Red Storm Run Ends in the Finals

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New Paltz Celebration

Somers 11u began the GHVBL playoffs by overcoming a 6-0 deficit in the first round, and riding the momentum to the finals, the boys faced another dire deficit on Sunday, August 4. Down 5-2 in the bottom of the sixth with one on, Lucas Robinson didn't shy away from the short straw. "You got to have confidence,” he assured. But while the left fielder’s launch to deep center threw a scare into New Paltz, another miracle was not forthcoming at Rogers Field in Danbury

The ball falling off the centerfielder’s glove, the Knight was still able to get the force at second, and despite the near miss, Coach Ciavardini didn't let one play takeaway from the big picture. "I couldn't be more proud," he said.

This especially since heroics got the team to the big dance. Mike Paulmeno pitched a complete game 3-2 victory over the Green Wave and drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly.

Alongside, Robinson doubled in the second. But the visiting team weren’t letting the game get away, and eventually tied things up.

Standing to the bottom of the sixth, Colton Gorgone singled at leadoff and reached second on an overthrow. Then it was just a matter of the fundamentals. Penzo’s grounder to second moved the runner over, and Jonathan Lantz got the walk off with a sacrifice fly.

Off to Danbury, the jitters may have been in the leadoff spot for Somers. Gorgone threw high on a grounder to short, and Lantz was unable to handle a shot down the line. New Paltz followed with an RBI single and added another on a grounder to second.

A 2-0 game, Somers answered back. Gorgone scorched one down third, he stole second, and Penzo played proper small ball with a grounder to second. A wild pitch later and the lead was cut in half.

Unfortunately, the momentum didn’t carry. New Paltz dropped a bloop between center and short, and a single and an error at third drove in two more for the visitors.

Down three, Justin Mariani was undeterred and went deep over the centerfielder’s head. A long single it turned out, Somers didn’t get past second base on the inning.

But the third had Somers defense settle in behind Luca Guaragna. Paulmeno brought in a pop at first, and Mikey DeLuca followed suit as he usually does in center. “I watch the ball off the bat and let it come into my glove,” he explained.

Two outs, Ryan Colderbank gobbled up a grounder, and Somers hoped for the best in the bottom of the third. Three up, three down, the coach couldn’t deny the stellar job done on the mound. “We ran up against a really good pitcher,” he said of Hudson Gates.

This time the momentum carried, though. After DeLuca ran down another fly ball, Declan O’Rourke went deep over the left field fence, and the Knight’s led 5-1.

An error and a walk kept the inning alive but DeLuca flatlined the threat. “I caught it and saw that he was running. So I just threw it,” he said, and the double play had the young elephants hoping for a stampede.

Robinson and Mariani singled for first and third, and JJ Holub and Colderbank both put the ball in play. The left side of the infield wasn’t a great choice, though. “That shortstop killed us. He made all the plays he needed to make,” said Ciavardini, and Somers had to settle for a single run.

Penzo now in relief, two strikeouts and another put out for DeLuca kept the game status quo. Somers went quietly in the fifth too, and Penzo induced the same calm in the top of the sixth.

Down in order, Somers brought their bats on their last try. Lantz drove the ball deep to center but not far enough. Into the leather left it to Paulmeno and the first baseman singled to right.

The twin killing came next and an easy grounder to first had the coach viewing the bigger picture. “I hope they learned how to lose properly, and I hope they learned a little bit of tenacity,” Ciavardini clarified.

That’s a good bet, according to Jenn Mariani, who watched her son with the rest of the parents. “The coaches are so dedicated to these kids, and the kids really look up to them,” she concluded. “They are amazing role models and you couldn’t ask for a better bunch of coaches for these boys. Not just for baseball but in life, they teach them how to win but also to lose with grace.”