. We all know about Smith's 2-0 15-inning victory over New Hartford back in June, and last night's 3-0 victory over the Gold Division champion. But, I think New Hartford is going to surprise Smith and pitcher Joe Melioris after he one-hit them in the first meeting. Call me crazy, but I know New Hartford Post baseball, and I know what kind of motivators they have in manager John Randall and coach Greg Jones. When New Hartford took the state title in 2006, it lost its first three meetings against Smith (two in the regular season and the winners bracket final of the counties), but New Hartford came back and won two straight over Smith to take the Oneida County crown and then beat Smith again in the Districts to even the season series at three apiece. Now, I know these are not the same teams as they were that year, but I have a feeling New Hartford is going to recapture the magic of 2006 and take two in a row off of Smith to even the season series and take the county title.

5:25 p.m.: We've just gotten underway, an hour and 25 minutes later than schedule.

Top 1st: Desens grounded out to Hendrington at third for the first out. Carcone grounded out to Hendrington for the second out. Matt grounded out to Kramer at short for the third out.

*Despite going down in order, New Hartford looks like it is ready for Melioris and on his fastball having hit three foul tips straight back at the backstop.

Bottom 1st: Richardson grounded out to Sheridan on the mound for the first out. Kramer was hit in the foot by a pitch. Mallinder got plunked to put runners on first and second with one out. Nowicki grounded into a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning.

Smith 0, New Hartford 0

Top 2nd: Verbickas hit a groundball to Stevens at second, but he bobbled it and then threw too high to Marquette, allowing Verbickas to reach on an error. Doyle grounded out 4-3, putting Verbickas at second with one out. Nelson struck out looking for the second out. Calli grounded out to second for the third out, stranding Verbickas at second.

Bottom 2nd: Ciccotti hit a deep fly ball to left field, but it was snagged on the run by Zalocha for the first out. DeBlasiis grounded out to Verbickas at first for the second out. Hendrington grounded out to short to end the inning, completing a 10-pitch inning for Sheridan.

Smith 0, New Hartford 0

Top 3rd: Zalocha struck out looking on a fastball that caught the outside corner. Betar took a two-strike curveball the other way into right field for a single. Desens gave himself up, bunting Betar to second to put a runner on second with two outs. Carcone couldn't take advantage of the runner in scoring position, grounding out to Stevens at second for the third out.

Bottom 3rd: Marquette grounded out to Carcone at second for the first out. Stevens grounded out to Nelson at third for the second out. Richardson reached on a throwing error by Betar as the shortstop double clutched and then short-hopped the throw to first. Kramer walked to put runners on first and second with two down. Mallinder squeeked an RBI single through the middle of the infield to put Smith on top. Smith 1, New Hartford 0. Kramer beat Matt's throw to third and Mallinder advanced to second on the throw. Nowicki flew out to Matt in center to end the inning, stranding two runners in scoring position.

Smith 1, New Hartford 0

Top 4th: Matt struck out swinging for the first out. Verbickas ripped a single up the middle to put a runner on first with one out. Doyle struck out looking at an offspeed pitch for the second out. Nelson struck out swinging for the third out.

*New Hartford's Pat Derrane has come on to pitch in place of Sheridan.

Bottom 4th: Ciccotti ripped a single into right-center to lead off. DeBlasiis flew out to Matt in left-center for the first out. Hendrington grounded a single through the hole and into left to put runners on first and second with one out. Marquette grounded out to first for the second out, but the runners advanced to second and third. Stevens grounded out to short to end the inning, stranding two runners in scoring position.

Smith 1, New Hartford 0

Top 5th: Calli drew a walk to lead off. Zalocha put down a 1-3 sacrifice bunt, moving Calli to second. Betar grounded out to short for the second out, but Calli moved to third on the play. Desens took a called third strike for the third out, stranding the tying run just 90 feet away.

*New Hartford changes: Desens, who was the DH, has moved to third. Tim Whalen has taken Doyle's spot at catcher.

Bottom 5th: Richardson struck out swinging, just his fifth strike out of the season, but wound up on second as the pitch was in the dirt and Whalen's throw to first sailed over the head of Verbickas and in right field for a two-base error. Kramer poked an RBI single to right field to bring home Richardson who was stealing on the pitch. Smith 2, New Hartford 0. Kramer stole second. Mallinder ripped an RBI single (his second of the game) up the middle to plate Kramer. Smith 3, New Hartford 0. Mallinder stole second. Nowicki grounded out to short for the first out, but Mallinder went to third on the play. Ciccotti ripped the first pitch from Derrane for an RBI single up the middle. Smith 4, New Hartford 0. DeBlasiis grounded into a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.

Smith 4, New Hartford 0

Top 6th: Carcone grounded out to the shortstop for the first out. Matt hit a weak groundball at Kramer and beat the throw to first for an infield single. Matt went to second on a passed ball. Verbickas struck out swinging for the second out. Whalen popped out to Marquette in foul territory for the third out.

*New Hartford changes: Tyler Porter came on to pitch. Alex Giovannone took Verbickas' place at first. Mike Bower took Desens' spot at third. Desens moved to third and Betar came out of the game.

Bottom 6th: Hendrington worked a walk to lead off. Marquette popped out to Carcone who made a nice running catch in shallow right field for the first out. Ryan Cooke has come on to bat for Stevens. Hendrington stole second and then advanced to third as Whalen's throw skidded into center field. Cooke hit an RBI single up the middle to bring home Hedrington. Smith 5, New Hartford 0. Richardson grounded to Carcone at second who tagged Cooke for the first out, but his throw to first was just late to complete the double play, allowing Richardson to reach on a fielder's choice. Richardson stole second. Kramer walked on a wild pitch from Porter that allowed Richardson to move to third (first and third, two outs). Mallinder hit his third RBI single of the game, bringing home Richardson and moving Kramer to second. Smith 6, New Hartford 0. Nowicki popped out to the shortstop to end the inning.

*Smith is just three outs away from winning the Oneida County title and moving to 22-0 on the season against Oneida County teams.

*Smith changes: Matt Wanner has come in to catch. Hendrington moved from third to second. Nowicki moved from right field to third, and Cooke slid into his spot in right.

Top 7th: Melioris picked up his eighth strike out of the game, getting Porter swinging. Calli struck out swinging on three pitches for the second out. Zalocha became Melioris' 10th strike out victim, whiffing at a fastball to end it.

FINAL: Smith 6, New Hartford 0

*With the win, Smith captures the Oneida County championship for the second straight year. Check back later for more, including details on next week's District V tournament...

NH wins and what's next...

2008-07-26T13:48:00.006-04:00

New Hartford topped Utica 7-5 in the losers bracket final to advance to the 4 p.m. championship round against Smith.

New Hartford went ahead 2-0 in the first, but Utica answered with two runs of its own in the top of the second to even the score at 2-2. After a scoreless third, Utica plated three in the top of the fourth to go on top 5-2.

New Hartford cut the lead to 5-3 in the bottom of the fifth and then scored four more in the sixth to eliminate the three-seed Utica.

New Hartford's Chandler Evans went 3.2 innings and was relieved by Alex Giovannone after a Devin Warmack single with the score 5-2 in the fourth. Giovannone picked Warmack off of first before even throwing a pitch, and then went on to put Utica's final nine batters down in order to clinch the win.

New Hartford's four-run sixth started with back-to-back singles by Erik Sheridan and Joe Betar. Then, with runners on second and third and no outs, Utica made a pitching change, pulling starter Mike King in favor of Joe Perrotta. Perrotta plunked the first batter he faced, Joe Carcone, to load the bases with no outs. A Joe Desens RBI walk brought home Sheridan and cut the lead to 5-4. A passed ball, which bounced off catch Nick Mishlanie's shin pad, plated Betar to tie the game at five. Mike Matt then poked a two-RBI single through the hole into left field to put New Hartford ahead 7-5. Utica escaped further damage with an Eric Verbickas line out, and a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning.

But it would not reach base in the final inning.

Giovannone got Mishlanie to ground out 6-3 and Hall to fly out to center for the first two outs. The veteran lefty ended the game with a swinging strike out of Warmack.

The win guarantees New Hartford a spot in next week's District V tournament (scheduled to start Wednesday) and sets up a rematch between Smith and New Hartford of the past two year's Oneida County championship round. New Hartford came out of the losers bracket to beat Smith twice and take the title in 2006. Smith took the crown in 2007 with a win over New Hartford.

New Hartford will have to beat Smith twice (once today, and then again tomorrow) to win the county playoffs. Smith needs just one win to take the crown.

County Playoffs: Saturday Preview

2008-07-26T10:49:00.007-04:00

Here's a look at the county playoffs bracket (click to enlarge):

Losers Bracket Final: (2) New Hartford vs. (4) Utica at DeLutis Field, 1 p.m.
These two split their regular season series. T.J. Abounader pitched both times for Utica, but will be unavailable today after pitching five innings in last night's win over Sherrill.

Joe Perrotta is probably also out of the question (though it wouldn't surprise me if he pitched a couple inning as he's a gamer) as he threw a complete game just two nights ago. My guess is Utica goes with Ryan Donovan on three days rest (he threw against Love on Wednesday) or Mike King (Monday's starter).

The biggest thing Utica has going for it today is that this will be its fourth straight do-or-die game. Utica's players know what it's like to play with their backs up against the wall and that might go a long way as this will be New Hartford's first elimination game since last year's playoffs.

Prediction: New Hartford. It still has a lot of pitching left with the likes of Dan Nelson, Erik Sheridan. They'll likely go with Chandler Evans in this one (he's on four days rest after beating Sherrill on Monday) as he is pitching like their ace as of late. The key for New Hartford will be wether it can get over last night's loss to Smith real quick and come out and put some runs on the board in the early going.

I'll add a championship preview after this game finishes up. I'll be up at the 4 p.m. game and will blog live for the championship. Be sure to follow along. See you then...

Smith tops NH, Saturday's finals

2008-07-25T19:49:00.009-04:00

Due to some time constraints (story deadlines), I won't be able to blog live for this one. But, tonight's winners bracket final between Blue Division champion Smith and Gold Division champion New Hartford will be broadcast live on 1350 AM radio. So be sure to follow along with the action there with commentators Ed O'Brien and Brian Cornish.

UPDATE: Smith wins
Smith beat New Hartford 3-0 in a tight, well-played game. Garrett Baker threw a complete-game three-hitter for Smith, while walking three and hitting one batter.

Smith scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth and added another in fifth to advance to Saturday's championship round at 4 p.m at DeLutis Field. New Hartford will play Utica in Saturday's losers bracket final at 1 p.m. here at the same location.

Click here to read more about tonight's Smith-New Hartford game: http://www.uticaod.com/sports/x2043517336/Smith-into-championship-round-with-win-over-New-Hartford
Click here to read more about tonight's Utica-Sherrill game: http://www.uticaod.com/sports/x1444439472/In-need-of-mercy

Be sure to check back tomorrow morning for a preview (and predicitions - yes, I know they've been terrible lately) of tomorrow's games. Until then, take it easy legion fans...

FINAL: Utica 15, Sherrill 5

2008-07-25T17:13:00.024-04:00

Hey guys. It's a beautfiful day/night for baseball here at DeLutis Field. Tonight's first match-up pits fourth-seed Utica vs. seventh-seed Sherrill in the losers bracket semifinal. First pitch is scheduled for a 5:30 p.m.

Feel free to chime in with any thoughts or questions through the game. I'll be happy to interact and answer any questions you guys may have on this game, the later game or anything else on your mind.

For a preview of the game, and tonight's winners bracket final between (1) Smith and (2) New Hartford that is scheduled to follow this one, click here: http://adonovan-uticaod.blogspot.com/2008/07/county-playoffs-friday-preview.html

Starting lineups:
Utica (13-7)
1. Devin Warmack, CF
2. Mike Scotellaro, 1B
3. Mark VanDreason, 2B
4. Ryan Donovan, 3B
5. Mike King, LF
6. Joe Mazzara, RF
7. Joe Perrotta, SS
8. Mike Obernesser, C
9. Justin Hall, DH
Pitcher: T.J. Abounader, RHP

Sherrill (11-9)
1. Jermey Roden, SS
2. Ryan Dungey, P
3. Mitch Iseneker, CF
4. Mark Dixon, 3B
5. Matt Sayles, C
6. Robert Sweet, 1B
7. Mike Blair, 2B
8. Lucas Voelker, LF
9. Joseph Barbano, RF
Pitcher: Ryan Dungey, LHP

*Tonight's pitching match-up is intriguing for more than one reason. Not only are two of the league's top guns going head-to-head, but one (Dungey) is going on just three days rest, while the other (Abounader) is pitching for the first time in 11 days due to a nagging injury. This should be an interesting match-up to follow and see how long each guy can go.

Top 1st: Roden led off with a ripped single up the middle that almost took Abounader's leg off. Dungey bunted the first pitch he saw, in an attempt to move Roden to second, but it was right back at Abounader and he got the force at second for the first out. Iseneker hit a single to left that Dungey hustled all the way to third on (Iseneker was able to reach second on the throw to third). Dixon ripped a two-RBI single to right, scoring Dungey and Iseneker. Sherrill 2, Utica 0. Sayles flew out to center on the first pitch for the second out. Sweet popped out to VanDreason at second for the third out.

Bottom 1st: Warmack was hit by a pitch to put the lead off man on for Utica. Warmack stole second. Scotellaro walked on four pitches to put runners on first and second with no outs. VanDreason drew a third straight free pass with a walk to load the bases with no outs. Donovan ripped a two-RBI single up the middle, but was thrown out trying to reach second after the threw to the plate (VanDreason went to third, one out). Utica 2, Sherrill 2. VanDreason scored on a passed ball to give Utica the lead. Utica 3, Sherrill 2. King reached on an error by Dungey on a soft ground ball that tipped off his glove and behind him. Mazzara walked to put runners on first and second with one out. Perrotta grounded into a full-count 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.

*Dungey needed 31 pitches to get through the first inning.

Utica 3, Sherrill 2

Top 2nd: Blair and Voelker struck out swinging back-to-back for the first two outs. Barbano drew a full-count walk to put a runner on first with two down. Roden grounded out to Perrotta at short for the third out.

Bottom 2nd: Obernesser walked on a 3-2 fastball in the dirt. Hall popped up a bunt to Dungey for the first out. Warmack hit a tailormade double play ball to Roden at short, but it rolled through his legs, allowing the runners to reach first and second safely. Scotellaro hit another grounder at Roden that looked to be a sure-thing inning-ending double play, but after stepping on second for the first out, Roden's throw to first was in the dirt and tipped off Sweet's glove. Scotellaro reached on a fielder's choice on the play and Obernesser to score all the way from second. Utica 4, Sherrill 2. Scotellaro stole second and then VanDreason drew a walk to put runners on first and second with two outs. Donovan poked an RBI single to right, plating Scotellaro from second and moving VanDreason to third. Utica 5, Sherrill 2. Donovan reached second on a passed ball (runners on second and third, two outs). King drew a five-pitch walk to load the bases (Dungey's seventh free pass of the game). Mazzara hit a grounder to Dixon that looked like it would end the inning, but the usually sure-handed Dixon bobbled it, allowing everyone to advance. Utica 6, Sherrill 2. Perrotta flew out to center to end the inning, leaving the bases loaded.

Utica 6, Sherrill 2

Top 3rd: Dungey struck out swinging for the first out. Iseneker singled to right. Dixon popped out to VanDreason for the second out. Sayles grounded out 1-3 for the third out.

Bottom 3rd: Obernesser hit a high pop up toward second that should have been the first out, but it was dropped by the first baseman (and don't ask me why the first baseman was trying to catch a ball near second base because I'm equally as baffled), allowing Obernesser to reach first on Sherrill's fourth error of the game. Hall struck out swinging for the first out. Warmack grounded into a 4-6 fielder's choice for the second out. Warmack stole second. Scotellaro struck out swinging to end the inning.

Utica 6, Sherrill 2

Top 4th: Sweet flew out to right for the first out. Blair drew a one-out walk. Voelker flew out to left on a nice running grab by King for the second out. Barbano struck out swinging for the third out, stranding Blair at first out.

Bottom 4th: VanDreason singled up the middle to lead off. Donovan walked to put runners on first and second with no outs. King grounded into a 4-6 fielder's choice, putting runners on the corners with one out. Mazzara struck out swinging for the second out. Perrotta hit an RBI single to center scoring VanDreason. Utica 7, Sherrill 2. King was thrown out trying to score from second to end the inning.

Utica 7, Sherrill 2

Top 5th: Roden led off with a single to right. Dungey ripped a double to deep left-center to put runners on second and third with no outs. Iseneker drew a walk to load the bases with none down. Dixon struck out swinging for the first out. Sayles drew a walk to pick up an RBI, bringing home Roden (bases loaded, one out). Utica 7, Sherrill 3. Sweet grounded into a 6-4 fielder’s choice for the second out, but another run scored. Utica 7, Sherrill 4. Blair walked to re-load the bases with two outs. Voelker hit what looked like an inning-ending ground ball to Donovan at third, but he booted it, allowing Sherrill to score another run and all the runners to advance. Utica 7, Sherrill 5. Tyler Mautner has come in to bat for Barbano. Mautner struck out looking for the third out, leaving the bases loaded.

Bottom 5th: Obernesser, Hall and Warmack drew three straight walks to load the bases with no outs. Dungey was relieved by Roden. Scotellaro brought home a run on an error by Mautner who moved to third when Roden came in. Utica 8, Sherrill 5. VanDreason ripped a two-RBI single, putting runners on first and second. Utica 10, Sherrill 5. Donovan picked up his third hit and fourth RBI of the night with an RBI single. Utica 11, Sherrill 5. King walked to load the bases with still no outs. Mazzara walked to bring home a run and keep the bases loaded with no outs. Utica 12, Sherrill 5. Blair came in to pitch in place of Roden. Perrotta greeted Blair with an RBI single to left, keeping the bases loaded. Utica 13, Sherrill 5. Donovan scored on a passed ball. Utica 14, Sherrill 5. Obenesser popped out to second for the first out. Hall hit an RBI sac fly to center to end the game, giving Utica a win by mercy rule. Utica 15, Sherrill 5.

FINAL: Utica 15, Sherrill 5

County Playoffs: Friday Preview

2008-07-25T09:08:00.019-04:00

Before we get into today's game previews and predictions, here's a look at where we stand in the Oneida County playoff bracket (click to enlarge):

*One more quick note that I think is worth mentioning before we move on: Three of Oneida County's four remaining teams come from its Gold Division (New Hartford, Utica and Sherrill), with only Smith left to represent the Blue. This is noteworthy because of the notion from many (before the season and even entering the playoffs) that the Blue was clearly the deeper division. Even the teams' regular season records (see the left side of the screen - your right) would lead many to believe just that. However, it seems that the playoffs have proven that the Gold is indeed the tougher of the two divisions. Not only do more Gold than Blue teams remain, but, through Thursday's games, the Gold's teams are 4-2 against the Blue's in the playoffs.

Now, to the previews and predictions (by the way, after a quick 3-1 start on the predictions, I'm now at a less-than-impressive 5-5)...

Losers Bracket Semifinal: (4) Utica (13-7) vs. (7) Sherrill (11-9) at DeLutis Field, 5:30 p.m.
Sherrill and Utica split its regular season series (1-1) in a rather uncommon fashion. After having its first game suspended in a 7-7 tie through eight innings, the two teams met up on July 17 to finish the game and play a full second.

Utica ended up taking the first game 11-10 in 11 innings. After the two teams traded runs in the ninth, Utica scored three 11th-inning runs and then held on to win with the tying run just 90 feet away from home for Sherrill. Game two belonged to Sherrill as two young Sherrill pitchers - Jason Dalton and Steve Davis - combined for a three-hit complete game. Sherrill went ahead 1-0 in the second, 2-0 in the fourth, and then put the game out of reach with seven runs in the final frame on its way to a 9-0 victory.

Today's match-up will look a little different as Utica's Joe Perrotta, who threw 11 and 1/3 innings total innings in the two regular season games, will likely not be available after throwing a complete game against Whitestown on Thursday. Ryan Donovan, who threw another 6 and 1/3 in the two games (Mike King threw the other 1/3 inning), is probably also not going to throw after going seven complete against Love on Wednesday.

So who's going to throw for Utica? Well, the obvious answer would seem to be T.J. Abounader. He's arguably the team's top arm and is on more than ample rest having not pitched since last Monday's loss to New Hartford (July 14). But, it seems that there may be a very good reason for that. You see, Abounader left that game with back pains, leaving many to question as to whether it is an injury that has kept him from throwing in the playoffs. While Utica manager Greg Gaeta did not say so directly, I can't help but think Abounader is indeed hurt at least to some degree. When I asked him about Abounader's status following last night's game, Gaeta said he was unsure (of whether he would pitch tonight) and his voice did not seem very promising or enthusiastic. If Abounader does pitch tonight, it will be something to pay close attention to as he is likely not near 100 percent.

Prediction: Sherrill. The grit and grind mentality of this team should carry them into the losers bracket final against the loser of Friday's Smith-New Hartford game. While it's unclear as to what depth of pitching remains for Sherrill, it can't be in quite as dire a situation as Utica, who - as previously mentioned - is without two (possibly three) of its top arms. Regardless of who's pitching, I think Sherrill continues its hot hitting on its way to a win tonight.

Winners Bracket Final: Smith (20-0) vs. (2) New Hartford (14-5) at DeLutis Field, 8 p.m.
Now I know none of you have forgetten what happened the last, and only, time the league's top two teams clashed. I certainly haven't. The game, which spanned over two days (June 23 and 24) due to darkness, was scoreless through 14 innings until Smith plated two runs in the top of the 15th and hung on for a 2-0 victory in a wildly entertaining 260 minute game.

While Smith outhit New Hartford 12-1, the name of the game was pitching. Smith's Joe Melioris threw a one-hitter over the game's first eight innings only to be outdone by reliever Garrett Baker, who came on to no-hit New Hartford over the final seven. The two combined for 21 strike outs (Melioris 13, Baker 8) and if not for a Mike Matt chopper over the pitcher's mound, they would have combined on a 15-inning "no-no." However, New Hartford's pitching wasn't too shabby either. Alex Giovannone pitched the game's first eight innings, allowing only five hits while striking out six. Eric Verbickas went the rest of the way and took the tough-luck loss despite throwing seven solid innings of seven-hit ball in relief.

If you want to read more about the last time these two met, click here: http://www.uticaod.com/sports/legionbaseball/x1743979508/Smith-New-Hartford-play-to-Legion-Baseball-deadlock
And here: http://www.uticaod.com/sports/legionbaseball/x1470891555/Smith-Post-outlasts-New-Hartford

I expect today's match-up may look a lot like the last one as Baker will take the hill for Smith on nearly a week's rest, and Verbickas is likely to start for New Hartford. While Erik Sheridan is also fresh and presents another viable pitching option for New Hartford (its only used two pitchers all tournament), I expect manager John Randall to go with Verbickas if for nothing more than to keep the speedy Sheridan in left field (he made a phenomenal diving grab in Tuesday's 8-1 win over Whitestown).

Today's game is a rematch of each of the past two season's Oneida County playoff finals (New Hartford won in 2006, Smith in 2007). So, one thing is for sure: both teams will be ready to go. Smith is undeniably the league's hottest team with a perfect regular season league record of 20-0. New Hartford (14-5) is scorching as well, having won nine straight after dropping five in row earlier in the season. And don't forget, New Hartford's earlier loss to Smith was the start of that five-game skid. You can be certain that no one in red and blue has forgotten that.

Prediction: Smith. While I know New Hartford is capable of winning this game (see: Coaching, John Randall and Greg Jones in the dictionary), I just find it hard to expect a team that was no-hit by the same pitcher earlier in the season to come out and beat him. On the season, Baker is 7-0 with a 1.85 ERA and 48 strike outs in 45 innings. How can you pick against that? It could very well happen, but it's going to be tough and it'll take a near-perfect performance. Because of that, I have to go with Smith (besides, New Hartford probably wants me to pick against it having won its first two playoffs games after I predicted a loss for my alma mater). I expect this to be a very tight, low-scoring game as neither team is quite as powerful on offense as the 2006 versions of Smith and New Hartford that finished fifth and first in the state, respectively. But, these two teams can definitely play defense and are probably the league's two best in that regard, so don't be surprised if you see a few web gems (see: New Hartford SS Joe Betar, CF Mike Matt, LF Sheridan; Smith 3B Eli Hedrington, SS Ryan Kramer, RF Jason Nowicki) at DeLutis tonight.

FINAL: Utica 6, Whitestown 3

2008-07-24T19:42:00.027-04:00

I'm here at DeLutis Field for tonight's losers' bracket game between Whitestown and Utica. The winner advances to face Sherrill tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. in the losers' bracket semifinal. The loser's season comes to an end.

Follow along here as I'll provide play-by-play coverage of the the game. Feel free to chime in with any thoughts about the game, the county playoffs or anything else you want to talk about.

Starting lineups:
(3) Whitestown (14-6)
1. Connor Flisnik, 2B
2. Paris Rich, LF
3.George Hajjar, RF
4. Alex Ferenti, SS
5. Tyler Beck, 1B
6. Mike Nassar, CF
7. Jim Engler, DH
8. Matt Wilk, 3B
9. Chris Vomer, C
Pitcher: Mike Fasolo, RHP

(4) Utica (12-7)
1. Devin Warmack, CF
2. Mike Scotellaro, 1B
3. Mark VanDreason, 2B
4. Ryan Donovan, 3B
5. Joe Perrotta, P
6. Mike King, LF
7. Mike Obernesser, C
8. Joe Mazzara, RF
9. Justin Hall, SS
Pitcher: Joe Perrotta, RHP

*They're about ready to get underway here. A decent number of fans have made the drive out to DeLutis for tonight's game. It seems that they're slowly finding their way in on this night that feels more like a late September evening than July. There are a lot of sweatshirts and jackets on tonight.

Top 1st: Warmack grounded out to short for the first out. Mike Scotellaro walked on a wild-pitch ball four from Fasolo and hustled down the line and all way to second as Whitestown catcher Chris Vomer had trouble tracking the ball down. VanDreason reached first and Scotellaro went to third on an error (booted grounder) by the shortstop. Donovan grounded into an inning-ending 5-4-3 double play, stranding Scotellaro at third.

Bottom 1st: Flisnik worked an eight-pitch walk to lead off and was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Rich. Flisnik went to third on a wild pitch from Perrotta and then scored on a 4-3 groundout by Hajjar for the second out. Whitestown 1, Utica 0. Ferenti hit a two-out line-drive single to right. Beck struck out swinging to end the inning.

Whitestown 1, Utica 0

Top 2nd: Perrotta flew out to left for the first out. King drew a walk. Obernesser struck out swinging for thre second out, but King advanced to second as the ball got away from the catcher. Mazzara struck out swinging for the third out, stranding King at second.

Bottom 2nd: Nassar grounded out to the shortstop as Scotellaro made a nice stretch on a high throw to first for the first out. Engler drew a five-pitch walk and went to second a Wilk 4-3 groundout. Engler advanced to third on a passed ball. Vomer struck out swinging at a 1-2 curveball to end the inning, stranding Engler just 90 feet from home.

Whitestown 1, Utica 0

Top 3rd: Hall grounded out 4-3 for the first out. Warmack ripped a single up the middle and then stole second. Scotellaro popped out on a great grab by the shortstop on a shallow blopper to left. VanDreason stroked an RBI double down the right field line to even the score. Utica 1, Whitestown 1. VanDreason went to third on a passed ball that hit the front of the plate and popped over the head of the catcher. Donovan walked to put runners on the corners with two down. Perrotta grounded out to second for the third out.

Bottom 3rd: Flisnik reached on his second walk of the night. Rich put runners on first and second with a well-placed bunt single toward third. Hajjar put runners on the corners with a fly out to center field that Flisnik tagged on. Rich stole second (runners on second and third, one out). Ferenti struck out swinging for the second out. Beck struck out looking to end the inning, stranding runners on second and third.

Utica 1, Whitestown 1

Top 4th: King singled to lead off. Obernesser struck out for the first out. Mazzara ripped an RBI double to the gap in right-center, scoring King from first. Utica 2, Whitestown 1. Mazzara went to third on the throw to home. Hall hit a sac fly to right for the second out, scoring Mazzara. Utica 3, Whitestown 1. Warmack struck out swinging to end the inning.

Bottom 4th: Nassar grounded out 1-3 on the first pitch he saw. Engler and Wilk hit back-to-back singles to put runners on first and second. Vomer struck out swinging for the second out. Engler came all the way from second and Wilk went to third on a wild pickoff throw to first by Perrotta. Utica 3, Whitestown 2. Flisnik struck out swinging to end the inning, stranding a runner at third.

Utica 3, Whitestown 2

Top 5th: Scotellaro led off with a single down the first-base line, but was gunned down Hajjar trying to stretch it to two. VanDreason struck out swinging for the second out. Donovan popped out to right for the third out.

*Utica's Nick Mishlanie has entered the game in place of starting catch Mike Obernesser.

Bottom 5th: Rich reached on an error by Scotellaro at first on a hard hit grounder. He went all the way from first to third on a wild pitch that bounced oddly off the backstop. Hajjar walked to put runners on the corners with no outs. Hajjar stole second on the first pitch to Ferenti to put runners on second and third. Ferenti struck out swinging for the first out. Beck grounded out 6-3, but Rich scored from third to tie the game. Whitestown 3, Utica 3. On the same play, Hajjar was caught sleeping off of third and was throw out by Scotellaro to end the inning.

Whitestown 3, Utica 3

Top 6th: Perrotta struck out swinging for the first out. King reached on a chopped infield single over the pitcher's mound. Mishlanie grounded into a 6-4 fielder's choice for the second out. Mishlanie stole second on the first pitch to Mazzara. Mazzara struck out swinging for the third out, stranding Mishlanie at second.

Bottom 6th: Nassar led off with a line-drive single to left. Engler gave himself up, bunting Nassar to second on a sacrifice for the first out. Wilk grounded out to Scotellaro at first for the second out. Nassar went to third on the play. Vomer flew out to center to end the inning on the first pitch he saw, stranding the go-ahead run just 90 feet away.

Whitestown 3, Utica 3

*M.J. Hajec came on to pitch for Whitestown in relief of Fasolo.

Top 7th: Hall reached on what could be a huge error by the center fielder. Hall hit a routine fly ball to center, but it was misjudged by Nassar and tipped off his glove and got past him. Hall got all the way to second. Warmack laid down a perfect bunt single toward third to reach base and put runners on the corners for Utica with no outs. Warmack stole second to put runners on second and third. Scotellaro flew out on a shallow pop up to center that Nassar made a nice running catch on for the first out. Hall scored on a passed ball that squeaked threw the legs of the catcher. Utica 4, Whitestown 3. VanDreason and Donovan drew back-t0-back walks to load the bases. Perrotta struck out looking for the second out. King poked a two-out two-RBI single to left. Utica 6, Whitestown 3. King went to second and Donovan to third on the throw home, that was just late, from Rich. Mishlanie flew out to right for the third out, stranding runners on second and third.

Bottom 7th: Flisnik singled to right to lead off. Rich grounded into a 1-6 fielder's choice for the first out. Hajjar then grounded into another fielder's choice for the second out. After a Ferenti walk put runners on first and second, Beck flew out to right to end the game, and Whitestown's season.

FINAL: Utica 6, Whitestown 3

Playoff schedule changes, Thursday preview

2008-07-24T16:14:00.009-04:00

Only one game will be played tonight in the Oneida County American Legion baseball playoffs due to wet field conditions at DeLutis Field in Rome.

Here is the updated schedule:

Thursday
(4) Utica vs. (3) Whitestown, 8 p.m.

Friday
(4) Utica/(3) Whitestown winner vs. (7) Sherrill, 5:30 p.m.
(2) New Hartford vs. (1) Smith, 8 p.m.

Read more about the changes here: http://www.uticaod.com/sports/legionbaseball/x379996010/Schedule-changes-for-Legion-playoffs

Here's a preview of tonight's only game:

Game 9: (4) Utica vs. (3) Whitestown at DeLutis Field, 8 p.m.
Whitestown was the victor in the only meeting between these two teams during the regular season. Zack Swider pitched a complete-game three-hitter, leading Whitestown to a 6-0 win back on June 24. Whitestown put up three runs in the top of the first inning, added one in the fourth, and two more insurance runs in the seventh. George Hajjar led Whitestown at the plate with a 2-for-4 performance.

Prediction: Whitestown. As has been the case with many of this postseason's games, this is a crapshoot. Either team is capable of winning and a lot will depend on pitching. While I think Utica's Joe Perrotta has the experience and willpower to lead his team to victory, I think his arm is a bit too tired to overpower Whitestown's hitting ability. For that reason, and that reason alone, I'm going with Whitestown.

Wednesday's Scores

2008-07-23T21:16:00.009-04:00

Here are tonight's scores:

FINAL: Utica 7, Love 4
Utica advances to face Whitestown in a losers' bracket game at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at DeLutis Field. Love's season ends with a final record of 9-10.

FINAL: Sherrill 11, Adrean 5
Sherrill advances to face the winner of tomorrow's Utica-Whitestown game at 8 p.m. Thursday at DeLutis. Adrean's season ends with a final record of 12-9.

Here's a look at the remaining schedule of the Oneida County playoffs (all games at DeLutis Field):

Thursday's losers' bracket games:
Game 9: (4) Utica vs. (3) Whitestown, 5:30 p.m.
Game 12: Winner of game 9 vs. Sherrill, 8 p.m.

Friday's winners' bracket final game:
Game 11: Smith vs. New Hartford, 7 p.m.

Saturday's semi-final and championship games:
Game 13: Loser of game 11 vs. Winner of game 12, 1 p.m.
Game 14: Winner of game 11 vs. Winner of game 13, 4 p.m.

Sunday's championship game:
Game 15 (if necessary): Winner of game 14 vs. Loser of game 14, TBD

County Playoffs: Wednesday Preview

2008-07-23T18:12:00.004-04:00

There are only two games on tap for tonight. Love travels to Murnane Field's Donovan Stadium at 6 p.m. to take on Utica in first-round losers' bracket game. This one was scheduled for last night, but was postponed because of early rain earlier in the day. The second game, scheduled for 7 p.m., pits Sherrill at Adrean at DeLutis Field in a second-round losers' bracket match-up.

Here are your previews on these two "win-or-go-home" contests:

Game 7: (4) Utica vs. (8) Love at Murnane Field, 6 p.m.
Love beat Utica twice in a span of four days in two very close games during the regular season. The first was a 1-0 decision on July 7th at Murnane Field, with the second a July 10th 2-1 nail bitter in Boonville. The difference in Game one was a fourth-inning Love run. Game two wasn't decided until the very last inning when Love (9-9) scored a walk-off victory with a run in the bottom of the seventh.

Let's just say this, Love is a huge part of the reason why Utica (12-7) finished a game behind New Hartford for the Gold Division title. I'm sure none of Utica's players have forgotten those two losses and will be looking for revenge in a big way. Also, the season's over for the loser of this game. Win or go home. Expect both team's to pull out all the stops.

Prediction: Utica. There's just too much determination from the Utica players, and too little experience from Love's. While Utica's heartbreaking 4-3 eight-inning loss in last night's first round might be hard to recover from, I don't think it will hold them back in this one. Love is coming off a 12-0 mercy-rule loss to Smith, which is pretty crushing in itself. I expect Utica to win relatively easily in this game and bounce Love from the tournament.

Game 10: (7) Sherrill vs. (5) Adrean at DeLutis Field, 7 p.m.
Adrean topped Sherrill 10-3 on June 19 in the only regular season meeting between these teams. Steve Campbell pitched six innings, allowing just one earned run on five hits. But, this one was much closer than the final score would make one believe. Adrean broke open 4-3 game with six runs in the top of the seventh on its way to victory.

As this is a must-win game for both teams, expect the coaches to pull out all the stops. Adrean is in better pitching shape than Sherrill with Steve Campbell and Steve Sarcone both available to throw. Sherrill ace Ryan Dungey will likely be unavailble after throwing against New Hartford on Monday. Adrean and Sherrill are both capable of putting runs on the scoreboard, so don't be surprised if this is a high-scoring affair.

Prediction: Adrean. While this game is a toss-up in my eyes, I think Adrean will benefit from its favorable pitching situation, and take advantage of Sherrill's lack-there-of, to keep its season alive.

*Check back later for tonight's results and a preview of tomorrow's games.

Tuesday's Scores

2008-07-22T21:54:00.008-04:00

Here are the scores from the second day of the Oneida County playoffs:

FINAL: Smith 8, Adrean 3
Joe Melioris picked up the win for Smith who will next play New Hartford in the winners' bracket final on Friday at 5:30 p.m. at DeLutis Field. Adrean moves to the losers' bracket and will face Adrean at 7 p.m. tomorrow at DeLutis with the losing team's season coming to an end.

FINAL: New Hartford 8, Whitestown 1
New Hartford scored five runs in the first two innings and Alex Giovannone allowed just six hits as New Hartford advanced to the winners' bracket final on Friday at 5:30 p.m. at DeLutis Field. Whitestown moves to the losers' bracket and will face the winner of tomorrow's 6 p.m. game between Utica and Love on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at DeLutis Field.

FINAL: Sherrill 11, Roberts 5
Sherrill topped Roberts in a losers' bracket game. Sherrill advances face Adrean at 7 p.m. tomorrow at DeLutis Field. Roberts' season ends at 10-10.

POSTPONED: Utica vs. Love
Murnane Field was deemed unplayable due to today's heavy rain, forcing Utica and Love to reschedule this losers' bracket game for 6 p.m. at the same location.

Here's a look at the updated playoff bracket:

County Playoffs: Tuesday Preview

2008-07-22T12:06:00.004-04:00

Game 5: (1) Smith vs. (5) Adrean at Bill Vinci Field, 5:30 p.m.
Smith and Adrean went at it twice this season with Smith taking both meetings. Smith won the first game, all the way back on June 13th, 11-8 in six innings (suspended due to darkness). It was just the second game of the season for each team. The second game, played just 10 days ago, was a 7-4 decision in favor of Smith. Adrean managed to get to Smith ace Garrett Baker in the second game, scattering nine hits off the Division I recruit, but ran themselves out of the game with some poor base running.

Adrean (12-7) was likely the team to come closest to beating undefeated Smith (19-0) in the regular season. Both games were very competitive and emotional. As Ed O'Brien said in his radio broadcasts of each game - Smith and Adrean have been going at it for years and each team badly wants to have bragging rights in the heated rivalry.

As for today, a lot depends on the pitching. Smith still has two of the leagues best, if not the best, pitchers waiting in the wings. With Kyle Richardson throwing last night for the Romans (by the way, he only threw three innings which should come up big later in the tournament), Baker and Joe Melioris are available on full rest. I would expect Smith to go with Baker in this one. Adrean will likely have Steve Campbell on the mound. He pitched against Smith in the last match-up between the two teams and, despite surrending 10 hits and seven runs, he did a pretty good job against the league's top team.

Prediction: Smith. But, this one wasn't easy. A lot is pointing to Adrean for me - its bats, the difficulty of beating a team three times in a row and its experienced coaching. But, Smith is still undefeated and it still has its top two pitchers ready to go. I expect either Melioris or Baker to come out and do a good enough job to get his team the win. Smith coach Tony Abone Jr. will have the guys ready to go and remind them of the competitiveness of the last two meetings.

Game 6: (2) New Hartford vs. (3) Whitestown at DeLutis Field, 7 p.m.
New Hartford topped Whitestown 9-7 the only time the two teams met back on June 17th. New Hartford used a balanced offensive attack - seven batters had at least one hit, six players recorded an RBI, and eight players scored - and a seven-run third inning on its way to that win. New Hartford's Alex Giovannone picked up the win, striking out six while scattering 13 hits and two walks, and allowing six earned runs. His counterpart, Whitestown's Zack Swider allowed 11 hits and nine runs in just three innings.

Today's game is a bit different than the last time these two rivals squared off. Whitestown (14-5) was reeling on its way to an 0-5 overall start to the season at thatm point and it was still very early in the season for both teams. This time around, both teams are hot - the league's two hottest other than unbeaten Smith. Whitestown is winners of 14 of its last 16 leagues, while New Hartford (13-5) is riding an eight-game league winning streak.

While the first game was an offensive show, this game should hinge a great deal on pitching and defense. Neither Whitestown nor New Hartford has been putting up great offensive numbers in recent games. Rather, they are winning with sound defense and solid pitching. Whitestown had seven hits in last night's first-round win over Roberts, with New Hartford managing just four in it's win over Sherrill.

Prediction: Push. This one could go either way. I'm expecting a rematch of the first game's pitching match-up between Giovannone and Swider. Both are college players with the experience and composure that both team's coaches want in this type of game. Both team's have considerable playoff experience. Whitestown has 15 players back from last year's team that finished third in New York State, and seven players from New Hartford's 2006 state championship and Mid-Atlantic regional runner-up team are still on its roster. Now that you've read through all that, you didn't really think I was going to leave you with a "push" prediction in this - the day's most compelling game - did you? Well, despite the bantering I received for taking Sherrill over my former team yesterday, I'm about to do it again. Tight playoff games like this often come down to a couple key hits or a costly defensive miscue (knock on wood), and I think that's what will happen tonight. I'm taking Whitestown in a close one. Don't be surprised if you see this one posted in the New Hartford dugout tonight - I've been told yesterday's preview made an appearance.

Game 7: (4) Utica vs. Love at Murnane Field, 6 p.m.
Love beat Utica twice in a span of four days in two very close games during the regular season. The first was a 1-0 decision on July 7th at Murnane Field, with the second a July 10th 2-1 nail bitter in Boonville. The difference in Game one was a fourth-inning Love run. Game two wasn't decided until the very last inning when Love (9-9) scored a walk-off victory with a run in the bottom of the seventh.

Let's just say this, Love is a huge part of the reason why Utica (12-7) finished a game behind New Hartford for the Gold Division title. I'm sure none of Utica's players have forgotten those two losses and will be looking for revenge in a big way. Also, the season's over for the loser of this game. Win or go home. Expect both team's to pull out all the stops.

Prediction: Utica. There's just too much determination from the Utica players, and too little experience from Love's. While Utica's heartbreaking 4-3 eight-inning loss in last night's first round might be hard to recover from, I don't think it will hold them back in this one. Love is coming off a 12-0 mercy-rule loss to Smith, which is pretty crushing in itself. I expect Utica to win relatively easily in this game and bounce Love from the tournament.

Game 8: (6) Roberts vs. (7) Sherrill at Holland Patent H.S., 5:30 p.m.
Sherrill won the only regular-season meeting between these two teams 9-2 back on July 1st. Sherrill banged out 13 hits and benefited from three Roberts' errors. Mitch Iseneker pitched a complete game five-hitter for Sherrill, striking out 10 on no walks and two earned runs.

I'm not sure who we'll see on the mound for either team today. Sherrill (9-9) will probably go with Iseneker or Mark Dixon (or Steve Davis if available) while Roberts (10-9) could turn to any one of three capable arms - Geoff Ogden, Cody Crego or Kevin Quesnell. Regarless, this game is another win-or-go-home situation. Neither team will be hesitant to pull its pitcher if he runs into any sort of trouble.

Prediction: Roberts. Like Whitestown and New Hartford, this is another compelling match-up that is tough to predict. Neither team is playing its best baseball as Roberts has dropped seven of its last 10 league games and Sherrill is losers of four in a row. Having said that, both team's have some offensive firepower at the top of the lineup (though it didn't show last night - Roberts managed just two hits to Sherrill's five). While I could go either way on this one, I'm going to take Roberts on a hunch that Matt Hammill and Devin Frye will have good performances at the plate to lead their team to the win.

Monday's First-Round Scores

2008-07-21T21:17:00.015-04:00

Hey guys. Check back frequently as I'll update the scores as they come in. I'll post a preview of tomorrow's second-round games later on as well.

FINAL: Smith 12, Love 0
As expected, No. 1-seed Smith got off to a quick start in its first-round match-up with eight-seed Love. Kyle Richardson picked up the win while going a perfect 4-for-4 at the dish for the Romans.

FINAL: Whitestown 5, Roberts 0
Whitestown used another solid pitching performance from SUNY Cortland sophomore-to-be Mike Mahay on its way to a first-round triumph over Roberts.

FINAL: Adrean 4, Utica 3 (8 innings)
Trailing 3-2 entering the bottom of the seventh, Utica rallied to tie it up and force extras, but would fall after allowing a run in eighth.

FINAL: New Hartford 3, Sherrill 1
New Hartford got out to an early 3-0 lead and held to take care of Sherrill.

Tomorrow's Winners' Bracket Games:
(5) Adrean at (1) Smith at Bill Vinci Field, 5:30 p.m.
(3) Whitestown at (2) New Hartford at DeLutis Field, TBD

Tomorrow's Losers' Bracket Games:
(8) Love at (4) Utica at Murnane Field's Donovan Stadium, TBD
(7) Sherrill at (6) Roberts at Holland Patent High School, 5:30 p.m.

Here's a look at the updated playoff bracket:

*Check back tomorrow morning for previews of Tuesday's games as well as my predictions for round two.

County Playoffs: Monday Preview

2008-07-20T19:45:00.015-04:00

Game 1: (1) Smith (18-0) vs. (8) Love (9-8) at Bill Vinci Field, 5:30 p.m.
Smith took the only regular season match-up between these teams, 5-2, back on June 16th. Kyle Richardson went six innings, striking out 10 while allowing eight hits and walking two.

It will be interesting to see who Smith puts on the mound for this one. Will it go with one of its two aces - Garrett Baker or Joe Melioris? Or will it go with Richardson (not a bad third option) again and hope to get by while saving its top two arms.

"We’re not 100 percent sure," Smith manager Tony Abone Jr. said over the phone this evening. "I think all the pitchers, with the exception of Dustin Colgan, are ready to go. We talked a little about it today and we'll talk about it again tomorrow before we decide."

My guess is Smith goes with Richardson. He has already shown he can do the job and the kid has loads of playoff experience having pitched in each of the last two New York State Championship tournaments.

Prediction: Smith. This one is easy. Love has some good, young talent, but not enough to upset Oneida County's first undefeated team since 1991. None of Love's current players have ever been to the playoffs and it won't help that their first time around will be against a team that has played in the New York State Championship tournament in each of the past two seasons.

Game 2: (4) Utica (11-6) vs. (5) Adrean (11-7) at Murnane Field, 7 p.m.
Utica went 2-0 in the regular season against its cross-town rival. It took the first match-up 6-5 on June 17th when Joe Perrotta pitched a complete game, giving up six hits and five runs (just two were earned). The second meeting came in Adrean's Blue & Gold Tournament with Utica winning 10-5. This time it was the offense, specifically the top of the order, that did the job. Utica's one through four hitters went a combined 11-for-17 with six RBIs and seven runs scored.

Pitching is sure to play a huge role in this game, which may not be to Utica's advantage. Joe Perrotta pitched nine innings in a double-header against Sherrill on Thursday (three in the first game, six in the second) and T.J. Abounader was forced to leave Monday's game against New Hartford with back pains. It'll be interesting to see who Utica manager Greg Gaeta gives the nod for this game.

Prediction: Adrean. As the old saying goes, “It’s tough to beat a team three times in one season” and I think Adrean manager Mike Macchione will have his guys ready to go. Adrean banged out nine hits off of Smith ace Garrett Baker last Saturday – far more than any other team has managed this season. I think Adrean will bring the bats and advance in the winner’s bracket.

Game 3: (3) Whitestown (13-5) vs. (6) Roberts (10-8) at SUNYIT, 5:30 p.m.
The two teams split during the regular season. Roberts took the first meeting 11-3 back on June 18th when Geoff Ogden pitched a complete game five-hitter. While Roberts 2-3-4 hitters went a combined 6-for-12, the team had only five RBIs as it was aided big-time by six Whitestown errors. Whitestown avenged the loss with a 6-1 victory over Roberts in the team’s second meeting on July 13th. Mike Mahay was brilliant as he struck out 15 batters in a complete game one-hitter.

Quick note: Look for Connor Flisnik to have a big day at the plate. The recent Whitesboro grad has blasted Roberts’ pitching this season, going a combined 6-for-8 with two runs scored in the two games.

Prediction: Whitestown. This is a tough one, but I think it’s going to come down to experience. While Roberts is capable of the upset with some great hitting in the early part of the lineup, it struggled down the stretch, dropping six of its final nine league games. On top of that, Roberts has no real playoff experience as this is its first trip to the playoffs in years. On the other side, while I wasn’t impressed with Whitestown’s lackluster performance against Smith earlier in the week, it does have considerable playoff experience – 15 of its players were part of the team that won last year’s District V title and went on to place third in the New York State Championship tournament. Because of the experience and the fact that Roberts must travel to SUNYIT – a tough environment to play in (I know from experience) – I have to go with Whitestown in this one.

Game 4: (2) New Hartford (12-5) vs. (7) Sherrill (9-8) at DeLutis Field, 8 p.m.
These teams split in the regular season. Game one (back on June 25th) went to Sherrill 3-1 with New Hartford taking the second game 7-4 in 10 innings (that game was finished today after being suspended due to darkness on Tuesday).

Despite winning the Gold Division and earning the right to play at home, New Hartford will have to go on the “road” for this one. That's because the the baseball field's outfield is going to be used as a staging area (storing heavy machinery) for construction on the high school’s football field that is scheduled to start Monday. Even though it'll be the only higher seed not playing on its home field, New Hartford coach Greg Jones said it shouldn't make much of a difference.

“You still get last crack at a team,” Jones said. “And we don’t mind playing at DeLutis. We’ve played plenty of games up there over the past couple years. Even though we’re technically on the road, we’re okay with that because we’re familiar with the field and the way it plays.”

Prediction: Sherrill. As much as I’d like to see my old alma mater succeed, my gut is telling me Sherrill in this one. It’ll be hungry to avenge Sunday’s 7-4 loss to New Hartford and will likely have ace Ryan Dungey on the hill. Dungey is capable of beating any team in the league when he’s on his game and, as a college kid, he has the experience to boot. Sherrill should also benefit from some hot bats (Mark Dixon and Robert Sweet) in the middle of the order.

*So what do you guys think? Are my predictions pretty good or am I off my rocker? Let's hear what you have to say. Let the debating begin...

*ALSO, BE SURE TO CHECK OUT TOMORROW'S OD FOR MORE ON THE COUNTY PLAYOFFS.

Seedings set, playoffs start Monday

2008-07-20T17:25:00.013-04:00

The Oneida County American Legion baseball playoff seedings are now set.

New Hartford topped Sherrill 7-4 in the league's regular season finale to set drop Sherrill to the No. 7 seed and set up a rematch between the divisional rivals in tomorrow's first round.

Here's a look at the complete schedule for the double-elimination tournamanet:

Monday, July 21
Game 1: (1) Smith (18-0) vs. (8) Love (9-8) at Bill Vinci Field, 5:30 p.m.
Game 2: (4) Utica (11-6) vs. (5) Adrean (11-7) at Murnane Field, 7 p.m.
Game 3: (3) Whitestown (13-5) vs. (6) Roberts (10-8) at SUNYIT, 5:30 p.m.
Game 4: (2) New Hartford (12-5) vs. (7) Sherrill (9-8) at DeLutis Field, 8 p.m.

Tuesday, July 22 (at higher seed)
Game 5: Loser of game 1 vs. Loser of game 2
Game 6: Loser of game 3 vs. Loser of game 4
Game 7: Winner of game 1 vs. Winner of game 2
Game 8: Winner of game 3 vs. Winner of game 4

Wednesday, July 23 (at DeLutis Field)
Game 9: Winner of game 5 vs. Loser of game 8
Game 10: Winner of game 6 vs. Loser of game 7

Thursday, July 24 (at DeLutis Field)
Game 11: Winner of game 7 vs. Winner of game 8
Game 12: Winner of game 9 vs. Winner of game 10

Friday, July 25 (at DeLutis Field)
Game 13: Loser of game 11 vs. Winner of game 12
Game 14: Winner of game 11 vs. Winner of game 13

Saturday, July 26 (at DeLutis Field)
Game 15 (if necessary): Winner of game 14 vs. Loser of game 14

*Be sure to check back later tonight as I'll post a preview of each of tomorrow's first-round match-ups.

New Hartford clinches Gold, tie-breaker scenarios

2008-07-19T16:08:00.018-04:00

New Hartford Post clinched first place in Oneida County's Gold Division today with a 9-8 win over Clonan Post coupled with a 7-6 Sherrill Post loss to Helmuth-Ingalls Post.

New Hartford (11-5) now owns the No. 2 seed in the upcoming Oneida County playoffs no matter what happens in tomorrow's resumed game against Sherrill (9-7).

However, tomorrow's game has seeding implications for Sherrill. With a win, it would earn the No. 6 seed (giving Roberts Post the seven seed) and would play Whitestown (13-5) in the first round of the playoffs on Monday. A loss would drop Sherrill back to the No. 7 spot (giving Roberts the sixth seed) and mean another match-up against New Hartford. Note that this would down to winning percentage as Sherrill will only have played 17 league games to Roberts 18 (that's because there is one less team in the Gold Division - remember Lee Post didn't field a team - than the Blue).

Having said that, all but the No. 6 and No. 7 playoff seeds are set in stone. Here is what they look like:

1) Smith (18-0)
2) New Hartford (11-5)
3) Whitestown (13-5)
4) Utica (11-6)
5) Adrean (11-7)
6) TBD - Roberts (10-8) or Sherrill (9-7)
7) TBD - Roberts (10-8) or Sherrill (9-7)
8) Love (9-8)

For those of you wondering how New Hartford has already clinched the Gold Division when a loss tomorrow could put it at 11-6 (the same record as Utica), and how Sherrill wouldn't risk falling to the eight spot with a loss (putting it at 9-8 like Love), I'll explain...

It comes down to the league's pre-determined tie-breakers. The first tie-breaker is the team's records head-to-head. If the teams have split games, then it goes to the second tie-breaker - record against playoff teams. And if there is still no discrepancy, then it is settled by each team's record against divisional opponents.

We'll start with Sherrill. Sherrill and Love split during the regular season, so we must go to the second tie-breaker. Love holds a 3-7 record against playoffs opponents. Sherrill is currently 4-5 against playoff teams with one game remaining against playoff-bound New Harford tomorrow. Even if it falters then, Sherrill's record against playoff teams would still be better than Love's, thus it cannot drop to No. 8.

As for New Hartford - if it were to lose tomorrow - another tie-breaker scenario would arise (this one with Utica). Head-to-head New Hartford and Utica split, so that wouldn't solve anything. Against playoff teams Utica has a record of 4-6 to New Hartford's 4-5 (a loss tomorrow would make it 4-6) - again, that gets us nowhere. So, we go to the third and final cirterion - each team's record against divisional opponents. Utica is 6-4 and New Hartford is 7-2. A loss tomorrow would drop that mark to 7-3 for New Hartford, which is still better than Utica's record against its fellow Gold Division teams, meaning New Hartford would take the top spot.

Got all that? Sorry if I've confused you.

Anyway, that's the story for now. Check back tomorrow to find out where Sherrill will end up traveling for its opening round game on Monday and to see if New Hartford can win to ride a seven-game league winning streak into the playoffs after dropping five straight earlier this season.

Enjoy your weekend legion fans...

Smith Post caps perfect season, etc.

2008-07-18T21:18:00.008-04:00

Smith Post topped Sherrill Post 5-1 at Noyes Park tonight to complete the first undefeated regular season in Oneida County American Legion baseball in 17 years. The last team to do it was none other than Smith when it went 16-0 in 1991.

*Check out tomorrow's OD for Anne Delaney's story on the game.

Tonight's other games were also big match-ups and may play a key role in the outcome of the Gold Division. Utica blasted Clonan 11-0 in five innings (mercy rule) and New Hartford beat Fort Schuyler 5-3.

So what does it all mean?

Well, the Sherrill loss drops it to 9-6 (.600) and a full game back in the standings. Utica is now finished with its regular season with an 11-6 record - a winning percentage of .647. New Hartford's win puts it at 10-5 (.667) with two games remaining.

So, New Hartford is in first based on winning percentage. Utica, while no games back, trails New Hartford by .020 percentage points. Sherrill is in third.

But a lot can still happen in the way of the Gold Division's top three as New Hartford and Sherrill each have games tomorrow (New Hartford at Clonan and Sherrill finishing a previously suspended game at Helmuth-Ingalls). New Hartford and Sherrill then meet at noon on Sunday to finish a game that was suspended on Tuesday at 4-4 after eight innings. That game is at Noyes Park and may very well decide who takes the top spot in the Gold and the No. 2 overall seed in the playoffs.

Phew...got all that? What do guys you think? Who has the upper hand?

Let's get ready to rumble...

2008-07-17T23:14:00.005-04:00

Wow.

That's pretty much all that can be said to sum up the race for first place in Oneida County's Gold Division.

With only three days remaining in the regular season, New Hartford, Sherrill and Utica are separated by a mere .028 percentage points for the top spot in the Gold and the No. 2 seed in the County playoffs that are scheduled to kick off on Monday. Sherrill (9-5) and New Hartford (9-5) share a winning percentage of .643 while Utica (10-6), while no games back in the standings, is slightly behind with a .625 winning percentage.

While all three teams have secured a spot in the playoffs (Love currently holds the fourth and final spot at 9-8), the fight for seeding may not be settled until just hours before Sunday night's playoff seeding meeting at Parkhurst Post in Oriskany.

Here's a look at what's left in the season's final weekend for the three teams vying for first:

Utica
Friday: at Clonan, 6 p.m. at Sauquoit H.S.

Sherrill
Friday: vs. Smith, 6 p.m. at Noyes Park
Saturday: at Helmuth-Ingalls, 12 p.m. at Clinton H.S.
Sunday: vs. New Hartford, TBD at Noyes Park (suspended, 4-4 after eight innings)

New Hartford
Friday: at Fort Schuyler, 6 p.m. at DeLutis Field
Saturday: at Clonan, 12 p.m. at Sauquoit H.S.
Sunday: at Sherrill, TBD at Noyes Park (suspended, 4-4 after eight innings)

While Utica is in the best position in terms of needing to play only one more regular season game (should come up big in the conservation of pitching), I can't help but think New Hartford is now in the driver's seat with games left at the Fort Schuyler (3-11) and Clonan (1-13) before it meets up with Sherrill for the all-important season finale. Utica simply does not hold its own fate in its hands after Monday's loss to New Hartford and today's split with Sherrill. While Sherrill can also determine its own destiny, I don't know if they'll be able to get by a Smith (17-0) team that is determined to become the first undefeated team in Oneida County since 1991.

But, as the old saying goes: That's why they play the game. So, we'll just have to wait and see.

I want to know what you guys think. Who will win the race for first in the Gold? Also, who's going to come out on top in next week's Oneida County playoffs and who might we be overlooking heading in? Feel free to drop a line with any other thoughts as well.

Until next time, take it easy legion fans...

Sherrill & Utica split

2008-07-17T17:29:00.041-04:00

It's a gorgeous day here at Murnane Field's Donovan Stadium for today's Sherrill-Utica double header. The brand new scoreboard here at Murnane looks great. It's showing the temperature to be 86 degrees - and it feels hotter! We could use some a/c in the press box!

Anyway - as sweat drips down my back - the coaches are meeting with the umpires right now to go over the ground rules. Once they're done, the first game - a continuation of a suspended game from earlier in the season - will begin. That game will start in the top of the ninth with the score 7-7. Sherrill is the home team.

The second game will start right after the first is over. I'll keep you guys posted on the outcome of this first game and then blog with play-by-play for the entire second game.

Coming in, Sherrill (8-4) and Utica (9-5) are tied for first place in the Gold Division.

Game One
Top 9th: Ryan Dungey is on the hill for Sherrill. After giving up a single to right to Mike Obernesser, Dungey threw out Obenesser at second on a bunt fielder's choice by Joe Mazzara. Devin Warmack bunted Mazzara over to second, but was tagged out by the first baseman for the second out. Mike Scotellaro ripped an RBI triple to the gap in right-center field to put Utica up by one. Utica 8, Sherrill 7. Ryan Donovan grounded out to the second baseman to end the inning, stranding Scotellaro at third.

*Sherrill must score at least one to extend the game, and two to win.

Bottom 9th: Joe Perrotta is pitching for Utica. Mitch Iseneker led off with a groundball single up the middle, but was picked off by Perrotta for the first out. Mark Dixon drew a walk on a 3-1 pitch to give Sherrill a one-out baserunner. Matt Sayles singled to left-center, starting a crazy play. Dixon went all the way to third and the throw from the center fielder Warmack went to short, then to second, then to first in an attempt to get Sayles who was caught off of first. Scotellaro (first baseman) ran Sayles down and tagged him near second base, but by that time Dixon had taken off for home and Scotellaro's throw was late, allowing Sherrill to tie the game. Utica 8, Sherrill 8. Robert Sweet then reached on an infield single to give Sherrill a two-out baserunner. Mike Blair struck out to end the inning, but not before Sherrill tied it up to force another extra inning.

Utica 8, Sherrill 8

Top 10th: Mark VanDreason struck out looking for the first out. Perrotta grounded out to second for the second out. Nick Mishlanie was beaned in the foot to give Utica a two-out baserunner, but Vin Gaetano struck out swinging for the third out.

Bottom 10th: A Kevin Sayles strike out to lead off was followed by a Jamie Cielinski walk. Jermy Roden gave himself up, bunting Cielinski to second, but Dungey flew out deep to center to end the inning.

Utica 8, Sherrill 8

Top 11th: Justin Hall walked to lead off the inning and then went to second on a throwing error on a pickoff attempt from Dungey. Mazzara laid down a nice bunt to move Hall to third, but Dungey made another error - throwing the ball into right field - allowing Hall to score and Mazzara to get to second. Utica 9, Sherrill 8. Warmack struck out swinging for the first out. Scotellaro then singled home Mazzara and went to second on the throw from the left fielder to the cut off. Utica 10, Sherrill 8. Donovan flew out to right, but Scotellaro tagged and went to third. VanDreason hit an RBI triple to left-center to give Utica a three-run advantage. Utica 11, Sherrill 8. Perrotta lined out to first on a nice diving grab by Sweet to end the inning.

*Sherrill must score at least three to extend the game, and four to win.

Bottom 11th: Iseneker tripled down the right field line to lead off. Dixon brought Iseneker home with an RBI single. Utica 11, Sherrill 9. Matt Sayles walked to put runners on first and second with no outs. Sweet grounded into a 6-4 fielder's choice for the first out (runners on first and third, one out). Perrotta threw a wild pitch over the head of the catcher to allow Dixon to score from third. Utica 11, Sherrill 10. Another wild pitch from Perrotta allowed Sweet to get to third, putting the tying run just 90 feet away. Blair flew out to left for the second out. Lucas Pitman came in to pinch hit for Sherrill. Pitman grounded out to the shortstop on the first pitch he saw to end the game.

FINAL: Sherrill 11, Utica 10

Game Two
Starting lineups:
Utica (10-5)
1. Devin Warmack, CF
2. Mike Scotellaro, 1B
3. Mark VanDreason, 2B
4. Ryan Donovan, 3B
5. Joe Perrotta, P
6. Mike King, LF
7. Joe Mazzara, RF
8. Justin Hall, SS
9. Nick Mishlanie, C
Pitcher: Joe Perrotta, RHP

Sherrill (8-5)
1. Ryan Dungey, CF
2. Jermy Roden, SS
3. Mitch Iseneker, LF
4. Mark Dixon, 3B
5. Matt Sayles, C
6. Robert Sweet, 1B
7. Mike Blair, 2B
8. Lucas Pitman, DH
9. Tyler Maunter, RF
Pitcher: Jason Dalton, RHP

Top 1st: Perrotta struck out Dungey swinging, Roden looking and Iseneker swinging to put down the side in order.

Bottom 1st: Warmack grounded out to second for the first out. Scotellaro popped out in foul territory on a nice diving catch by the catcher for the second out. VanDreason flew out to Dungey in center to end the inning.

Utica 0, Sherrill 0

Top 2nd: Dixon led off with a deep triple to left-center field. Sayles' knocked Dixon in with a 4-3 groundout. Sherrill 1, Utica 0. Sweet grounded out to Perrotta for the second out. Blair chopped a weak grounder to Perrotta for a 1-3 groundout for the third out.

Bottom 2nd: Donovan popped out to second for the first out followed by a Perrotta groundout to third for the second out. King drew a two-out walk and then moved to second on a single by Mazzara. Hall popped out to Sweet in foul territory to end the inning.

Sherrill 1, Utica 0

Top 3rd: Pitman struck out swinging for the first out. Maunter walked and was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Dungey. Roden flew out to left for the third out.

Bottom 3rd: Mishlanie reached first on an error by the shortstop. Warmack grounded into a 4-3 double play - Blair scooped up the groundered, touched second himself, and then made a good throw to first to finish the play. Scotellaro poked a two-out single up the middle. VanDreason flew out to center to end the inning.

Sherrill 1, Utica 0

Top 4th: Iseneker lined out to third for the first out. Dixon reached on a full-count walk and then advanced to second on an error by Scotellaro when he missed a pickoff throw from Perrotta. Sayles flew out to center and Dixon tagged and headed to third. Warmack's throw to third was wild and got past Donovan, allowing Dixon to score. Sherrill 2, Utica 0. Sweet reached when Scotellaro made his second error of the inning, allowing a groundball to skid through his legs. Blair put runners on first and second with a single to left. Pitman flew out to Mazzara in right for the third out.

Bottom 4th: Donovan struck out swinging for the first out. Perrotta struck out swinging on a nasty curve from Dalton. King grounded out to first to end the inning.

Sherrill 2, Utica 0

Top 5th: Maunter flew out to right for the first out. Dungey grounded out to second for the second out. Roden went down swinging for the third out.

Bottom 5th: Mazzara walked to lead off. Hall got beaned to put runners on first and second with no outs. Steve Davis came in to relieve Dalton. Utica played small ball as Mishlanie gave himself up, moving Mazzara to third and Hall to second - putting the tying run at second. Warmack stuck out looking for the second out. Scotellaro grounded out to Blair at second to end the inning, stranding two runners in scoring position.

Sherrill 2, Utica 0

Top 6th: Iseneker singled to left to lead off. Dixon flew out to right for the first out. Iseneker was caught stealing by Mishlanie for the second out. Sayles then struck out swinging for the third out.

Bottom 6th: VanDreason grounded out 3-1 for the first out. Donovan drew a one-out walk to give Utica a baserunner. Perrotta grounded out to Sweet at first for the second out. Donovan beat Sweet's throw to second for the double play, giving Utica a runner at second with two down. Donovan advanced to third on a wild pitch from Davis. King struck out swinging to end the inning, stranding Donovan at third.

Sherrill 2, Utica 0

*Some changes for Utica: Donovan came in to pitch for Perrotta who went to shortstop. Hall came out of the game and Tom Reilly entered in left field in Hall's spot in the order. King moved from left field to third base.

Top 7th: Sweet led off with a bloop single to right. Blair picked up his second hit of the night, ripping a double to left-center to put runners on second and third with no outs. A passed ball (Mishlanie tried to backhand a ball in the dirt) allowed Sweet to score from third and Blair to move up to third. Sherrill 3, Utica 0. Davis walked to put runners on the corners with no outs. Maunter hit a line-drive single to right, bringing home Blair and putting runners on first and second with no outs. Sherrill 4, Utica 0. Dungey bunted the third strike foul for the first out. Roden popped out to Scotellaro at first for the second out. Iseneker walked to load the bases with two outs. Dixon walked, picking up an RBI and bringing in another run for Sherrill. Sherrill 5, Utica 0. Sayles drew a third straight walk to bring home another run. Sherrill 6, Utica 0. King came in to relieve Donovan on the hill. Donovan went back to third base. Sweet greeted King with a bomb of a double over the head of Warmack in center, clearing the bases for three RBIs. Sherrill 9, Utica 0. Sweet was thrown out at third trying to stretch the hit into a triple.

Bottom 7th: Mazzara flew out to right for the first out. Reilly struck out swinging for the second out. Mishlanie popped out to second to end the game.

FINAL: Sherrill 9, Utica 0

Two-time Thursday: Sherrill-Utica

2008-07-16T22:41:00.006-04:00

There's a big match-up Thursday in Oneida County American Legion baseball Thursday. Actually, two big match-ups between the same teams - Sherrill and Utica will first finish a game that was suspended in a tie after eight innings and then play a full second game Thursday at Murnane Field's Donovan Stadium. The suspended game resumes at 5:30 p.m. with the second game to follow right after.

These two games are huge for both teams as Utica (9-5) and Sherrill (8-4) are tied for first in the Gold Division and vying for playoff position. New Hartford is half a game back in the Gold and travels to Clinton High School to take on Helmuth-Ingalls at 6 p.m. Each of these games are huge and will have major implications on home-field advantage and seeding in the Oneida County Playoffs.

I'll be blogging live with play-by-play updates from both Sherrill-Utica games. If you can't make it out to the games, be sure to follow along here to find out who will improve their positioning heading into the weekend. Also, leave any of your comments, thoughts or questions in the "comment" section below.

I want to know who you guys think will come out on top of the Gold Division. Who do you think will win the Oneida County playoffs? Who's the most dangerous team in the playoffs? What do you think about the later games being played at DeLutis Field rather than Murnane? Feel free to chime in with any other thoughts as well. I'd love to hear them.

Here's a look at what's left for Utica, Sherrill and New Hartford as they fight for position over the final four days of the regular season:

Utica
Thursday: at Sherrill, 5:30 p.m. at Murnane
Thursday: vs. Sherrill, 6 p.m. at Murnane
Friday: at Clonan, 6 p.m. at Sauquoit H.S.

Sherrill
Thursday: vs. Utica, 5:30 p.m. at Murnane
Thursday: at Utica, 6 p.m. at Murnane
Friday: vs. Smith, 6 p.m. at Noyes Park
Saturday: at Helmuth-Ingalls, 12 p.m. at Clinton H.S.
TBD: vs. New Hartford, at Noyes Park (suspended, 4-4 after eight innings)

New Hartford
Thursday: at Helmuth-Ingalls, 6 p.m. at Clinton H.S.
Friday: at Fort Schuyler, 6 p.m. at DeLutis Field
Saturday: at Clonan, 12 p.m. at Sauquoit H.S.
TBD: at Sherrill, at Noyes Park (suspended, 4-4 after eight innings)

FINAL: Smith 11, Whitestown 2

2008-07-16T17:29:00.033-04:00

I'm here at SUNY-IT for today's showdown between Smith Post and Whitestown Post. Smith is in first place in the Blue Division at 15-0 and looking to inch closer to a perfect regular season. Whitestown (12-4) has won 12 of its last 13 league games after getting off to an 0-3 start.

I'll be here to provide live updates throughout today's game for you to follow along with the action. Feel free to leave any comments or questions that you may have for me as I'll be more than happy to interact. Now, let's play ball...

Starting lineups:
Whitestown (12-4)
1. Connor Flisnik, 2B
2. Paris Rich, LF
3. George Hajjar, RF
4. Alex Ferenti, SS
5. Tyler Beck, 1B
6. Mike Nassar, CF
7. Jim Engler, DH
8. Matt Wilk, 3B
9. Chris Vomer, C
Pitcher: Mike Fasolo, RHP

Smith (15-0)
1. Kyle Richardson, CF
2. Nate Mallinder, LF
3. Jason Nowicki, 3B
4. Zack Ciccotti, C
5. Rocco DeBlasiis, DH
6. Ryan Marquette, 1B
7. Eli Hendrington, SS
8. Mike Stevens, 2B
9. Ryan Grogg, RF
Pitcher: Joe Melioris, RHP

*Note: Smith is without a big bat in Ryan Kramer. Smith's usual shortstop will miss the game as he is on a college visit.

Top 1st: Richardson walked on six pitches to lead off the game. Mallinder gave himself up, bunting Richardson to second on a 1-3 sacrifice. Nowicki bombed a two-run homerun to left, giving Smith the early lead. Smith 2, Whitestown 0. Ciccotti struck out swinging for the second out. DeBlasiis singled up the middle. Marquette hit a single to right field to put runners on first and second with two outs. Hendrington poked an RBI single to center, bringing home DeBlasiis, but Hendrington was picked off of first as he rounded the base too far on the play. Smith 3, Whitestown 0.

Bottom 1st: Flisnik grounded out to the shortstop for the first out. Melioris got Rich looking for the second out. Hajjar walked to put a runner on first with two out. Ferenti flew out on a deep drive to center field to end the inning.

Smith 3, Whitestown 0

Top 2nd: Stevens grounded out to the shortstop for the first out. Grogg flew out to right for the second out. Richardson drew a two-out walk then stole second on the first pitch to Mallinder after two straight pickoff attempts from Fasolo. Richardson moved to third on a wild pitch curveball. Mallinder ripped a curveball to right field for an RBI single. Smith 4, Whitestown 0. Mallinder advanced to second on the play as Hajjar misplayed the ball in right for an error. Nowicki hit an infield single toward the hole on the left side of the infield that Ferenti made a great play to backhand, but his throw was missed by Beck at first (error on Beck as it should have been caught easily, but he missed it trying to make the stretch). Mallinder scored from second and Nowicki went to second on the play. Smith 5, Whitestown 0. Ciccotti flew out on a deep fly to left to end the inning.

Bottom 2nd: Beck grounded out to Ciccotti on a check-swing chopper in front of home plate for the first out. Nassar flew out to center on the first pitch he saw and Engler then grounded out 6-3 to end the inning.

Smith 5, Whitestown 0

*Whitestown starter Mike Fasolo has thrown 52 pitches (26 each inning) through two innings compared to just 23 total for Smith's Joe Melioris.

Top 3rd: DeBlasiis ripped a line-drive single over the head of the shortstop on the first pitch he saw to lead off the inning. He went to second on a wild pitch from Fasolo. Marquette bunted toward the left side and reached first safely when Flisnik dropped Fasolo's throw to first for Whitestown's third error of the game (DeBlasiis went to third). Hendrington hit his second RBI single of the game - a liner past the diving third baseman - on a 3-2 offering from Fasolo. Smith 6, Whitestown 0. Stevens popped up a bunt to the catcher for the first out. Grogg popped out to the third baseman for the second out (runners on first and second, two outs). Richardson loaded the bases with his third walk of the game. Mallinder hit a two-RBI single to left, scoring Marquette from third and Hendrington from second, and moving Richardson to third. Smith 8, Whitestown 0. With runners on the corners, Nowicki ripped an RBI single to left. Smith 9, Whitestown 0. Mallinder was stealing on the pitch and went all the way to third. Ciccotti grounded out 6-4 to end the inning.

Bottom, 3rd: Wilk struck out swinging for the first out. Vomer went down looking for the second out. Melioris put down the side in order with a 3-2 strike out of Flisnik to end the inning.

Smith 9, Whitestown 0

Top 4th: DeBlasiis grounded out to the shortstop for the first out. Marquette drew a one-out walk to reach for the third time today. Hendrington grounded into a 6-4 fielder's choice for the second out (runner on first, two outs). Stevens struck out looking at a nasty curveball from Fasolo for the third out.

Bottom 4th: Rich grounded out to short for the first out. Hajjar popped up the first pitch he saw toward the first base dugout. It was caught by Marquette in foul territory for the second out. Ferenti popped out to Marquette to end the inning.

Smith 9, Whitestown 0

*Matt Wilk has come in to pitch for Whitestown. DH Jim Engler took over for Wilk at third base.

Top 5th: Grogg grounded out 6-3 for the first out. Richardson beat out a grounder down the third baseline for an infield single. Mallinder ripped a one-hop grounder at the mound that was snagged by Wilk and turned into a 1-6-3 double play to end the inning.

Bottom 5th: Beck grounded out to Stevens at second for the first out. Nassar hit an opposite field single to left that was just out of the reach of a sliding Mallinder for Whitestown's first hit of the game. Engler ripped a line-drive single to right to put runners on first and second with one out. Wilk hit an RBI single to right to score Nassar from second for Whitestown first run of the game (runners on first and second, one out). Smith 9, Whitestown 1. Vomer got beaned, bringing up the top of order with one out and the bases loaded. Flisnik struck out looking for the second out. Rich brought home another run and picked up an RBI on a five-pitch walk. Smith 9, Whitestown 2. Hajjar popped out to the second baseman, leaving the bases loaded.

Smith 9, Whitestown 2

*Whitestown changes: Rich moved to center and Jim Klauser came in at left (he'll take Nassar's spot in the order). Chris Flynn came in for Beck at first.

Top 6th: Nowicki reached on a throwing error by the third baseman. He went all the way to second as the throw flew over the first baseman's head and into the outfield. Ciccotti grounded out 5-3 for the first out. DeBlasiis singled to right for his third hit of the game (runners on first and third, one out). Marquette hit the first pitch he saw for an RBI single up the middle (runners on first and second, one out). Smith 10, Whitestown 2. Hendrington flew out to deep center field for the second out. DeBlasiis tagged up and went to third on the play (runners on first and third, two outs). Stevens struck out swinging to end the inning, stranding runners on first and second.

*Matt Warner has come in to catch for Smith.

Bottom 6th: Melioris got Ferenti swinging on a full-count fastball for the first out. Flynn flew out to Richardson in center for the second out. Klauder grounded out weakly to Melioris to end the inning.

Smith 10, Whitestown 2

*Hajjar has moved from right field to the mound for Whitestown. M.J. Hajec took his place in right.

Top 7th: Hajjar struck out Grogg swinging for the first out. Richardson singled to center to put a runner on with one out (he's reached in all five plate appearances today - three walks, two singles). Mallinder ripped a line-drive RBI double to the gap in left-center field. Smith 11, Whitestown 2. Nowicki ripped a liner toward the hole on the right side, but Flisnik made a phenomenal play to stab the ball on a dive and throw to second from his knees to double up Mallinder and end the inning.

*Dustin Colgan has come on to relieve Melioris on the mound for Smith.

Bottom 7th: Colgan struck Engler out swinging on a change-up for the first out. Hajec lined out to Hendrington at short for the second out. Vomer singled to center. Flisnik popped out to short to end the game.

FINAL: Smith 11, Whitestown 2

Smith at Whitestown Wednesday

2008-07-15T23:05:00.005-04:00

Hey there legion fans. I just wanted to give you a heads-up that I'll be at the Whitestown vs. Smith game at SUNYIT Wednesday night. First pitch is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.

I plan on blogging live from the game with live updates so that everyone can follow along as Whitestown tries to end Smith's quest for an undefeated season. Smith is currently 15-0 and three wins away from the becoming the first team to go undefeated in league play since 1991 when - guess who - Smith did it. Whitestown is 12-4 and locked up second place in the Blue Division with a 5-3 win over Helmuth Ingalls tonight.

While both team's have clinched their spot in the playoffs already, this definitely is not a game to overlook. There's no doubt both teams will be ready to go as Smith can taste that perfect season and Whitestown, winners of 12 of its last 13 league games, is as hot as anyone and would love nothing more than to blemish Smith's spotless campaign.

See you tomorrow!

FINAL: Utica 2, Fort Schuyler 1

2008-07-08T17:56:00.021-04:00

Hey legion fans. I'm here at the Utica vs. Fort Schuyler game at Murnane Field's Donovan Stadium. Utica is coming off a tough 1-0 loss to Love Post last night that knocked it out of first place in the Gold Division. With a win tonight, Utica will move back into a first-place tie with Sherrill Post. Fort Schuyler is looking for its third win of the season.

I'll be providing live updates throughout the game. Feel free to leave any thoughts, questions or comments in the "comment" section at the bottom. I'll be here to provide feedback.

Startling lineups:
Utica (6-3)
1. Devin Warmack, CF
2. Mike Scotellaro, 1B
3. Mark VanDreason, 2B
4. Ryan Donovan, 3B
5. Joe Mazzara, RF
6. Joe Perrotta, P
7. Mike King, LF
8. Justin Hall, SS
9. Nick Mishlanie, C
Pitcher: Joe Perrotta, RHP (2-2, 6.61 ERA)

Fort Schuyler (2-7)
1. Sean Redmond, P
2. Anthony Rose, CF
3. Ed Schulze, 3B
4. Jordan Zongrone, 1B
5. Jared Marshall, RF
6. Dominick Galimo, C
7. Mike McCormick, LF
8. Nick Raymer, 2B
9. Dan Priore, SS
Pitcher: Sean Redmond (1-3, 4.47 ERA)

Top 1st: Sean Redmond hit a single to center to lead off the game. Anthony Rose gave himself up, bunting Redmond over to second. Ed Shulze struck out swinging for the second out. Jordan Zongrone grounded out to short for the third out.

Bottom 1st: Devin Warmack drew a six-pitch walk to led off and then stole second two pitches later. Mike Scotellaro struck out swinging on an 0-2 pitch for the first out. Mark VanDreason and Ryan Donovan popped out to the shortstop for the second and third outs of the inning.

Utica 0, Fort 0

Top 2nd: Jared Marshall led off with a walk. Dominick Galimo tried to bunt Marshall over to second, but it went right back to the pitcher who threw Marshall out at second for a fielder's chioce and the first out. Mike McCormick grounded into a 4-6 fielder's choice for the second out. (runner on first, two outs). Two pitches later, McCormick was caught stealing for the third out.

Bottom 2nd: Joe Mazzara drove a 1-2 pitch the opposite way for a single into right field to lead off. Joe Perrotta flew out to the right fielder on the first pitch he saw for the first out. Mazzara stole second on the first pitch to Mike King. King reached on an error by the shortstop on the next pitch (runners on first and second, one out). Justin Hall popped up a bunt attempt right in front of home plate that was caught by the catcher for the second out. Nick Mishlanie grounded out to second to end the inning, stranding runners on first and second.

Utica 0, Fort 0

Top 3rd: Perrotta struck out Nick Raymer looking for the first out. Dan Priore walked. Sean Redmond hit a hard grounder toward Hall at short that he couldn't handle, allowing Raymer to move to second and Redmond to reach first (runners on first and second, one out). Rose struck out looking for the second out. Priore tried to steal second, but was gunned down by Mishlaine for the third out (that's the second runner Mishlanie has thrown out trying to steal).

Bottom 3rd: Warmack grounded out to the second baseman for the first out. Scotellaro lined out to Priore at short for the second out. VanDreason hit a routine grounder to short, but Priore's throw pulled Zongrone off the bag at first, allowing VanDreason to reach on an error. VanDreason stole second on the first pitch to Donovan. Three pitches later, Donovan made Fort pay for the error, hitting an RBI single to right to put Utica ahead. Utica 1, Fort 0. Mazzara singled to left two pitches later. Donovan advanced to third and Mazzara went to second as the ball rolled through the legs of the left fielder. Perrotta lined out to Marshall in right to end the inning, stranding two runners in scoring position.

Utica 1, Fort 0

Top 4th: Shulze drove a ball to deep center that looked like it might be extra bases, but Warmack made a great running grab to record the first out. Zongrone grounded a single up the middle. Marshall grounded into a 6-4 fielder's choice for the second out (runner on first, two outs). Galimo flew out to Mazzara in right for the third out.

Bottom 4th: King grounded out to Raymer at second for the first out. Hall struck out swinging for the second out. Mishlanie hit a two-out single up the middle on a 1-2 pitch. Mishlanie stole second and Galimo's throw was wild and skidded into center field, allowing Mishlanie to advance to third. Warmack popped out to left on a 3-2 count to end the the inning, stranding Mishlanie at third.

Utica 1, Fort 0

Top 5th: McCormick led off with a single up the middle. He advanced to second on a passed ball two pitches later. Raymer dropped a beautiful bunt down the third base line. McCormick advanced to third and Raymer reached first safely as Mishlaine decided to try to get the runner at third and his throw wasn't in time (runners on first and third, no outs). Priore drove a fly ball to right that Mazzara made a running catch on for the first out, but it was deep enough to allow McCormick to tag from third and tie the game. Fort 1, Utica 1. Raymer went to second on the next pitch on a high, wild fastball from Perrotta. Redmond popped out to Scotellaro in foul territory for the second out. Rose grounded out to first for the third out.

Bottom 5th: Scotellaro fought off a 1-2 pitch from Redmond, grounding it toward the hole on the left side and beating it out for an infield single. He stole second two pitches later. VanDreason dropped down a bunt in hopes to move Scotellaro to third, but he got more then he wished for when Zongrone couldn't handle Redmond's throw to first, allowing Scotellaro to score and VanDreason to get to second. Utica 2, Fort 1. Donovan flew out to right for the first out. Mazzara flew out to right on the next pitch and Marshall threw to second for a double play to end the inning as VanDreason was almost to third, unaware that there was only one out.

Utica 2, Fort 1

Top 6th: Schulze grounded out to VanDreason at second on the first pitch of the inning. Zongrone struck out swinging on a 2-2 pitch for the second out. Marshall drew a seven-pitch, two-out walk to put a runner on first. Mike Rose came in to pinch-run for Marshall. Perrotta struck out Galimo for the third out on his 93rd pitch of the game.

Bottom 6th: Perrotta walked on a 3-1 pitch to lead off. King laid down a 4-3 sacrifice bunt to move Perrotta to second. Hall flew out to center for the second out (runner on second, two outs). Perrotta went to second on an 0-1 curveball in the dirt that scooted away from Galimo. Redmond struck out Mishlanie swinging two pitches later to end the inning and strand the runner at third.

Utica 2, Fort 1

*Quick Fact: Perrotta and Redmond, Proctor High School's top two hurlers in the spring, have each thrown 93 pitches through six innings.

Top 7th: McCormick drove a 3-1 pitch through the middle and into center field for a single. Raymer gave himself up, bunting McCormick over to second as Perrotta picked up the bunt and threw the runner out at first (runner on second, one out). Perrotta got Priore looking at an 0-2 fastball for the second out. Redmond popped out to center for the final out, stranding McCormick at second and ending the game.

FINAL: Utica 2, Fort Schuyler 1

Blue & Gold - Saturday Results

2008-07-05T16:56:00.016-04:00

Murnane Field’s Donovan Stadium
Final: Brooklawn 7, Melvin Roads 3
Final: Haddon Heights 6, Shrub Oak 4
Final: New Hartford 4, Brooklawn 3
Final: Utica 10, Adrean 5

Joe Corr Memorial Field
Final: Gaithersburg 12, New Hartford 2 (5 innings - mercy rule)

Notre Dame Junior/Senior High School
Final: Hamilton 10, Binghamton 0 (5 innings - mercy rule)
Final: Guaynabo 11, Vestal 0 (6 innings - mercy rule)

*UPDATE (7:30 p.m.) - Tomorrow's semifinal matchups are set. No matter what happens in the 5 p.m. matchup between Brooklawn, N.J. and New Hartford and the 8 p.m. game between Adrean and Utica, the final four teams of the Blue & Gold have been determined based on their records to this point.

Advancing from the Army Division is first-place Guaynabo, Puerto Rico (5-0) and second-place Haddon Heights, N.J. (4-1). The Navy Division representatives are Brooklawn, N.J. (4-1) and Gaithersburg, Md. (4-1).

Brooklawn took first in the Navy Division despite a 4-3 loss to New Hartford in its final game of pool play. Brooklawn holds the tie-breaker, having beaten second-place Gaitherburg 1-0 on the first day of the tournament.

Sunday's schedule (all games at Murnane Field's Donovan Stadium):
Game 1 – Gaithersburg, Md. at Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, 9 a.m.
Game 2 – Haddon Heights, N.J. at Brooklawn, N.J., 12 p.m.
Championship: Winner of Game One vs. Winner of Game Two, 4 p.m.

Blue & Gold - Friday Results

2008-07-04T12:36:00.015-04:00

Check back throughout the day as I'll post scores from each game. Up-to-date standings are posted to your right (left side of the screen).

SCHEDULE CHANGES: Yesterday's game between New Hartford and Brooklawn, N.J. at Murnane Field's Donovan Stadium is rescheduled for 5 p.m. on Saturday. Saturday's 5 p.m. game between New Hartford and Gaithersburg, Md. at Murnane Field's Donovan Stadium is rescheduled for Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at Joe Corr Memorial Field.

Murnane Field’s Donovan Stadium
Final: Shrub Oak 10, Utica 2
Final: Brooklawn 12, Hamilton 2 (6 innings - mercy rule)
Final: Guaynabo 11, Utica 1 (5 innings - mercy rule)
Final: Guaynabo 9, Adrean 3

Joe Corr Memorial Field
Final: Brooklawn 6, Binghamton 1
Final: Gaithersburg 9, Melvin Roads 2
Final: New Hartford 15, Binghamton 4 (5 innings - mercy rule)
Final: New Hartford 11, Melvin Roads 2

Notre Dame Junior/Senior High School
Final: Haddon Heights 11, Adrean 1
Final: Haddon Heights 13, Vestal 8
Final: Shrub Oak 17, Vestal 1 (5 innings - mercy rule)
Final: Gaithersburg 6, Hamilton 1

Blue & Gold - Thursday Results

2008-07-03T13:06:00.018-04:00

Check back throughout the day as I'll post the scores from each game. The standings are posted to your right (left side of the screen).

SCHEDULE CHANGES:
Today's 1 p.m. game between Brooklawn, N.J. and Shrub Oak, N.Y. at Murnane Field's Donovan Stadium is rescheduled for 8 p.m. tonight.
Tonight's 8 p.m. game between New Hartford and Brooklawn, N.J. at Murnane Field's Donovan Stadium is rescheduled for 5 p.m. on Saturday.
Saturday's 5 p.m. game between New Hartford and Gaithersburg, Md. at Murnane Field's Donovan Stadium is rescheduled for Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at Joe Corr Memorial Field.

Murnane Field’s Donovan Stadium
Final: Guaynabo 8, Haddon Heights 4
Final: Adrean 6, Vestal 2
Final: Guaynabo 10, Shrub Oak 2

Joe Corr Memorial Field
Final: Brooklawn 1, Gaithersburg 0
Final: Hamilton 8, New Hartford 0
Final: Hamilton 2, Melvin Roads 1
Final: Melvin Roads 14, Binghamton 5

Notre Dame Junior/Senior High School
Final: Shrub Oak 3, Adrean 2 (8 innings) - Joe Rock hit a walk-off sacrifice fly to deep left field, with the bases loaded and one out, to move Shrub Oak to 1-0.
Final: Utica 16, Vestal 3 (5 innings) - Mike Lackey had two hits, including a two RBI triple as Utica beat Vestal in a five-inning, mercy-rule shortened game.
Final: Gaithersburg 17, Binghamton 0
Final: Haddon Heights 13, Utica 7

FINAL: Smith 3, Utica 0

2008-07-01T17:51:00.026-04:00

Hey legion fans. I'm here at Murnane Field's Donovan Stadium for today's 6 p.m. match-up between Smith Post 24 and Utica Post 229. Smith is undefeated and sitting atop Oneida County's Blue Division. Utica is the leader of the Gold Division at 6-1.

I'll be providing live play-by-play updates throughout today's game. Feel free to comment with any thoughts or questions - legion or otherwise - in the "comment" section below.

Starting lineups:
Utica (6-1)
1. Devin Warmack, CF
2. Mike Scotellaro, 1B
3. Mark VanDreason, 2B
4. Ryan Donovan, DH
5. Joe Perrotta, SS
6. Mike King, 3B
7. Mike Obernesser, C
8. Vin Gaetano, LF
9. Tom Reilly, RF
Pitcher: T.J. Abounader, RHP (2-0, 1.40 ERA)

Smith (8-0)
1. Kyle Richardson, CF
2. Ryan Kramer, SS
3. Nate Mallinder, LF
4. Jason Nowicki, RF
5. Zack Ciccotti, C
6. Rocco DeBlasiis, DH
7. Ryan Marquette, 1B
8. Eli Hendrington, 3B
9. Mike Stevens, 2B
Pitcher: Garrett Baker, LHP (4-0, 1 save, 1.59 ERA)

Top 1st: Kyle Richardson led off with in a single up the middle. Richardson stole second on the second pitch to Ryan Kramer. Kramer flew out to right field for the first out. Nate Mallinder struck out looking on a 1-2 pitch for the second out (Richardson stole third on the play). T.J. Abounader struck out Jason Nowicki looking for the third out, stranding Richardson at third.

Bottom 1st: Devin Warmack struck out on three pitches for the first out. Mike Scotellaro walked. Scotellaro stole second on the 1-1 pitch to Mark VanDreason. Mike Stevens couldn't handle the catcher's throw, allowing Scotellaro to move to third. VanDreason struck out on a check swing two pitches later for the second out. Garrett Baker got Ryan Donovan for the third out to strike out the side.

Utica 0, Smith 0

Top 2nd: Zack Ciccotti grounded out to the third baseman for the first out. Rocco DeBlasiss grounded out on a high chopper that Abounader made a great play to snag and throw to first for the second out. Ryan Marquette grounded out to the second baseman for the third out.

Bottom 2nd: Joe Perrotta struck out swinging for the first out. Mike King went down looking for the second out. Mike Obernesser hit a two-out single up the middle for Utica's first out. Baker came back and struck out Vin Gaetano looking for the inning's final out (Baker's sixth stike out).

Utica 0, Smith 0

Top 3rd: Eli Hendrington reached on a weak grounder to short for a single. Mike Stevens gave himself up for the first out, bunting Hendrington over to second. Obernesser threw out Hendrington for the second out went he tried to steal third on a ball in the dirt. Richardson hit a two-out single to right on the next pitch. After Richardson stole second (his third stolen base of the game), Kramer grounded out to VanDreason at second for the third out.

Bottom 3rd: Baker struck out Tom Reilly looking for the first out. Warmack grounded out to Marquette at first for the second out. Scotellaro bombed a 1-2 pitch off the right field wall for a two-out triple. VanDreason drew a full-count walk to put runners on first and third with two outs. Baker picked off VanDreason at first to end the inning and the threat.

Utica 0, Smith 0

Top 4th: Mallinder grounded out 1-3 for the first out. Nowicki singled up the middle. Abounader threw a wild pitch over the head of Obernesser, allowing Nowicki to go to second. Ciccotti walked on a 3-1 pitch to put runners on first and second with one out. DeBlasiis lined out to Gaetano in left for the second out. Marquette flew out to center for the final out, stranding runners at first and second.

Bottom 4th: Donovan grounded out to Kramer at short. Kramer ran to his right and slid, scooping up the ball, before making a solid throw to Marquette at first to record the first out. Baker got Perrotta looking for the second out. King then grounded out to Marquette for the final out of the inning.

Utica 0, Smith 0

Top 5th: Abounader got Eli Hendrington swinging at an 0-2 fastball for the first out. Stevens followed with a ground out to Marquette at first who flipped it on to Abounader, who was covering, for the second out. Richardson flew out to center on a 1-1 pitch for the third out.

Bottom 5th: Baker struck out Obernesser on a 1-2 fastball for the first out. Gaetano flew out to Richardson in center for the second out. Reilly grounded out to Kramer at short for the inning's final out.

Utica 0, Smith 0

*Joe Melioris was warming up in the bullpen for Smith during the last half inning. Joe Perrotta was doing the same for Utica. Baker has thrown 73 pitches through five innings to Abounader's 62.

Top 6th: Kramer walked to lead off. After failing to get a bunt down on an 0-1 pitch, Mallinder hit a single to left to put runners on first and second with no outs. Nowicki flew out to right, moving Kramer to third and putting runners on the corners with one out. Mallinder went to second on a pitch in the dirt. Two pitches later, Kramer scored from third and Mallinder moved up to third on an Abounader wild pitch. Smith 1, Utica 0. Ciccotti walked on the next pitch, putting runners on the corners with one out. DeBlasiis singled to right on the first pitch he saw, scoring Mallinder from third (runners on first and second, one out). Smith 2, Utica 0. Hendrington grounded out to Anounader who threw a strike to first for the third out.

Bottom 6th: Warmack struck out looking at an 0-2 fastball for the first out. Scotellaro flew out to center for the second out. VanDreason dropped a bloop single into right-center to give Utica a two-out base runner. Donovan lined the first pitch he saw toward left field, but Kramer made a nice play to snag it for the final out of the inning.

Smith 2, Utica 0

Top 7th: Stevens grounded out to VanDreason who threw over to Scotellaro for the first out. Richardson struck out looking on a 1-2 pitch for second out. Kramer ripped a liner straight at Abounader who knocked it down with his glove, but his couldn't recover quick enough to get Kramer at first as he beat it out for an infield single. Kramer then stole second and third on consecutive pitches. Mallinder knocked Kramer in with a two-out RBI single to right. Smith 3, Utica 0. Smith brought in Dustin Colgan to pinch-run for Marquette. Nowicki singled to put runners on first and second with two outs. Utica manager Greg Gaeta came out to the mound to relieve Abounader in favor of Perrotta. Justin Hall entered the game at shortstop in place of Perrotta. Abounader's final line: 6 2/3 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 K. Perrotta induced a flew out to left by Ciccotti for the third out.

Bottom 7th: Perrotta struck out swinging for the first out (his third strike out of the game). King grounded out to Baker who threw on to Marquette for the second out. Baker struck out Obernesser for his 12th strike out, ending the game.

FINAL: Smith 3, Utica 0

TOMORROW: Smith at Utica

2008-06-30T20:01:00.003-04:00

Hey guys. I just wanted to give you a heads-up that I'll be blogging live from the Utica-Smith game tomorrow at Murnane Field's Donovan Stadium.

Tomorrow's match-up pits Blue Division leader Smith Post (7-0) against Gold Division leader Utica Post (6-1). First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.

Also, be sure to check out tomorrow's OD for Alex Herbach's story on Monday's Sherrill vs. Clonan game.

See you tomorrow...

FINAL: Love 5, Parkhurst 4

2008-06-26T18:22:00.027-04:00

Hey legion fans. I'm here at Larry DeLutis Field for tonight's 7 p.m. match-up between Love Post and Parkhurst Post. Love is currently 3-7 and is coming off a tough loss last night, falling 6-5 to Fort Schuyler after giving up three runs in the bottom of the seventh. Parkhurst, who lost 6-4 to Whitestown last night, sits at 2-3, four games back of first-place Smith in the Blue Division.

I'll be here to provide live play-by-play updates throughout tonight's game as both teams try to get back on track after each dropping their last two games. Feel free to chime in with any thoughts, comments or questions in the "comment" section at the bottom of the page.

Starting lineups:
Parkhurst (2-3)
1. Mike Sreca, SS
2. Jeff Sergott, RF
3. Andy Munn, C
4. Dan Lounsbury, DH
5. Dan Barns, 3B
6. Eric Morrissette, CF
7. Jeff Weaver, 1B
8. Ryan O'Neil, 2B
9. Kevin Burr, LF
Pitcher: Brandon Jones, RHP

Love (3-7)
1. T.J. Mowers, LF
2. Mike Cobb, CF
3. Harry Campbell, SS
4. Tim Bailey, 1B
5. Jordan Mills, 2B
6. Billy Brosemer, C
7. Marty Candee, 3B
8. Scott Hughes, RF
9. Nick Winters, P
Pitcher: Nick Winters, RHP

Top 1st: T.J. Mowers grounded out to third for the first out. Mike Cobb popped out to the first baseman in foul territory for the second out. Harry Campbell hit a single just out of the reach of a stretched Dan Barns at third. Tim Bailey ripped a line-drive single to right that Campbell tried to reach third on. Right fielder Jeff Sergott fired to third, but his throw skipped away from Barns. Campbell raced home, but pitcher Brandon Jones, who was backing up Barns, picked it up and fired to catcher Andy Munn who tagged out Campbell for the third out. That's a 9-1-2 put-out for those of you keeping track at home.

Bottom 1st: Mike Sreca grounded back to the pitcher for the first out. Sergott drew a full-count walk. Munn hit a line-drive single to left, advancing Sergott to third. Dan Lounsburg brought home Sergott by grounding into a 6-4 fielder's choice for the second out. Parkhurst 1, Love 0. Lounsbury was caught stealing for the final out of the inning.

Parkhurst 1, Love 0

Top 2nd: Jones struck Jordan Mills out swinging for the first out. Billy Brosemer drew a one-out walk to put a runner on first for Love. Marty Candee grounded out to the second baseman for the second out (Brosemer went to second on the play). Scott Hughes struck out swinging for the third out, stranding Brosemer at second.

Bottom 2nd: Barns hit a hard ground out to Campbell at short for the first out. Eric Morrissette walked. Jeff Weaver singled to right-center field, putting runners on the corners with one out. Ryan O'Neil hit an RBI single to left field, plating Morrissette from third (runners on first and second, one out). Parkhurst 2, Love 0. Kevin Burr grounded out to first for the second out (runners on second and third, two outs). Sreca grounded out to Campbell to end the inning, stranding runners at second and third.

Parkhurst 2, Love 0

Top 3rd: Winters grounded out to O'Neil at second for the first out. Mowers walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Cobb reached on an error by Barns at third (the ball took a tough hop and bounced off his chest). Mowers snuck to third on the play (runners on first and third, one out). Campbell hit a blooper to shallow right field for an RBI single. Parkhurst 2, Love 1. Cobb went to third, beating the throw from Sergott in right. Campbell reached secound on the throw. Bailey struck out for the second out (runners on second and third, two outs). Mills flew out to Burr in left to end the inning.

Bottom 3rd: Sergott flew out to Cobb in center for the first out. Munn popped out to second on the first pitch he saw for the second out. Lounsbury flew out to Hughes in right on the next pitch to end the inning. Winters needed only five pitches to retire the side.

Parkhurst 2, Love 1

Top 4th: Jones picked up his fourth strike out by fanning Brosemer for the first out. Barns made a nice play at third on a high chopper by Candee as he snagged the ball and made an accurate running throw to record the second out. Hughes reached when Barns bobbled a soft grounder to third. Winters ripped a one-hop double off the left field fence. Hughes tried to score from first on the hit, but Burr made a good throw to Sreca who relayed it home to Munn to snag Hughes at the plate for the third out.

Bottom 4th: Barns grounded out to second for the first out. Morrissette was hit by a pitch and then stole second on the first pitch to Weaver. He advanced to third on a ground out to second by Weaver. O'Neil struck out looking for the inning's final out.

Parkhurst 2, Love 1

Top 5th: Mowers drew a four-pitch walk to lead off the inning (he's the first leadoff batter to reach in the game for Love). Mowers stole second, just beating Munn's throw on a close play. Cobb walked to put runners on first and second with no outs. Campbell singled to right and Mowers raced home trying to tie the game, but he was cut down at the plate on a perfect throw from Sergott in right (that's the third Love runner thrown out at the plate today). Campbell stole second and Cobb came home from third as Munn's throw was bobbled by the shortstop who was trying to cut it off. Love 2, Parkhurst 2. Bailey singled to center, moving Campbell to third. Bailey went to second when Morriessette throw sailed over the cutoff man (runners on second and third, one out). Cory Sprague came in to relieve Jones on the mound. Mills greeted Sprague by ripped a two-RBI single to left field. Love 4, Parkhurst 2. Mills advanced to second on the throw to the cutoff man. Brosemer popped out to third for the second out. Candee grounded out to Weaver at first for the third out.

Bottom 5th: Burr and Sreca hit back-to-back ground outs to Candee at third for the inning's first and second outs. Sergott roped a two-out single to left. Munn was hit by the first pitch he saw (runners on first and second, two outs). Lounsbury flew out to center on the next pitch for the third out.

Love 4, Parkhurst 2

Top 6th: Sprague got Hughes swinging for the first out. Winters drew a one-out walk. Mowers reached on an infield single. Winters, who was running on the pitch, went all the way to third (runners on first and third, one out). Cobb hit a sac fly to right, scoring Winters from third. Love 5, Parkhurst 2. Mowers went to second on the play when Munn followed Winters toward the dugout as he thought he never touched home - the home plate umpire disagreed and said he was safe. Campbell walked on a ball-four wild pitch. Mowers went to third on the wild throw (runners on first and third, two outs). Bailey flew out to left for the third out.

*Anthony Ripp replaced Hughes in right field for Love.

Bottom 6th: Barns led off with a deep, opposite-field double that landed just a few feet inside the left field line. Morrissette flew out to right for the first out, but Barns was tagging and advanced to third. Weaver struck out swinging for the second out. O'Neil ripped a two-out RBI single to right to plate Barns. Love 5, Parkhurst 3. Burr walked on four pitches (runners on first and second, two outs). Sreca flew out to right to end the inning.

Love 5, Parkhurst 3

Top 7th: Mills walked to lead off the inning. Brosemer flew out to center for the first out. Candee hit a grounder toward second base that hit the base runner, Mills, for a fielder's choice and the second out. Candee went to second on a wild pitch. Anthony Ripp walked (runners on first and second, two outs). Weaver came on to relieve Sprague. Sprague came out of the game and Lounsbury moved from DH to first (in place of Weaver). Weaver needed only one pitch to get Winters to fly out to center to end the inning and the threat.

*Parkhurst has its 2-3-4 hitters coming up, needing at least three runs to extend the game.

Bottom 7th: Sergott bombed a triple to deep center field to lead off. Harry Campbell came on to relieve Winters. Winters took Campbell's place at shortstop. Winters' final line: 6+ IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 K, 2BB, 2 HBP. Munn greeted Campbell with an RBI single to left. Love 5, Parkhurst 4. Lounsbury popped out to the Winters in shallow center field for the first out. Barns lined out to the left fielder for the second out. Morrissette grounded out to short to end the game.

FINAL: Love 5, Parkhurst 4

FINAL: Smith 2, New Hartford 0 (15 innings)

2008-06-24T17:27:00.018-04:00

I’m here at Joe Corr Memorial Field for the continuation of yesterday’s suspended game between Smith and New Hartford.

Here’s a quick recap of yesterday's action: Smith’s Joe Melioris and New Hartford’s Alex Giovannone were each brilliant in pitching eight shutout innings apiece. Melioris allowed just one hit while Giovannone surrendered five. Only six runners reached base for Smith to New Hartford’s seven and each team reached third base only once (both in the sixth inning). The game was suspended due to darkness after eight innings and scheduled to resume in the top of the ninth at 6 p.m. today.

Here’s where we'll pick up today: Smith’s 4-5-6 hitters are coming to the plate in the top of the ninth with New Hartford’s 3-4-5 batters due up in the bottom half. Replacing Giovannone on the mound for New Hartford is lefty Eric Verbickas. Hard-throwing lefty Garrett Baker is the new pitcher for Smith.

*A noteworthy update before we resume play: New Hartford will be without starting catcher Mike Doyle when play resumes today due to a broken nose. The injury occurred in the bottom of the seventh inning last night when Doyle, who is also the starting quarterback on the New Hartford High School football team, took a pitch off the face.
With the count 0-2, Smith pitcher Joe Melioris lost the handle on a fastball that sailed high and inside, ricocheting off Doyle’s shoulder and into his nose. Doyle was dazed for a few seconds, but he quickly shook it off and took his base. He was forced out at second when the next batter hit into an inning-ending double play (Doyle was actually called for interference on his slide into second, causing the double play).
The tough-nosed (no pun intended) Doyle fought through the pain, remaining in the game to catch the eighth inning for his team. However, the pain persisted and became worse once Doyle arrived home after the game. His parents brought him to the hospital to have it checked out only to find out that his nose was indeed broken.
This is sure to be a huge loss for New Hartford not only today, but for the next couple weeks as they will be without one of their best players for 10-14 days (according to coach Greg Jones). A look at New Hartford’s schedule reveals that Doyle will likely be out anywhere from six to 13 games depending on how quickly he recovers. Replacing him while he’s out will be first-year player Tim Whalen. It will good for Whalen to gain the experience so early in his career, but he is sure to experience some growing pains as he will be making the jump from JV ball to Legion. It will be worth watching how Whalen adjusts and how Doyle’s injury affects New Hartford over the next two weeks.

*Changes for New Hartford: Tim Whalen will bat in the six hole and catch (replacing Doyle). DH Chandler Evans, the nine hitter, will move to first base. Verbickas will move from first to the mound.

*Changes for Smith: Garrett Baker will come in to pitch for Melioris, who will move to third base in place of Eli Hendrington. Baker will bat in Hendrington's spot in the order (eighth) and Melioris will stay in the six spot.

Top 9th: Jason Nowicki reached on an error as Chandler Evans dropped a throw at first from third baseman Joe Desens. Zack Ciccotti laid down a bunt on the next pitch and beat it out for an infield single after some miscommunication by the NH infielders. Joe Melioris grounded into a 6-4-3 double play for the first two outs, but Nowicki advanced to third on the play (runner on third, two outs). Ryan Marquette popped out to Joe Betar at short for the third out.

Bottom 9th: Betar flew out to right field for the first out. Garrett Baker then struck out Mike Matt and Eric Verbickas, both swinging, to end the inning.

New Hartford 0, Smith 0

Top 10th: Baker flew out to deep right field for the inning's first out. Mike Stevens, the nine hitter, reached on a single that was just out of the reach of a diving Matt in center field. Kyle Richardson reached on a infield single on a dribbler to third. Stevens went all the way to third on the play as Desens throw scooted away from Evans at first. Richardson stole second to put runners at second and third with one out. Ryan Kramer hit a weak grounder to Verbickas who held the runner at third and threw to first, but the throw was off-target, allowing Kramer to reach safely (bases loaded, one out). Nate Mallinder hit a groundball at Betar at short who made the play of the game thus far, starting a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning and escape the bases loaded threat (Evans made a good scoop at first on a low throw from Carcone).

Bottom 10th: Whalen grounded out for the first out on a nice play up the middle by the shortstop Kramer. Pat Calli struck out swinging for the second out. Steve Bieganowski was caught looking for the last out.

New Hartford 0, Smith 0

*Erik Sheridan replaced Bieganowski in left field.

Top 11th: Nowicki popped out to Carcone at second for the first out. Ciccotti lined a one-out double off the right field wall. WAIT A SECOND - NH appealed to first, saying that Ciccotti missed first and apparently he did - the home plate umpire called him out (for a 1-3 putout in your scorebooks). Verbickas then got Melioris swinging for the third out.

*Smith has had a chance to win in each of today's extra innings, but somehow NH has managed to escape the jams. One run wins it for them here with the 9-1-2 hitters due up.

Bottom 11th: Baker struck out Evans for the inning's first out, but it took some work. Evans fouled off eight pitches and worked a 14-pitch at-bat before going down swinging. Carcone and Desens hit back-to-back groundouts to Kramer to end the inning.

New Hartford 0, Smith 0

Top 12th: Marquette grounded out to Carcone for the first out. Verbickas got his counterpart, Baker, swinging on a curveball for the second out. Stevens lined a two-out single to center field for his second hit today (and third of the game). Richardson popped out to Betar to end the inning.

Bottom 12th: Betar popped out to Nowicki in right for the first out. Matt struck out looking for the second out. Verbickas grounded out to Baker for the inning's final out.

New Hartford 0, Smith 0

Top 13th: Kramer flew out to Matt in center for the first out. Mallinder grounded out to Desens at third for the second out. Nowicki reached on a two-out infield single (nubber up the middle). Ciccotti grounded out to Carcone for the third out.

Bottom 13th: Baker struck out Whalen for the first out. Calli grounded out to Baker for the second out. Erik Sheridan grounded out to second to end the inning.

New Hartford 0, Smith 0

*Somebody call ESPN - this is an Instant Classic without a doubt.
*In five innings pitched, Smith's Baker has not allowed a hit and has retired the side in order every inning. Between Melioris yesterday and Baker today, New Hartford has managed only one hit in 13 innings.

Top 14th: Melioris walked to lead off the inning (the NH fans were not happy with the umpire - there were some close pitches that didn't go their way). Ryan Cooke came in to pinch-run for Melioris. Marquette gave himself up for the first out, laying down a picture perfect bunt to thirdm advancing Cooke to second. Baker grounded out to Carcone for the second out. Cooke went to third on the play. Stevens struck out swinging for the third out, stranding Cooke at third base.

Bottom 14th: Evans grounded out to Marquette for the first out. Carcone lined out to Nowicki in right for the second out. Desens drew a two-out walk (the first batter to reach base against Baker). Betar then hit a grounder at the second baseman that looked like it would end the inning, but Stevens throw to first sailed over Marquette's head, allowing Desens to go to third and Betar to move to second. Matt flew out to left on the first pitch he saw to end the inning, stranding two runners in scoring position.

New Hartford 0, Smith 0

Top 15th: Richardson led off with a single to center. Kramer singled to right field on a perfectly executed hit-and-run, allowing Richardson to go all the way to third. Kramer stole second to put two runners in scoring position. With New Hartford's infield drawn in, Mallinder hit a sharp grounder at Betar who threw home trying to cut down Richardson at the plate. But his throw was low and couldn't be handled by Whalen, allowing Richardson to score the game's first run. Smith 1, NH 0. With runners on the corners, Nowicki flew out to right, but Calli's throw sailed over the head of the cutoff man and past Whalen, allowing Kramer to score from third and Mallinder to get to second. Smith 2, NH 0. Ciccotti grounded out to Carcone for the second out (Mallinder went to third on the play). Verbickas struck out Cooke for the third out.

Bottom 15th: Verbickas struck out looking for the first out. Whalen grounded out to Marquette at first for the second out. Calli hit a hard groundout to third for the third out, ending the game.

FINAL: Smith 2, New Hartford 0

To be continued...Smith vs. NH

2008-06-23T22:56:00.004-04:00

Wow. What a game.

For those of you who were lucky enough to witness it in person, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

Smith and New Hartford displayed exactly why they are considered two of the league's premier teams with the show they put on today at Joe Corr Memorial Field. Neither team was willing to give in, leading to a scoreless eight-inning thriller (suspended due to darkness) that will be resumed tomorrow (Tuesday) at 6 p.m.

The pitchers were flat out absurd.

Smith’s Joe Melioris erased all doubt that he is an overrated Class D pitcher. He sliced his way through the New Hartford lineup, striking out 14 batters while allowing only one hit. He struck out every New Hartford hitter at least once. New Hartford’s Alex Giovannone was also dominant. The crafty lefty allowed just five hits on six strikeouts and one walk. After a shaky outing against Whitestown last week, Giovannone reaffirmed his position as New Hartford's ace.

*Read tomorrow’s Observer-Dispatch for more details on the game.

It will be interesting to see how things shake out when the game is resumed tomorrow. Although New Hartford coach Greg Jones did not know exactly who would be pitching for his team, he did say it will likely be between right-handed side-armer Dan Nelson and lefty Eric Verbickas (I’m guessing Nelson gets the nod). Whoever it is, they will have a heavy task ahead in facing Smith’s 4-5-6 batters when the game picks up in the top of the ninth. As for Smith, it will have hard-throwing lefty Garrett Baker on the mound (according to Smith coach Tony Abone Jr.) also facing a tall order, going up against New Hartford’s 3-4-5 hitters in the bottom of the inning.

SUSPENDED: Smith 0, New Hartford 0

2008-06-23T17:40:00.046-04:00

Hey legion fans. I'm here at Joe Corr Memorial Field for today's marquee match-up between Oneida County league rivals Smith Post 24 and New Hartford Post 1376. Smith is currently 6-0 and on top of Oneida County's Blue Division. New Hartford is the Gold Division leader with a perfect 5-0 record.

I'll provide live updates throughout the game so you can follow along with every at-bat. Feel free to leave your thoughts on today's game or any other league matter in the comments section below. I'll also be here to answer any questions you may have.

Starting lineups:
New Hartford (5-0)
1. Joe Carcone, 2B
2. Joe Desens, 3B
3. Joe Betar, SS
4. Mike Matt, CF
5. Eric Verbickas, 1B
6. Mike Doyle, C
7. Pat Calli, RF
8. Steve Bieganowski, LF
9. Chandler Evans, DH
Pitcher: Alex Giovannone, LHP (1-0)

Smith (6-0)
1. Kyle Richardson, CF
2. Ryan Kramer, SS
3. Nate Mallinder, LF
4. Jason Nowicki, RF
5. Zack Ciccotti, C
6. Joe Melioris, P
7. Ryan Marquette, 1B
8. Eli Hendrington, 3B
9. Mike Stevens, 2B
Pitcher: Joe Melioris, RHP (0-0)

*Quick note: New Hartford shortstop Joe Betar was a game-time decision. His arm is bothering him after falling asleep on it awkwardly last night. It will be interesting to see what effect this will have on his play, if any.

Top 1st: Kyle Richardson hit a high pop out to NH catcher Mike Doyle on a full count for the first out. Giovannone needed only one pitch to get Ryan Kramer to fly out to left for the second out. Nate Mallinder popped out to first to end the inning.

Bottom 1st: Joe Carcone grounded a 1-2 pitch to first for the first out. Joe Desens struck out swinging for the second out. Joe Betar grounded out to Kramer at short to end the inning.

New Hartford 0, Smith 0

Top 2nd: Jason Nowicki grounded out to Desens at third for the first out. Zack Ciccotti popped out to the catcher on the first pitch he saw for the second out. Joe Melioris walked on four pitches (runner on first, two outs). Giovannone got Ryan Marquette looking at a 2-2 pitch for the inning's final out.

Bottom 2nd: Mike Matt popped out to Marquette in foul territory for the first out. Eric Verbickas worked the count full before drawing a walk. Doyle struck out on three pitches (runner on first, two outs). Pat Calli struck out looking at a 2-2 pitch to end the inning.

New Hartford 0, Smith 0

Top 3rd: Eli Hendrington flew out to Matt in center on the first pitch he saw. Giovannone got the nine-hitter, Mike Stevens, swinging on an 0-2 pitch for the second out. Richardson popped out to Matt to end the inning.

Bottom 3rd: Steve Bieganowski was beaned by Melioris to the leadoff hitter on. DH Chandler Evans bunted the first pitch he saw to Marquette for a sacrifice, moving Bieganowski to second. Melioris hit Carcone, hit second hit batter of the inning (runners on first and second, one out). Desens ripped a grounder right at Melioris on the first pitch he saw. Melioris snagged it and threw to third for the force and second out (runners on first and second, two outs). Betar went too far on a two-strike check swing, striking out to end the inning. Runners were stranded at first and second.

New Hartford 0, Smith 0

Top 4th: Kramer tried bunting the first pitch he saw, but he hit it right back at Giovannone who threw to first for the first out. Mallinder reached on a infield single (the first hit of the game). Betar ranged to his right and made an off-balanced throw to first, but it was just late. Mallinder stole second on an off-target throw from Doyle. Nowicki popped out to center field on a curveball for the second out (runner on second, two outs). After falling behind 3-0, Giovannone came all the back to strike Ciccotti out to end the inning and strand Mallinder at second.

*There was a big crowd at the start, but it seems to be multiplying as the game goes on. The 50-50 just passed by me and the person selling the tickets said, "It's going to be a big pot tonight."

Bottom 4th: Mike Matt struck out looking for the first out. Melioris struck Verbickas out on a nasty 0-2 curveball. Melioris ended the inning and picked up his seventh strike out by getting Doyle on another two-strike curveball.

New Hartford 0, Smith 0

Top 5th: Melioris struck out for the inning's first out. Marquette hit what looked to be a sure single up the middle, but Carcone made a phenomenal play to snag it and make an off-balanced throw to first for the second out. Hendrington hit a 2-2 single to left. Stevens followed with a single up the middle on the first pitch from Giovannone. Richardson grounded to Betar who flipped it over to Carcone for the force at second, ending the inning and stranding two Smith runners.

Bottom 5th: Calli grounded to Marquette on the first pitch he saw for the first out. Bieganowski saw two pitches before lightning was sighted, causing the home plate umpire to call a mandatory 30-minute delay (the delay started at 7:09 p.m.). Lightning was spotted again at 7:17 pm, restarting the 30-minute delay. We're about to get started up again after a 40-minute delay. Players from both teams just took the last five minutes to throw and get loose. Bieganowski will be at the plate with one out and a 2-0 count. Melioris came back to strike Bieganowski out swinging on a full count for the second out. Melioris pick up his ninth strike out of the game, getting Evans looking at a 1-2 fastball to end the inning.

New Hartford 0, Smith 0

Top 6th: Kramer hit a 3-2 pitch up the middle for a single. Mallinder gave himself up, bunting Kramer over to second (runner on second, one out). Nowicki grounded out to short for the second out, but Kramer moved to third on the play, putting the go-ahead run just 90-feet away. Ciccotti hit a hard groundout to Betar to end the inning, stranding Kramer at third.

*ALERT: Melioris has a no-hitter going. He's struck out nine, walked one and hit two batters. He's thrown 64 pitches.

Bottom 6th: Carcone drew an eight-pitch walk to lead off. Desens tried to bunt Carcone over, but it went right back to Melioris who turned and fired to second to get the inning's first out (runner on first, one out). Betar struck out on a 2-2 curveball. Desens was stealing on the pitch and reached second safely (runner on second, one out). Matt hit a weak blooper over Melioris' head and beat it out for an infield single, breaking up the no-hitter for Melioris (runners on first and third, two outs). Verbickas his a grounder at Kramer at short. He beat Matt to second and touched the base for the force and the inning's final out. Runners were stranded on first and third for New Hartford.

New Hartford 0, Smith o

Top 7th: Melioris hit a deep fly ball out to Calli in right for the inning's first out (the NH fans held their collective breathe as it looked like the hit might have a chance to clear the right field fence). Giovannone struck Marquette on three pitches for the second out and got Hendrington swinging for the third out.

*NH will have their 6-7-8 hitters coming up. One run will win it.

Bottom 7th: Doyle was hit in the shoulder on an 0-2 fastball to put a runner on for NH. Melioris struck Calli out swinging for the first out(Melioris' 11th strike out of the game). Bieganowski bunted the first pitch he saw straight back to Melioris. The pitcher threw to second to get the first out. The runner was called for interference on the slide, making it a 1-6-3 double play and ending the inning.

New Hartford 0, Smith 0

*Giovannone is taking the hill for NH heading into extras. He's thrown 100 pitches.

Top 8th: Stevens lined out to Matt in center for the first out. Richardson grounded out to third for the second out. Kramer hit the first pitch on the ground toward second base. Carcone made another great play to get to the ball and make an accurate off-balanced throw. But, the infield umpire said Verbickas was off the bag at first and called the runner safe (runner on first, two outs). Giovannone got Mallinder to ground out 1-3 to end the inning.

*9-1-2 hitters coming to the plate for New Hartford. One run wins the game. Melioris is still in for Smith. He's thrown 90 pitches.

Bottom 8th: Evans struck out on three pitches for the first out. Carcone struck out looking on a 2-2 curveball for the second out. Melioris picked up his 13th strike out by fanning Desens on a 1-2 pitch to end the inning.

*You guys are going to love this one - game called due to darkness (8:32 p.m.) - New Hartford 0, Smith 0. The home plate umpire, Ron Starsiak, told me the game will be resumed from the point at which it left off tomorrow at 6 p.m.

Check back later for more - I'll probably start a new post.

Showdown Monday: Smith vs. New Hartford

2008-06-22T21:35:00.005-04:00

The biggest game of the young season is upon us.

Get ready for a showdown at Joe Corr Memorial Field on Monday when Blue Division leader Smith Post 24 visits Gold Division leader New Hartford Post 1376. The match-up pins two premiere league rivals in a game that will leave one team with their first loss of the season. Smith is 6-0. New Hartford is 5-0.

First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. and I'll be there to provide live play-by-play updates for those of you who can't make it. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section throughout the game. I’ll also be there to answer any of your questions.

I spoke with coaches from both teams tonight – Smith’s Tony Abone Jr. and New Hartford’s Greg Jones. Both said they have yet to make their decision on a starting pitcher. But, looking at the team’s schedules from last week should give us a good idea of who might take the hill for each squad.

With Garrett Baker throwing in Smith’s 10-4 win over Whitestown on Thursday and Kyle Richardson pitching in a win over Moran on Saturday, it looks as though Joe Melioris is lined up to start his first game on the mound as a member of Smith Post. My guess is the 6-foot-10-inch righty gets the starting nod for the Romans.

As for New Hartford, ace Alex Giovannone will be on almost a week’s rest (he last pitched against Whitestown on Tuesday). Erik Sheridan was scheduled to start against Love in the latter half of the week, but was skipped in the rotation due to an illness, giving New Hartford two left-handed options to choose from. However, I expect to see Giovannone on the hill come game time.

While this game appears to have big implications, there is no doubt that both coaches are downplaying it's gravity to their players. Abone Jr. reminded me that it’s still early in the season and that this one game will not make or break the season. Having played for New Hartford, I know that Jones and manager John Randall share Abone’s perspective. They will remind their players that it’s not the playoffs yet and it’s just another game among many.

Regardless of how much season remains and what the coaches say, fans can expect to see a motivated effort from both sides. Smith and New Hartford have been two of the league's top teams in recent years, consistently battling for Oneida County supremacy. While there is a mutual respect between the players and coaches, neither side likes losing in this match-up, meaning legion fans should be in for a real treat come Monday evening.

See you then.

Team Preview: Whitestown Post 1113

2008-06-19T22:45:00.002-04:00

Manager Paul Engelhart, Coach Jason Engelhart, Coach Jeff Rossiter

Losses: Andy Starczewski, Dave Stevens.
Returning Players: Tyler Beck (OF/2B), Jim Engler (3B/OF), Mike Fasolo (P/2B), Alex Ferenti (P/SS), Conner Flisnik (SS/2B), Chris Flynn (1B), George Hajjar (OF), Dan Krol (P), Mike Mahay (P), Mike Nassar (OF), Paris Rich (OF), Zack Swider (P), Chris Vomer (C), Matt Wilk (3B).
Newcomers: Scott Barry (C), Matt Engler (P/1B), M.J. Hajec (P/OF), Jim Klauser (OF).

I e-mailed Whitestown manager Paul Engelhart these questions a couple weeks ago in hopes to have a season preview on Post 1113 for you guys. However, due to the extended season of the Whitesboro High School team, it wasn't possible. However, Paul wrote back to me a few days ago with some great, in-depth responses. I figured I should share them with you guys as it will give you a great idea of what he expects from his team this summer (and it should be even more interesting at this point, considering they've already played six games).

AD: The Utica and Watertown Tournaments and other non-league games – what do they do for your team?
PE: They allow us the chance to play our young players side-by-side with our veteran players in order for them to gain the necessary game experience, which in turn adds depth to our squad as well as providing a solid foundation for the following season. Every year we play quite a few non-league games because of this philosophy. Most of our veteran players this season have been on the team for two or three years and went through the same process when they were "rookies" on the team. It keeps everybody hungry since every player will get a chance to play at least a few games each week throughout the season.

AD: You lose a big bat and emotional leader in Andy Starzcewski. How much does that hurt the club? Do you lose anyone else (who)?
PE: I wouldn't say that Andy's loss will necessarily "hurt" the club, because what he left behind was very deeply instilled in all of our returning players - his work ethic and lead-by-example attitude. Even though he had a monster year for us last season statistics wise, his intensity and wanting the game to "rest in his hands" mentality will be missed the most. He did his loudest talking with his bat, glove, and arm, not by any words. We also lose Dave Stevens. Dave did not play baseball this spring as a freshman at Utica College and also has a mild wrist injury due to soccer, so he decided not to play this summer.

AD: You have returning all-stars in Mike Mahay (10-1, 1.79 ERA), Zack Swider (9-1, 2.38 ERA), Alex Ferenti (.392, 39 RBIs) and George Hajjar (.369, 49 RBIs). They all had some great numbers last year. What do you expect out of these guys this year?
PE: I expect quite a bit from these guys and always do from our returning all-stars. First and foremost, they need to give 100% effort every single day during practices and games, as well as provide leadership for the rest of the team when in the game as well as on the bench, especially since Mike and Zack are exclusively pitchers. Secondly, they also have to stay "hungry" and try to build upon the success of last season. We definitely are not going to sit back and expect good things to happen just because of our playoff run last year. It took our program over 50 years to win Whitestown Post's first District V title and first appearance in the New York State Tournament. This year's team is determined to do whatever it takes to participate in both tournaments again this summer. These guys know that we have a bulls eye on our backs and they relish the the opportunity to get back to the County playoffs and hopefully play into August again.

AD: Who are the newcomers?
PE: We picked up four new players as a result of our tryouts last week - Jim Klauser, Scott Barry, Matt Engler, and M.J. Hajek. Jim will be moving over to our team from Adrean Post, where he has played the past two summers. Jim transferred back to Whitesboro High School this past fall after attending Notre Dame for 9th and 10th grade. He started in centerfield on Whitesboro's Varsity baseball team this spring and will provide us with added depth in the outfield as well as at the top of the batting order. Scott will primarily be our back-up catcher and work with the pitchers in the bullpen. M.J. is a hardworking young right-handed pitcher and outfielder. Matt is a very young left-handed pitcher and first baseman who has a big upside. Both M.J. and Matt played on Whitesboro's JV team this spring and provide us with needed pitching depth.

AD: What do you like most about this team?
PE: Team chemistry and "never-say-die" attitude. They proved to themselves last summer throughout the three weeks of playoff games that they could fight back in every game they played if they continued to work hard, stayed focused, and remained positive.

AD: What does your team need to work on the most?
PE: Consistency. First and foremost, we need to bring a strong work ethic and desire every single day, whether it's for a game or practice. We also need to stop playing to the level of competition and instead play to the best of our ability all the time instead of just "getting up for the big games" against the top teams we play.

AD: Your coaching staff – how much does it help to have the extra guys around to help out?
PE: It helps tremendously. My son and former WP 1113 player, Jason Engelhart (1998-2000), has been my assistant coach since 2001 and he helps out in all facets on the field. Another former player, Jeff Rossiter (1996-1998), joined us as an assistant coach last summer and has been a big asset to the team as well, jumping right into the fray during practices and games.

AD: What is this team’s ultimate goal?
PE: To build upon last year's success and qualify for Oneida County Playoffs. If we're fortunate enough to make "Counties" coming out of the tough Blue Division, we should have the necessary depth and experience to advance to the District V Tournament and hopefully the New York State Tournament again.

AD: You guys finally got over the hump in the playoffs last year. How much does last year’s experience in the state tournament help you out this year?
PE: The "experience factor," in my opinion, is a huge advantage. We proved last year what we could accomplish if we played as a team and stayed focused. They know what it took and what it feels like to make it to the state tournament. It provides us with a very attainable goal since we have most of the team back and they are all eager to make another run this year.

AD: Who do you see as being the major contenders this year?
PE: I see a number of contenders, obviously starting with Smith Post since they reached the state finals and only lost four players. With the return of Garrett Baker and the possible addition of Joe Melioris to the pitching staff, they add two of the area's bigger guns to an already solid pitching staff led by Kyle Richardson. New Hartford, Adrean, Utica, and Sherrill all have many of their core players returning as well and should compete for division crowns. Helmuth-Ingalls, Parkhurst, and Love didn't lose a lot either and should be able to improve upon their records from last year. From top to bottom, I think this year's league has much more parity than in recent years, which should lead to exciting action every single league game.

FINAL: Utica 12, Clonan 1

2008-06-19T17:29:00.026-04:00

Hey legion fans. I'm here at Murnane Field at Donovan Stadium to cover today's Gold Division match-up between Clonan Post 1000 and Utica Post 229. Clonan comes into the game with an 0-3 league record. Utica sits at 2-0, just half a game behind first place New Hartford.

I'll be providing live updates again today and, as always, feel free to chime in with any thoughts, questions or comments in the comment section. Also, be sure to check out my post from yesterday. It includes my thoughts on what I've seen from the areas legion teams to this point. I'd also like to hear your thoughts on the discussed topics. Check it out here: http://adonovan-uticaod.blogspot.com/2008/06/some-notes.html

Today's game is pretty cool for me. It marks the first time that I'll be covering a game at the stadium named after my late grandfather, Senator James H. Donovan. I've been to games here in pretty much all other capacities. I used to come to plenty of Utica Blue Sox games each summer as a fan of our local team back when they were in town. We had season tickets behind home plate. Those games were a blast. I've also been here multiple times as a player. The last time I played on this field was surely the most memorable. It was the day, as a member of New Hartford Post, my team won the state championship in 2006. I've been here as a reporter once before as well. It was last summer when I interviewed former MLB All-Star Dave Cash and broke the story on the cancellation of the less-than-one-month-old New York State Professional Baseball League. But, today will be the first time I'm covering a game as a reporter. It's pretty cool thinking back on all the different roles I've played inside this stadium.

But, enough about me already. Let's get going with today's game.

Starting lineups:
Utica (2-0)
1. Devin Warmack, CF
2. Mike Scotellaro, 1B
3. Mark VanDreason, 2B
4. Ryan Donovan, P
5. Joe Perrotta, SS
6. Joe Mazzara, RF
7. Mike King, 3B
8. Vin Gaetano, LF
9. Mike Obernesser, C
Pitcher: Ryan Donovan, RHP

Clonan (0-3)
1. Adam Dee, LF
2. Ryan Critelli, 2B
3. Gary Puleo, 3B
4. Brian Gaskell, P
5. Steve Ball, CF
6. Ed Constantine, C
7. Dominick Masi, 1B
8. Nick Critelli, SS
9. Brandon O'Conner, RF
Pitcher: Brian Gaskell, RHP

Top 1st: Adam Dee struck out looking at a 3-2 curveball for the first out. Ryan Critelli looked a third struck for the second out. Gary Puleo drew a two-out walk. Brian Gaskell grounded out to Mike Scottelaro at first for the inning's final out.

Bottom 1st: Devin Warmack led off by beating out a grounder to the shortstop for an infield single. Scotellaro walked to put runners on first and second with no outs. Mark VanDreason hit an RBI single up the middle, scoring Warmack. Utica 1, Clonan 0. Scotellaro went to third on the play. VanDreason stole second to put runners on second and third with no outs. Donovan hit a grounder at third and Puleo tried to cut down Scotellaro at home, but the throw was low, allowing Scotellaro to score and Donovan to reach on a fielder's choice (VanDreason went to third). Utica 2, Clonan 0. Joe Perrotta grounded out to short for the first out, but picked up an RBI as VanDreason scored from third. Utica 3, Clonan 0. Joe Mazzara grounded out to short for the second out. Mike King reached on an error by the second baseman, putting runners at first and third with two outs. Vin Gaetano struck out swinging to end the inning.

Utica 3, Clonan 0

Top 2nd: Donovan struck out Steve Ball swinging for his third strike out of the game and the inning's first out. Ed Constantine drew a one-out walk. Dominick Masi grounded into a routine 4-6-3 double play to end the inning.

Bottom 2nd: Mike Obernesser hit a single up the middle to lead it off, bring up the top of the order with no outs. Warmack hit a line drive single to left. A passed ball allowed the runners to move up to second and third (Constantine, Clonan's catcher, looked distracted by Scotellaro squaring to bunt). Scotellaro drew a walk to load the bases with no outs. VanDreason hit a sac fly to right field to score Obernesser. Warmack went to third and Scotellaro advanced to second as the right fielder's throw flew way over the cut off. Utica 4, Clonan 0. Donovan struck out looking for the second out. Perrotta then hit a two-RBI single up the middle. Utica 6, Clonan 0. Perrotta stole second and then scored on a Mazzara RBI single. Utica 7, Clonan 0. King hit a single through the left side of the infield to put runners on first and second with two outs. Gaetano grounded out to short to end the inning.

Utica 7, Clonan 0

*QUICK NOTE: I just noticed that the field umpire is a former acquaintance (if you will) of mine. I'm sure my former NH Post teammates with appreciate this one. Back when I played for NH, I was batting in a game and this particular umpire just happened to be behind home plate. Well, I called timeout and stepped out to take a practice swing. As the umpire came out of his crouch to call time, he stepped directly into the end of my swing and my bat caught him right in the jaw. He dropped to the ground with a yell. It was a very scaring moment, but, thank God, it turned out that he was okay - no broken bones, just a bruised jaw. When he got up, he promptly turned to me and said, "You swing like a horse." That's a joke that still lingers with my former teammates today. But, don't think I'm that cold hearted - I called him at his home the next day to check in on him.

Top 3rd: Nick Critelli walked to lead it off. Brandon O'Conner popped out to the shortstop, Perrotta, for the first out. Dee then grounded into a 6-4 fielder's choice for the second out. Dee was caught stealing by Obernesser to end the inning.

*Lots of changes for Clonan: Ryan Critelli has come on to pitch. Justin Hall moved to second in his place. Gaskell went from the mound to first base (Masi is now out of the game). Craig Siuta came in at shortstop (in place of Nick Critelli). Dan Zayas came in to right field (in place of O'Conner).

Bottom 3rd: Obernesser led off with a walk. Warmack popped out to second for the first out. Scotellaro walked (he's shown a lot of patience at the plate - that's his third free pass of the game). VanDreason walked to load the bases. Donovan popped out to the pitcher for the second out. Perrotta hit groundball to third that looked like it would end the inning, but Puleo bobbled it and all the runners advanced safely, allowing a run to score and the bases to be re-loaded. Utica 8, Clonan 0. Mazzara ripped a bases-clearing triple to the right-center field gap to pick up three RBIs (he now has four on the day). Utica 11, Clonan 0. King hit a grounder to second, but Hall couldn't handle it, allowing Mazzara to come home and King to reach safely. Utica 12, Clonan 0. Gaetano walked to put runners on first and second with two outs. Clonan Post manager Mike McRorie just came out to the mound to relieve Ryan Critelli. Tyler Miles is the new Clonan pitcher. Miles induced an Obernesser pop out to second on his first pitch to end the inning.

Utica 12, Clonan 0

Top 4th: Miles gave Clonan its first hit of the game with a leadoff double that one-hopped to the fence in right-center field. Puleo drew a walk to put runners on first and second with no outs. Gaskell flew out to Mazzara in right for the first out. Ball got plunked in the head on a wild curveball from Donovan to load the bases for Clonan with one down. Donovan squashed Clonan's best chance to score thus far by getting back-to-back strike out of Constantine and Hall.

Bottom 4th: Mike Lackey entered the game, taking Warmack's place in the UP lineup. Lackey reached base on a groundball an error by the shortstop. Scotellaro reached on a walk (that's four walks in four at-bat for him). VanDreason flew out to right field for the inning's first out. Donovan popped out to the first baseman in foul territory for the second out. Perrotta grounded out to short to end the inning.

Utica 12, Clonan 0

*Clonan must score at least three runs this inning to avoid the game ending by the mercy rule.

Top 5th: Craig Siuta hit a double the other way, down the right field line, to give Clonan a runner in scoring position with no outs. Siuta then went to third on a wild pitch. Dan Zayas brought with runner home with an RBI single to center field. Utica 12, Clonan 1. Donovan struck out pinch hitter Keith Morgan to record the inning's first out and then got the next batter, Miles, looking for the second out. Puleo flew out to the right fielder to end the game.

FINAL: Utica 12, Clonan 1

Tomorrow's game and early impressions

2008-06-18T23:10:00.007-04:00

First off, I'll be at the Utica vs. Clonan game tomorrow at Murnane Field at Donovan Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. I'll blog throughout the game with updates for you guys.

Other than that, I want to know your thoughts on what we've seen from the league thus far. Who's been the biggest surprise? Who's been the biggest dissapointment? Who is the frontrunner? What do you expect the rest of the way? Please share your thoughts. I'd love to hear what you guys think.

Here's my take:
Biggest surprise - Roberts Post. I don't know if anyone saw this one coming. Roberts is 5-1 and sits just 1 game behind Smith for first place in the Blue Division. They're doing it with good pitching, solid defense and a balanced offensive attack. That sounds like a good formula to me. The only question now is will they continue their early success? I guess we'll have to wait and see, but from the game I saw them play and the box scores I've followed, I don't see any reason why Roberts doesn't stay near the top of the league for the rest of the summer.

Biggest Dissapointment - Whitestown Post. This is a no brainer. Whitestown is 0-5 overall and 0-2 in the league. Who would have thought they'd be winless after five games following the great success of the Whitesboro High School team in the spring? With all that talent, you have to think that they'll get it together and charge back toward the top of their division, but they better do it sooner rather than later. They don't want to have to be squeezing for wins at the end of the year. I'm interested to see if we'll see any panic out of these guys with their recent slump. Afterall, this is a team full of players who aren't used to losing.

Frontrunner - Smith Post. I've seen two of their games thus far and they are skilled at every position and can hit one through nine. Not to mention, they didn't even have the Rome Catholic kids through their first three games. The addition of Melioris and some of the other stars of the RCH team should only make them more of a force to reckon with. I don't expect them to slow down anytime soon. Mark this date down on your calendar - Monday, June 23. That's the day Smith and New Hartford will meet. It will be interesting to see who comes out on top when these two rivals clash. New Hartford is on top of the Gold Division and if both teams can continuing their winning ways through the rest of the week, it will be a showdown between No. 1 in the Blue and No. 1 in the Gold.

The Rest of the Way - I expect Whitestown to right the ship. With all that talent, there's no way that this team can keep losing. But, when it's all said and done, I still think Smith walks away with the Blue Division regular season title. On the other side (the Gold Division), I think New Hartford is going to run away with it. I really do. They have a balanced lineup and they're 3-0 when they could just as easily be 0-3 after some less-than-spectacular pitching performances. But, that's what the top teams do - they win games even when they're not at their best.

Having said that, let the debate begin. What do you guys think? And you're not limited to these questions. Feel free to include any other thoughts on the league if you like.

PS. My Canes were eliminated from the College World Series tonight :(
I'm curious - are you guys following along with the CWS? With the nation's top-ranked team out (Miami), who do you think will take the title?

FINAL: Sherrill 4, Moran 2

2008-06-18T17:46:00.033-04:00

Hey guys. I'm here at Camden Yards for tonight's game between Sherrill Post and Moran-Meeker O'Rourke Post. Sherrill has yet to play a game on the season. Moran is 0-3 and find themselves 3.5 games back of Blue Division leader Smith.

I'll be providing live updates throughout the game. I'll also be here to answer any questions you might have about the game, the league or anything else baseball.

Starting lineups:
Moran (0-3)
1. D.J. Forbragd, RF
2. Dylan Smith, SS
3. Dave Stanton, 3B
4. Jamie Coriale, 1B
5. Holden Coon, LF
6. Andy Benedetto
7. Josh Seymour, RF
8. Jake Clark, 2B
9. Angelo Gonzalez, CF
Pitcher: D.J. Forbragd, RHP

Sherrill (0-0)
1. Jermey Roden, SS
2. Ryan Dungey, P
3. Mitch Iseneker, CF
4. Mark Dixon, 3B
5. Matt Sayles, C
6. Robert Sweet, 1B
7. Mike Blair, 2B
8. Luke Volker, LF
9. Jamie Cielinski, RF
Pitcher: Ryan Dungey, LHP

Top 1st: Jermey Roden popped out to Moran first baseman Jamie Coriale for the first out. Ryan Dungey struck out swinging at high fastball from D.J. Forbragd. Forbragd then went full on the next batter, Mitch Iseneker, before striking him out swinging to end the inning.

Bottom 1st: Forbragd whiffed on a high heater for the first out. Dylan Smith hit a grounder to Roden at short, but his throw was short of first and got by first baseman Robert Sweet, allowing Smith to reach safely and advance to second. Dave Stanton struck out swinging for the inning's second out. Smith advanced to third on a wild pitch (runner on third, two outs). Dungey struck out Coriale to end the inning and strike out the side.

Moran 0, Sherrill 0

Top 2nd: Mark Dixon led off with a single up the middle. Matt Sayles followed with a walk (first and second, no outs). Sweet fouled off a two-strike bunt for the first out of the inning. Dixon was then gunned down by Moran catcher Andy Benedetto when he tried to steal third (runner on second, two outs). Forbragd got Mike Blair swinging to end the inning.

Bottom 2nd: Holden Coon grounded out to short to lead off the inning. Dungey struck out Benedetto and Josh Seymour to end the inning.

Moran 0, Sherrill 0

Top 3rd: Luke Volker reached on an error by the first baseman (groundball tipped off his glove and away from him). Jamie Cielinski popped out to third for first out. Roden took an outside fastball the other way for a single and Volker went from first to third. (runners on first and third, one out). Dungey popped up to the catcher near home, but it tipped off Benedetto's glove and into fair territory. Dungey wasn't running as he expected it to a sure out or a foul ball, and Benedetto picked the ball up and fired to first for the second out of the inning. Coriale then threw back to Benedetto as Volker was trying to score from third. Volker got caught in a run down and was eventually tagged out by Forbragd to end the inning. To recap, it was a 2-3-2-5-1 double play (yes, it was entertaining).

Bottom 3rd: Jake Clark led off with a dribbled toward second that he beat out for an infield single. Dungey picked Clark off of first just seconds after he reached for the inning's first out. Angelo Gonzalez then grounded out to Sweet who tossed it to Dungey (he was covering first) to get the second out. Forbragd reached on a walk and then stole second. But he was stranded there as Smith grounded out to the second baseman to end the inning.

Moran 0, Sherrill 0

Top 4th: Iseneker lined out to Gonzalez in center for the first out. Dixon walked. Sayles popped out to Coriale in foul territory for the second out. Dixon stole second on the next pitch (runner on second, two outs). Sweet hit a pop-up into right-center that looked like it might drop, but Clark ran out from second and made a phenomenal over-the-shoulder grab in the shallow outfield to end the inning and keep the game tied.

Bottom 4th: Stanton grounded out to third for the inning's first out (the Moran fans didn't like the call...I might have to agree - I'm in the press box next to first and it sure looked like Sweet's foot was off of first base). Coriale drilled a one-hopper off the center field wall for a double (runner on second, one out). Coon struck out looking for the second out. Benedetto grounded out to short on a 3-2 pitch to end the inning. Coriale was stranded at second.

Moran 0, Sherrill 0

*Through four and we still have no score and only four hits between the two teams (two each). This has been a pitcher's duel - Dungey and Forbragd have each done a good job of limiting baserunners and getting out of jams when need be.

Top 5th: Forbragd struck out Blair for the first out. Volker flew out to left. Forbragd then struck out his sixth batter of the game, getting Cielinski swinging to end the inning.

Bottom 5th: Jaime Cielinski has come on to pitch in relief of Dungey for Sherrill. Dungey moved to center field and Iseneker moved over to right. Seymour laid down the first pitch he saw and beat it out for a bunt single. Clark flew out to left for the first out. Seymour moved to second on a wild pitch from Cielinski. Seymour tried to take third on the next pitch when it bounced in the dirt, but Sayles smothered it and hosed the runner out at third. Gonzalez then lined out to third to end the inning.

Moran 0, Sherrill 0

Top 6th: Roden hit a deep fly ball to Coon in left for the first out. Dungey hit a bloop to the gap in right-center and legged out a double (runner on second, one out). Iseneker walked to put runners on first and second with one out. Moran coach Steve Holstein just ran out to the mound to have a quick chat with his pitcher. Dixon grounded out to short for the second out, but the runners moved to second and third. Sayles hit an RBI single through the left side, scoring Dungey from third and ending the scoreless drought. Iseneker went to third on the play and Sayles advanced to second when the cutoff man couldn't handle the throw from the left fielder. Sherrill 1, Moran 0. Iseneker scored on a wild pitch. Sherrill 2, Moran 0. Sweet grounded out to third to end the inning.

Bottom 6th: Forbragd - who musn't have been happy with Sherrill's two runs in the top half of the inning - led off with a homerun to cut the lead in half. Sherrill 2, Moran 1. Smith popped out to Sweet for the first out. Stanton flew out to Iseneker in right for the second out. Coriale struck out swinging to end the inning.

Sherrill 2, Moran 1

Top 7th: Blair walked to lead it off. Volker bunted and the third baseman's throw to second was late, allowing both runners to reach safely. Anthony Rocco came on to pinch hit and struck out for the first out, but Blair moved to third and Volker went to second on the pitch. Roden walked to load the bases with one out. Dungey hit a bloop fly ball to shallow left field that dropped in between three Moran players for an RBI single. Sherrill 3, Moran 1. Another runner scored on a wild pitch (runners on second and third, one out). Sherrill 4, Moran 1. Iseneker grounded out to Forbragd on a 2-2 pitch for the second out. Dixon grounded out to third to end the inning.

*Moran has their 5-6-7 hitters coming up. It is their last chance to extend the game.

Bottom 7th: Sherrill has brought Iseneker in to pitch with a save on the line. Coon grounded out to Dixon at third for the first out. Benedetto hit a line drive single to right to give Moran a baserunner with one down. After falling in the count 1-2, Seymour took the next three pitches to earn a walk and put runners on first and second. Clark hit an infield single to load the bases with one out. Angelo Gonzalez represents the winning run at the plate. Gonzalez hit a grounder to second that Blair couldn't handle, allowing Benedetto to score from third and the bases to be re-loaded. Sherrill 4, Moran 2. Forbragd popped out to Dixon at third for the second out. Smith then hit a grounder at Dixon who stepped on third to end the game.

FINAL: Sherrill 4, Moran 2

LIVE updates: Sherrill at Moran tonight

2008-06-18T10:41:00.003-04:00

I'll be up in Camden to cover the Sherrill-Moran game at 6 p.m. tonight. I'll be providing live updates here for those of you who can't make it out to the game. See you tonight.

FINAL: New Hartford 9, Whitestown 7

2008-06-17T18:39:00.028-04:00

Hey guys. I'm here at Joe Corr Memorial Field for today's game between New Hartford and Whitestown. This is Whitestown's first league game of the season (they dropped three games this weekend in UP's Father's Day Classic tournament and will be looking to get back on track against their biggest rival). New Hartford is 2-0 and sits atop the Gold Division.

As always, feel free to share any thoughts, comments or questions in the comment section - whether you want to talk today's game, the league in general, the College World Series or anything else.

Starting Lineups:
New Hartford (2-0)
1. Joe Carcone, 2B
2. Steve Bieganowski, DH
3. Joe Betar, SS
4. Mike Matt, CF
5. Eric Verbickas, 1B
6. Mike Doyle, C
7. Pat Calli, RF
8. Joe Desens, 3B
9. Erik Sheridan, LF
Pitcher: Alex Giovannone, LHP

Whitestown (0-0)
1. Connor Flisnik, SS
2. Jim Klauser, CF
3. George Hajjar, RF
4. Alex Ferenti, DH
5. Tyler Beck, 2B
6. Chris Flynn, 1B
7. Jim Engler, LF
8. Matt Wilk, 3B
9. Chris Vomer, C
Pitcher: Zack Swider, RHP

Top 1st: Whitestown leadoff man Connor Flisnik reached on a groundball that took a huge hop over NH second baseman Joe Carcone. Alex Giovannone struck out the next batter, Jim Klauser, on three straight pitches (he swung at all three). George Hajjar took a two-strike pitch the other way for a groundball single through the hole between first and second (runners on first and second, one out). Alex Ferenti singled to left to load the bases. Tyler Beck hit a sharp grounder on the first pitch he saw that NH shortstop Joe Betar made a great play to snag, but his throw sailed wide of Carcone at second, allowing Hajjar to score from second (in addition to Flisnik scoring from third) and Ferenti to reach third. Whitestown 2, NH 0. Giovannone picked up his second strikeout for the second out, getting Chris Flynn to whiff at a high fastball. Jim Engler then flew out to center field to end the inning, stranding runners at first and third.

Bottom 1st: Joe Carcone led off with a line drive single over the shortstop, but he was thrown out at second trying to stretch it to two when Klauser bobbled the ball in center field. Klauser picked it up and hit the relay man who got it to second to record the first out. Steve Bieganowski was hit by the next pitch. Betar followed with a single to left (runners on first and second, one out). Mike Matt hit the second pitch he saw right at Matt Wilk, the third baseman, who tagged Bieganowski and fired over to first to get the double play to end the inning.

Whitestown 2, New Hartford 0

Top 2nd: Wilk, the eight hitter, popped out to NH catcher Mike Doyle for the first out. Chris Vomer hit the first pitch he saw for a single down the left field line, just out of the reach of diving NH third baseman Joe Desens. Flisnik drew a walk (runners at first and second, one out). Klauser popped out to Matt in center for the second out. Giovannone got Hajjar swinging on a curveball for the third out, stranding two Whitestown runners for the second straight inning.

Bottom 2nd: Eric Verbickas led off with a bloop single into center field. Doyle was hit by a 2-2 pitch, putting runners on first and second with no outs. Pat Calli struck out looking on a 3-2 pitch for the inning's first out. Dave Desens followed with a two-strike single up the middle to load the bases with one out. Nine-hitter Erik Sheridan then worked a seven-pitch walk, picking up an RBI and keeping the bases loaded with one out. Whitestown 2, NH 1. Carcone ripped a liner right at Engler in left for the second out, but Doyle tagged from third to tie the game. NH 2, Whitestown 2. The runners moved to second and third on a wild pitch. Bieganowski struck out looking for the third out, stranding runners on second and third.

New Hartford 2, Whitestown 2

Top 3rd: Ferenti reached on an errant throw by Carcone to lead off. Beck popped out to Carcone for the first out. Flynn popped out to Betar at short on the next pitch. Giovannone struck out Engler for his fourth K and the inning's final out.

Bottom 3rd: Betar struck out swinging for the first out. Matt reached on an error by Beck at second (he bobbled the ball then pulled the first baseman off the bag on the throw). Matt moved to second when Zack Swider tried to pick him off at first and threw it away (runner on second, one out). Verbickas sawed off another single into center field (almost identical to his first hit) and the speedy Matt came around from second to beat the throw to home to put New Hartford ahead. Verbickas went to second on the throw home. NH 3, Whitestown 2. Doyle struck out looking for the inning's second out. Calli then hit the first pitch from Swider deep to right field and off the wall for a two-out, RBI triple. NH 4, Whitestown 2. Desens smoked an RBI, line drive single to left to score Calli. NH 5, Whitestown 2. NH manager John Randall then put on the hit-and-run - Sheridan singled up the middle and Desens went from first to third (Sheridan advanced to second on Klauser's late throw to third). Carcone popped a foul ball toward the first base dugout, but the catcher dropped it, giving the batter new life. Carcone made Whitestown pay with an RBI infield single on the next pitch (runners on first and third, two outs). NH 6, Whitestown 2. Bieganowski drove a ball to the gap in right-center for a 2-RBI triple (NH's second triple of the inning). NH 8, Whitestown 2. Bieganowski scored on a wild pitch. NH 9, Whitestown 2. Betar, hitting for the second time in the inning, legged out an infield single on a chopper toward third. He then stole second on a curveball to Matt. Matt struck out swinging for the third out.

New Hartford 9, Whitestown 2

Top 4th: Wilk flew out to Sheridan in left for the first out. Vomer golfed a bloop single to left (I think it was a nine iron) to put a runner on for Whitestown. Flisnik drew a four-pitch walk to put runners on first and second with one out. Klauser loaded the bases with a fly ball single to center that was misjudged by Matt. Giovannone threw eight straight curveballs to Hajjar - after fouling off three with two strikes, Hajjar drove an RBI single to left. NH 9, Whitestown 3. With the bases loaded and one out, Ferenti hit a grounder to Desens at third. He stepped on third for the out, but his throw to first was late and Hajjar advanced to third. Flisnik scored on the play. NH 9, Whitestown 4. SORRY FOR THE DELAY - I HAD TO SEEK SHELTER FOR THE COMPUTER AS IT STARTED TO RAIN. Beck ripped a 2-RBI triple in the right-center field gap, scoring Hajjar from third and Ferenti from first. NH 9, Whitestown 6. Flynn flew out to right field for the third out.

Bottom 4th: Whitestown brought in M.J. Hajec to pitch. He induced a 1-3 groundout from Verbickas on his first pitch. Doyle reached on an error by the second baseman. Calli then grounded into a 1-6-3 double play to end the inning.

New Hartford 9, Whitestown 6

Top 5th: Engler doubled to lead it off. Giovannone struck out Wilk for the first out. Vomer then flew out to Matt in center. Flisnik grounded out to Desens at third, stranding Engler at second, for the inning's final out.

Bottom 5th: Desens grounded out to third for the first out. Sheridan reached first after being hit by the first pitch. Carcone grounded to the shortstop who threw to second to get the lead runner. The second baseman's throw to first for the double play was late, but Sheridan was called for interference at second, making Carcone out too and ending the inning.

New Hartford 9, Whitestown 6

Top 6th: Klauser led off with a line drive single down the left field line. Hajjar grounded to Desens on what looked like it might be a double play for New Hartford, but Desens throw to second was wide and allowed both runners to reach safely (first and second, no outs). Ferenti flew out to center for the first out. Beck grounded into a fielder's choice as Desens touched third for the force out (first and second, two outs). Hajec (batting for Swider) grounded out to Betar at short for the third out.

Bottom 6th: Bieganowski struck out swinging to start the inning. Betar flew out to right field for the second out. Matt drew a two-out walk and stole second on the first pitch to Verbickas. Verbickas lined out to Hajec for the third out.

New Hartford 9, Whitestown 6

Top 7th: 7-8-9 hitters coming up for Whitestown - they must score at least three to extend the game. Engler led off with a homerun over the left field wall on a 3-2 pitch. NH 9, Whitestown 7. Wilk grounded out to Verbickas at first on the first pitch he saw. Paris Rich entered the game to hit for Vomer. Rich singled to left field (runner on first, one out). Flisnik (leadoff hitter) grounded into a 4-6 fielder's choice. Flinisk advanced to second on a wild pitch - his 132 pitch of the game (runner on second, two out). Giovannone struck out Klauser swinging to end the game.

FINAL: New Hartford 9, Whitestown 7

Game blog tomorrow

2008-06-16T20:14:00.026-04:00

Hey guys. I'll be at Joe Corr Memorial Field for tomorrow's game between New Hartford and Whitestown. I'll be providing live updates throughout the game.

Come on and follow along to keep up with the game. As always, feel free to share any thoughts, comments or questions in the comment section - whether you want to talk about the game, the league in general, the College World Series or anything else.

See you guys tomorrow at 6 p.m.

FINAL: Smith 11, Adrean 8

2008-06-13T15:13:00.061-04:00

Hey guys. I'm here at Notre Dame High School for today's Blue Division match-up between Adrean and Smith. Adrean is coming off a 7-4 loss to Roberts in their season opener last night. Smith knocked off Roberts 6-3 back on June 7 in their only game thus far.

I'll be providing inning-by-inning updates throughout the game. As always, feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments section - they are encouraged. I'll try to answer your questions during the game, whether you want to talk legion baseball, the College World Series (which starts tomorrow) or anything else.

Also, be sure to check out the schedule for this weekend's Father's Day Classic, hosted by Utica Post: http://adonovan-uticaod.blogspot.com/2008/06/fathers-day-classic_13.html
There are some talented teams in the tournament which should provide for some enjoyable baseball.

Starting line-ups:
Adrean Post (0-1)
1. Rafaele Cordero, SS
2. Jack Lottermoser, 3B
3. Michael Gaetano, 1B
4. Steve Campbell, RF
5. Steve Sarcone, P
6. Craig Warncke, CF
7. Luke Manolescu, C
8. Matt Rotundo, 2B
9. Mike Hill, LF
Pitcher: Steve Sarcone, RHP

Smith Post (1-0)
1. Kyle Richardson, P
2. Ryan Kramer, SS
3. Jason Nowicki, 3B
4. Ryan Marquette, 1B
5. Nate Mallinder, CF
6. Garrett Baker, RF
7. Zack Ciccotti, C
8. Ryan Cooke, LF
9. Mike Stevens, 2B
Pitcher: Kyle Richardson, RHP

*Tonight's game is being broadcast on 1350 AM.
*I'm sitting up in the press box behind home plate - the smell of the popcorn in the concession stand below is killing me. There must be 10 lbs. of butter on it. I'm thinking I might have to make a stop down there at some point. So much for laying off the sweets...
*My former JV baseball coach at NH, Art Williams, is the home plate umpire tonight - brings back some memories.

Top 1st: Kyle Richardson opened the game with a walk. Ryan Kramer smoked a triple down the left field line, scoring Richardson. Smith 1, Adrean 0. Jason Nowicki then hit a high chopper over the head of the third baseman, bring Kramer home for an RBI single. Smith 2, Adrean 0. Ryan Marquette followed with a groundout to shortstop Rafaele Cordero. Nowicki was hustling to second leaving Cordero no choice but to go to first. Mallinder then flew out to left for the inning's second out. Garrett Baker drew a walk, putting runners on first and second. The inning ended on a hard hit line out to center fielder Craig Warncke by Zack Ciccotti.

Bottom 1st: Cordero led off with a groundout to second baseman, Mike Stevens. Richardson walked Jack Lottermoser on four pitches. Michael Gaetano hit a one-hop grounder right at Kramer at short. He flipped it over to Stevens who touched second and fired over to first, completing the 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.

Smith 2, Adrean 0

Top 2nd: Ryan Cooke swung at Sarcone's first pitch, smacking it up the middle for a single. With Stevens showing bunt, Sarcone threw a high pitch that got away from catcher Luke Manolescu for a passed ball, allowing Cooke to advance to second. After another ball, Stevens laid down a sacrifice bunt, moving Cooke to third. Richardson popped out to second baseman Matt Rotundo on the next pitch for the second out. Kramer hit a 2-2 pitch on the ground at the second baseman, but it hopped off Rotundo's chest, allowing Kramer to reach first and Cooke to score. Smith 3, Adrean 0. Kramer stole second, beating Manolescu's throw. Nowicki then grounded out to Lottermoser at third to end the inning.

Bottom 2nd: Steve Campell popped out to Richardson for the inning's first out. Sarcone then hit a double over Mallinder's head in center field. Warncke followed with a line drive up the middle for an RBI single, putting Adrean on the board. Smith 3, Adrean 1. Manolescu smoked another liner up the middle with Warncke running on the pitch. Warncke made it over to third on the single. Manolescu stole second on the next pitch with Rotundo pulling back his bat on a safety squeeze. Rotundo took a pitch and then hit a hard groundball through the hole into left field, bringing home both Warncke and Manolescu and tying the game. Adrean 3, Smith 3. Rotundo advanced to second on a error by the left fielder, Cooke, as he didn't come up with it cleanly. Rotundo then went to third on a Richardson wild pitch. Richardson got the batter, Mike Hill, looking for the second out. Cordero grounded out to Richardson for the third out.

Adrean 3, Smith 3

Top 3rd: Marquette grounded out to Rotundo to lead off the inning. Mallinder then drew a walk. Baker hit a tailor-made double play ball at Rotundo, but his throw to second pulled Cordero off the bag and both runners were safe (Rotundo's second error of the game). Mallinder stole third, putting runners at the corners with one out. On the next pitch, Ciccotti hit a line drive into center for an RBI single. Smith 4, Adrean 3. Baker went to second on the hit. Sarcone went full on Cooke before walking him, loading the bases with one down. Stevens hit a liner through the left side of the infield (Lottermoser was drawn in at third, giving him no chance at it) that scored Baker from third. Smith 5, Adrean 3. Richardson followed with a sac fly to left, scoring Ciccotti from third and allowing Cooke to move to third. Smith 6, Adrean 3. That put runners on the corners with two outs. Kramer walked to load the bases, but No. 3 hitter Nowicki grounded out to Cordero to end the inning.

Bottom 3rd: Lottermoser and Gaetano hit back-to-back singles to start the inning. Campbell struck out swinging for the innings first out. On the first pitch he saw, Sarcone helped his own cause, bombing a three-run homer over the fence in dead center field to tie the game. Adrean 6, Smith 6. Warncke grounded out to Stevens for the second out of the inning. Richardson got Manolescu swinging to end the inning.

Adrean 6, Smith 6

Top 4th: Marquette and Mallinder both walked to lead off the inning. Baker gave himself up, bunting the runners over to second and third. Ciccotti hit a one-hopper off the left-center field wall for a double, driving in two runs. Smith 8, Adrean 6. Adrean manager Mike Macchione came out to pull Sarcone in favor of first-year pitcher Collier Maddox (Sarcone went to first base, Gaetano moved to left and Hill was taken out of the game). Sarcone's final line: 3 IP, 6 hits, 8 R, 6 ER, 7 walks, 0 K. Maddox got Cooke looking for the second out of the inning. He then walked Stevens, the nine hitter. On a 1-2 pitch to Richardson, Smith tried a double steal. Manolescu threw through to second, but Stevens beat the throw, allowing Ciccotti to score from third. Smith 9, Adrean 6. Richardson popped out to Rotundo two pitches later to end the inning.

Bottom 4th: Rotundo led off with a triple down the right field line. He scored on a Richardson wild pitch with Maddox at the plate (Maddox took Hill's spot in the batting order). Smith 9, Adrean 7. Maddox ripped a line-drive single up the middle two pitches later. That prompted Smith coach Tony Abone Jr. to pull Richardson. His final line: 3 IP, 9 hits, 8 R, 8 ER, 0 walks, 3 Ks. Dustin Colgan replaced Richardson on the mound (Richardson stayed in the game, moving to center field and Mallinder moved to left). Colgan struck out Cordero looking, got Lottermoser to ground out to first (Maddox moved to second), and Gaetano to ground out to the shortstop to end the inning.

Smith 9, Adrean 7

Top 5th: Maddox got Kramer looking to start the inning. Nowicki followed with a rope down the left field line for a stand-up double. Marquette flew out to left for the second out. Mallinder hit a line drive up the middle on the first pitch he saw, bringing Nowicki around to score. Smith 10, Adrean 7. Mallinder stole second easily as he got a huge jump on Maddox's pitch. Baker walked, putting runners on first and second with two outs. Ciccotti hit the ball hard for the fourth time in four at-bats today, but Warncke ran it down just steps in front of the center field fence for the third out.

Bottom 5th: Campbell walked to lead it off. Sarcone lined out to Kramer who made a nice grab moving to his right for the first out. Warncke hit a grounder up the middle, but Campbell was stealing on the pitch, putting Stevens in perfect position to scoop up the ground ball and step on second for the inning's second out. Warncke beat the throw to first to avoid the double play. Manolescu was then hit by a pitch. Rotundo ripped a double to the gap in left-center, scoring Warncke from second and moving Manolescu to third. Smith 10, Adrean 8. Abone Jr. visited the mound again, taking Colgan out (he moved to left) and bringing in Kramer to pitch (Nowicki moved to shortstop and Mallinder to third (his third position of the game)). Colgan's line: 1.2 IP, 1 hit, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 walk, 1K, 1 HBP. Kramer got Maddox to ground out to first to end the inning.

*The game is going on 2 hours and 25 minutes and the daylight is fading quickly. We might not get in all seven innings at this pace.

Smith 10, Adrean 8

*Steve Campbell is now pitching for Adrean. He is replaced in right field by Ryan Andrews who will now bat in Maddox's spot.

Top 6th: Campbell walked the first batter, Cooke. He tried picking Cooke off of first, but threw the ball past the first baseman for an error, allowing Cooke to move to second. Stevens moved Cooke to third with a sacrifice bunt. With one out, Richardson laced an RBI single into left. Smith 11, Adrean 8. He stole second on the first pitch to Kramer who then grounded out to short (Richardson went to third). Campbell struck out Nowicki to end the inning.

*It's very likely that this is the last half-inning they play as it is getting pretty dark. Adrean has the top of the order coming up.

Bottom 6th: Cordero grounded out to third for the first out. Kramer then walked Lottermoser. Gaetano popped out to Nowicki at short for the second out. Campbell walked to put runners on first and second. Abone Jr. brought in Baker - Smith's fourth pitcher of the game. NOTE: IT IS VERY DARK RIGHT NOW AND THERE IS NO WAY THEY'LL START THE 7th INNING. Baker struck out Sarcone on three pitches to get the third out.

*The umpires have called the game due to darkness - they say it's official.

FINAL: Smith 11, Adrean 8

Father's Day Classic

2008-06-13T13:15:00.001-04:00

Looking for some good baseball to watch over the weekend? Here it is:

Utica Post 229 will host the 9th annual Father's Day Baseball Tournament this weekend. The tournament will include local teams from Utica, Whitestown and Parkhurt Posts, and visiting teams from Binghamton, Rochester, Plattsburgh and Brockville, Ontario.

Divisions:
*Dad - Utica Post 229, Vestal Post 89, Rayson-Miller Post 99 (Rochester, NY), Brockville Bunnies (Ontario, CA)
*Pop - Parkhurst Post 1448, Whitestown Post 1113, Cumberland Post 14 (Cumberland, RI), Clinton County Post 20 (Plattsburgh)

Schedule:
Friday 6/13
6 p.m. - Parkhurst vs. Whitestown @ Oriskany HS

Saturday 6/14
12 p.m. - Utica vs. Vestal @ Murnane Field
12:30 p.m. - Whitestown vs. Clinton County @ SUNY-IT
2:30 p.m. - Brockville vs. Rayson-Miller @ Murnane Field
3 p.m. - Parhurst vs. Cumberland @ SUNY-IT
5 p.m. - Vestal vs. Rayson-Miller @ Murnane Field
5:30 p.m. - Clinton County vs. Cumberland @ SUNY-IT
7:30 p.m. - Utica vs. Brockville @ Murnane Field

Saturday 6/15
10 a.m. - Utica vs. Rayson-Miller @ Murnane Field, Parkhurst vs. Clinton County @ Oriskany HS, Brockville vs. Vestal @ DeLutis Field, Whitestown vs. Cumberland @ SUNY-IT
1 p.m. - Championship Game @ Murnane Field

FINAL: New Hartford 4, Fort Schuyler 3

2008-06-12T16:25:00.031-04:00

Welcome legion fans! It's Andrew Donovan here at Joe Corr Memorial Field at New Hartford Sr. High School. Fort Schuyler plays New Hartford in what is the first game of each team's season.

I'll be providing inning-by-inning updates throughout the game. Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments section. I'll try to answer your questions during the game, whether you want to talk legion baseball, the College World Series or anything else.

Starting line-ups:
New Hartford (0-0)
1. Joe Carcone, 2B
2. Joe Desens, DH
3. Joe Betar, SS
4. Mike Matt, CF
5. Mike Doyle, C
6. Erik Verbickas, 1B
7. Pat Calli, RF
8. Steve Bieganowski, LF
9. T.J. Zalocha
Pitcher: Erik Sheridan, LHP

Fort Schuyler (0-0)
1. Dan Priore, SS
2. Ed Schulze, 3B
3. Sean Redmond, P
4. Jordan Zongrone, 1B
5. Peter Clark, CF
6. Dominick Galimo, C
7. Jared Marshall, RF
8. Mike Rose, LF
9. Nick Raymer, 2B
Pitcher: Sean Redmond, RHP

Top 1st: Erik Sheridan started off a little wild for NH, going full on the first batter before inducing a deep fly out to left that Steve Bieganowski made a great grab on. Sheridan walked the next batter who advanced to second on a groundout to the pitcher by No. 3 hitter Sean Redmond. Sheridan got Jordan Zongrone to ground out to second base to end the inning.

Bottom 1st: Joe Carcone got NH started with a double that one-hopped off the center field wall. Carcone advanced to third on a wild pitch and Joe Desens drew a walk to put runners on the corners with no outs. Fort pitcher Sean Redmond got Joe Betar looking on a curveball, but Desens stole second on the pitch. Clean-up hitter Mike Matt hit a sac fly to center field to score Carcone and Desens advanced to third on the play. NH 1, Fort 0. Mike Doyle flew out to left field for the final out of the inning.

NH 1, Fort 0

Top 2nd: Sheridan struck out Pete Clark on three pitches for the first out. Dominick Galimo followed with a groundout to second base. Sheridan then walked the next two batters, Jared Marshall and Mike Rose. Sheridan went full on the No. 9 hitter Nick Raymer, but got him to ground out to second to end the inning.

Bottom 2nd: Erik Verbickas grounded out to the shortstop for the first out. Pat Calli followed with a ground out to third. Bieganowski struck out swinging to end the inning.

NH 1, Fort 0

Top 3rd: Leadoff hitter Dan Priore hitter a grounder in the hole to the left side of the infield. NH shortstop Betar laid out and came up with it, but the throw was just late as Priore reached on an infield single. Ed Shulze bunted Priore over to second on the next pitch. Sean Redmond then grounded out to third for the second out, but Priore raced over to third on the throw to first. The next batter, Zongrone, walked, putting runners on the corners. Pete Clark hit a short chopper toward third, but NH third baseman T.J. Zalocha bobbled it, allowing Priore to score, Zongrone to get to second and Clark to reach first. Fort 1, NH 1. Galimo followed with a single down the left field line to load the bases with two outs. Sheridan then walked Marshall, bringing home a run. Fort 2, NH 1. A passed ball allowed another run to score in the next at-bat. Fort 3, NH 1. The batter then walked, Sheridan's sixth walk of the game, to load the bases again. Sheridan got Raymer to ground out to Zalocha, who stepped on third for the force out, to end the inning.

Bottom 3rd: Zolacha reached first on a dropped third stike. Carcone then reached on an error by Zongrone, the first baseman, and Zalocha went to second. Desens, after failing to get a bunt down twice, struck out looking. The runners advanced to second and third on a wild pitch with Betar at-bat. Betar belted a single between the shortstop and third baseman, bringing home Zalocha. Carcone went to third and Betar got to second on the throw to the cutoff. Fort 3, NH 2. Redmond walked Matt to load the bases with one out. Doyle struck out looking for the second out. Redmond then struck out his third batter of the inning, getting Verbickas swinging.

Fort 3, NH 2

Top 4th: Priore walked to lead off the inning forcing NH manager John Randall to pull Sheridan in favor of Dan Nelson. Sheridan's final line: 3 IP, 2 hits, 3 runs, 2 ER, 1 K, 7 BB. Nelson got Schulze looking after Doyle cut down Priore trying to steal two pitches before. Redmond grounded out to third to end the inning.

Bottom 4th: Pat Calli struck out looking for the first out. Priore, Fort's shortstop, then made a web gem, diving up the middle to snag a Bieganowski grounder, hopping to his feet and throwing him out at first. Zalocha reached on an errant throw by the third baseman. He advanced to second on the play. Carcone, the leadoff hitter, was then intentionally walked, putting runners on first and second with two outs. Desens loaded the bases, beating out a dribbler toward third. Zalocha scored in the next at-bat on a passed ball. NH 3, Fort 3. Priore bobbled a Betar grounder, allowing Carcone to score and Desens to advance to third. NH 4, Fort 3. Matt flew out to center to end the inning.

NH 4, Fort 3

Top 5th: Zongrone grounded out to Verbickas at first and Clark popped out to Carcone at second for the first two outs. Galimo hit a two-out single. Nelson got Marshall looking for the third out.

Bottom 5th: Doyle struck out looking for the first out. Verbickas flew out to left and Calli followed with a deep flyball out to center to end the inning.

NH 4, Fort 3

Top 6th: Rose struck out swinging and Raymer grounded out to short for the first two outs. Priore drew a two-out walk, but Schulze grounded to Betar who flipped it over to Carcone for the force at second, ending the inning.

Bottom 6th: Redmond struck out Bieganowski and Zalocha to get the first two outs. Carcone grounded out weakly to second for the inning's last out.

NH 4, Fort 3

*The 3, 4, 5 hitters are coming up for Fort. They must score at least one run to extend the game.

Top 7th: Redmond popped out to second for the first out. Nelson then got Zongrone swinging on a curveball. Betar scooped up a Clark grounder and fired it over to first to end the game.

FINAL: New Hartford 4, Fort Schuyler 3

FINAL: Roberts 7, Helmuth-Ingalls 6

2008-06-11T17:33:00.032-04:00

I'm here at Holland Patent High School for a league game between Helmuth and Roberts. I'll be providing updates throughout the game. Feel free to chime in with any thoughts, questions or comments.

Top 1st: Helmuth loaded the bases with a hit batter, walk and infield single. Leadoff man Mark Vaughan scored on a passed ball to put Helmuth ahead 1-0. Matt Martin then struck out swinging for the first out of the inning and Chris Hughes was cut down at home on another passed ball for the second. Lee Foxton grounded out to the shortstop to end the inning.

Bottom 1st: Roberts brought the bats tonight. Kevin Quesnell bombed a double over the center fielder's head to lead it off. Devin Frye and Justin Weakley followed with line drive singles. Weakley's brought home Quesnell to even the score at 1-1. Roberts added two more on Nick Iselo's double to left center.

Roberts 3, Helmuth 1

Top 2nd: Helmuth scored when Wes Roberts grounded into a double play.

Bottom 2nd: Cory Hurlbut led off with a double and scored on a single to left by Frye. Weakley knocked in Frye three pitches later with a double. Weakley was caught stealing to end the inning.

Roberts 5, Helmuth 2

Top 3rd: Hughes led off the inning with a monstrous triple over the head of the left fielder. He scored two batters later on a Matt Martin ground out to the second baseman to cut the Roberts lead to 5-3.

Bottom 3rd: Roberts' clean-up hitter Matt Hammill led off with a single, but was stranded.

Roberts 5, Helmuth 3

Top 4th: Jordan Doroshenko led off the inning with a double down the third-base line. After a Wes Roberts line out to second, Vaughan went all the way to second on an error by the left fielder. Doroshenko advanced to third. A Hughes single scored Doroshenko and moved Vaughan to third. The next batter, Justin Corney, lined out to second, but the second baseman threw the ball away when he tried to pick Hughes off of first for a double play. Vaughan scored on the errant throw, tying the game, and Hughes went to second. Martin doubled in Hughes to give Helmuth a one-run lead.

Bottom 4th: Tyler White relieved Corney on the mound for Helmuth and made his presence felt. He struck out the first batter swinging, the next batter looking and got Frye to line out the third.

Helmuth 6, Roberts 5

Top 5th: Wes Roberts hit a two-out single, but was stranded as Vaughan flew out to left field on a deep fly ball.

Bottom 5th: Weakley led off with a fly ball single to left. The wind, which has been wreaking havoc on fly balls all day, helped it to drop in front of the right fielder. Hammill was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second with no outs. Roberts then resorted to small ball as Iselo moved both runners over with a sacrifice bunt to the pitcher. The strategy worked to perfection as Geoff Ogden knocked in Weakley with a sac fly to center, tying the game at 6-6. Crego struck out swinging, stranding Hammill at second.

Roberts 6, Helmuth 6

*NOTE: The new helmets that the base coaches are required to wear are pretty amusing. I can't wait to see some of the league's coaches wearing these - it should provide a good laugh.

Top 6th: Tyler Mann replaced Ogden on the hill for Roberts and retired Helmuth's 2-3-4 hitters in order. Hughes grounded out to the first baseman, White stuck out swinging on a nasty curveball and Martin popped out to the shortstop.

Bottom 6th: Hurlbut led off the inning with a double to center, but was cut down at third when the next batter, Falk, bunted it right back to the pitcher. Leadoff man Quesnell then singled to center, putting runners at first and second with one out. Devin Frye, who has hit the ball hard in all four of his at-bats today, smoked a grounder at Foxton, the Helmuth third baseman. Foxton turned a nifty double play, snagging the hard-hit grounder, stepping on third and firing the ball over to first to complete the play.

Roberts 6, Helmuth 6

Top 7th: Foxton grounded out to third for the inning's first out. Gogola and Wooldridge followed with back-to-back singles. The runners advanced to second and third on a passed ball - the pitch was thrown for a strike, but the catcher missed it and it hit the umpire right in the gut - odd play. With the go ahead run just 90-feet away, Mann stepped up, striking out Doroshenko for the second out and getting Jeff Ostrander to ground out to the second baseman to end the inning.

*Roberts is now at-bat with their 3-4-5 hitters coming to the plate. One run will win it.

Bottom 7th: White continues his dominating relief performance, striking out Weakley and then getting the second out when Foxton snagged a Hammill line drive at third. Iselo bombed a triple over the center fielder's head and almost into the woods to put the winning run 90-feet away for Roberts. Mann then stepped to the plate and hit a long single over the head of the Helmuth left fielder, scoring Iselo to give Roberts the win.

FINAL: Roberts 7, Helmuth 6

With the win, Roberts improves to 2-1 in league play. Helmuth drops to 1-1.

Some thoughts on today's game:
*TYLER effect: Both relievers, Tyler Mann (2 IP, 2 Ks) for Roberts and Tyler White (4 IP, 4 Ks) for Helmuth were impressive. Mann allowed no runs and showed incredible poise getting out of a big jam in the top of the seventh. Getting the game winning hit wasn't too shabby either. White was equally as impressive. He was around the plate all day and showed movement on his curveball. He allowed only two runs, but unfortunately for him the second was the game-winner.
*The vacuum at third: Lee Foxton was a machine at third base for Helmuth. It seemed like every inning he made a play. In total, Foxton had six putouts and three assists. He turned a huge double play in the sixth when he scooped up a hard-hit groundball, stepped on third and fired it over to first to finish the play. In the seventh, he snagged a line drive that was smoked to his left.

* Check out tomorrow's Observer-Dispatch for more on the game.

Roberts wins, Fort-Sherrill postponed

2008-06-10T20:39:00.005-04:00

Roberts picked up its first win of the season with a 4-2 victory over Moran tonight. The game was shortened to five innings due to rain. Tyler Mann went 3-for-3 and had two stolen bases for Roberts. He also picked up the win on the mound.

Tonight's Fort Schuyler vs. Sherrill game was postponed due to the thunderstorms making their way across the Northeast. The team's got two innings in until play was stopped. The game has been rescheduled for Monday, June 23 at 6 p.m. at Noyes Park.

Games delayed, Smith & Helmuth-Ingalls win

2008-06-10T12:56:00.011-04:00

The success of Whitesboro, Proctor and RCH's high school teams have also delayed the start of some legion team's seasons.

Whitestown has been forced to postpone two games thus far. They now plan to open the season on June 13 against Parkhurst, but that could change based on the outcome of the Whitesboro varsity team's regional final versus Malone at Alliance Bank Stadium in Syracuse. UPDATE: That game has been rescheduled for tomorrow at 4:30 p.m.

Utica played a non-league game against Ilion Post on June 5, losing 3-2. However, UP was playing shorthanded with many of its players not participating due to the prolonged Proctor season. They resume play with a full roster at 6 p.m. tonight in another non-league game against Herkimer Post at Harmon Field.

Smith and Helmuth both defended their home fields and opened their Oneida County American Legion schedules with a victory. Smith downed Roberts 6-3 on Saturday. Roberts also fell at the hands of Oneida Post, 7-6, on June 4 in a non-league match-up. Helmuth topped Moran by a score of 6-3 last night.

Rule change: Coaches must wear helmets

2008-06-07T16:37:00.008-04:00

A new rule is in place for American Legion baseball. Starting this year, all base coaches must wear a protective helmet. Here's the official memo from the national legion site:

Memo to: Members of the National Baseball Subcommittee
Department Baseball Chairmen
From: Larry Price, Chairman of the National Baseball subcommittee
Date: February 29, 2008
Subject: Official Baseball Rule changes for 2008

Major League Baseball’s Playing Rules Committee has adopted a number of slight changes to the language of the Official Baseball Rules that will take effect in the 2008 season.

Rule 4.05 in Official Baseball rules now requires that a coach, until being passed by a batted ball, must position himself no closer to home plate than the front edge of the coach’s box and no closer to fair territory than the edge of the coach’s box closest to the field.

Major League’s General Managers also adopted a new coaches helmet rule, which mandates all coaches “on the lines” shall wear a protective helmet.

The American Legion uses Official Baseball Rules authorized by the Commissioner of Baseball; therefore American Legion coaches shall be mandated to observe the new coaching box rules as well as wearing a protective helmet. Coaches may wear a no-flap; a single flap or a double flap helmet. The type of helmet shall be a personal choice of the coach. MLB will not mandate the type of helmet nor shall The American Legion dictate the type of helmet a coach wishes to wear while in the coaching box.

These rule changes do not appear in the 2008 American Legion rules. We did not get this official language until after our 2008 rulebook was printed and distributed.

Helmet Rule Violations: Umpires are instructed not to put the ball into play and to warn the coach on wearing a protective helmet. If the coach refuses to wear a helmet he shall be ejected from the game.

Coaching Box Rule Violations: Umpires are instructed to warn the coaches on the rule. Coaches who fail to observe the rules shall be warned. Continued violation may result in the coach being ejected.

These rules are a result of a minor league baseball coach being killed in 2007. These rules are a safety rule. If coaches are confused as to what type of helmet to wear, we suggest they watch any Major League or Minor League ballgame and follow the lead of the professional coaches “on the lines."