A Big Day for Lewisboro Lightning at Rogers Park in Danbury

Lightning vs Fairfield Video

The Lewisboro Lightning 9u baseball team has been at it since January. The spring, summer and fall league included, the boys made the finals at Rogers Field on November 5, and Coach Joseph Maharaj put the prospects in words his young players could definitely understand.“This is our last chance for a championship,” the coach conveyed, and from the results, the youngsters comprehended.

They jumped out to a 5-0 lead, and in getting the last out in the 5-2 Victory, James Maharaj didn’t need many words either in summation. “It feels good,” the closer said after defeating the Bronx Mambas.

On the other end, John LoPiccolo started the game, and admitted to early jitters. “I was a little nervous,” he said.

Nonetheless, LoPiccolo didn’t let the Mambas dent the scoreboard and then kick started the offense. He led off with a walk and Maharaj followed suit.

A couple of stolen bases later, and the Lightning were set up second and third with no one out. Small ball not a problem, Michael Wetzel hit back to the mound, and the fielders choice put Lewisboro on the board.

A walk to Henry Parrish kept the rally going, and Noah Pearson took a step back to forward the cause. “I like to go back in the batter’s box,” said the rightfielder. “So the ball comes in slow.”

A grounder up the middle is what he got, and the infield hit made it 2-0. Onto the top of the second, the Mambas put a couple of runners on, but pitching and defense prevailed. Emerson Payne snagged a pop up at first, and LoPiccolo retired the side on a strikeout.

The bats didn’t seem to take the cue this time at the plate, though. Two outs to start the inning, the Lightning struck nonetheless. Maharaj walked, Wetzel reached on a shortstop error, and a run came across when Parrish walked and Pearson was hit by a pitch.

A 3-0 game, Oakley Rabinowitz had the chance to break the game open, and his approach was already tried and true. “I got back in the batter’s box and swung at the pitch down the middle,” Rabinowitz asserted.

Another grounder, the Mambas weren’t up to Rabinowitz’s contact. An error on the play and the merry-go-round of throws had two more runs come in.

Now up 5-0 lead, LoPiccolo was feeling pretty comfortable on the mound. “I knew I wouldn’t let up that many runs,” said the pitcher.

But he learned there were no guarantees. A lead off single, an error and a couple of stolen bases put runners on second and third. No one out to boot, the angst was noticeable. “I was more nervous than him,” admitted Coach Maharaj.

That left LoPiccolo to make good. He got a strikeout, fielded a sacrifice bunt and closed the one run inning with another strikeout.

The nine year old got two more strikeouts in a scoreless fourth and another strike to open the fifth. His pitch count reached, Maharaj picked up the slack.

An error and a passed letting run number two in, the reliever’s grit said enough was enough. He got a swinging strike three for out number two and fielded a comeback to the mound to end the threat.

Three outs for the championship, Maharaj held his ground. A lead off grounder to the mound, the pitcher didn’t panic when the ball got away. He calmly picked up the ball like an old pro and fired to first for the out.

Then Maharaj got some crucial help from his teammates. A line drive lashed to right, Pearson and Payne dug into the playbook. “We practice the play all the time,” said Pearson, and the rightfielder fired to Payne.

At first, Payne was ready. “I covered the base, stretched and caught it,” beamed the infielder.

One out to go, Maharaj gripped the ball and got two strikes on the batter. Two foul tips to endure, a final swing sent the boys in the air, and the coach relished the joy in and outside the lines. “The parents, the kids and the coaches, it all feels like family,” said Maharaj. “Im so happy for everyone. There’s no better feeling.”

As for the future, Wetzel is aspiring for more of the same and knows how to keep the lightning striking. “We’re going to keep hitting ‘em hard,” he concluded.

9U weren't the only champs either. Both 11U and 14U won on Sunday. For 14U, Mason Federici pitched a complete game and gave up one run over seven innings. Jake Valentino drove in both two runs and the 2-1 victory over the mid Hudson River dogs had the medals handed out again.

Finally, 11u won their game 10-4.