Somers 12U Shows Fight in Opening Season Loss

On Wednesday June 18, Somers 12u Red Storm opened their season at Reis Park and a good summation of the 10-7 loss came from Luca Ciavardini. “We need more strikes by our pitchers and less mental errors in the field,” the first baseman admitted. But there was still an upside to the defeat that saw the storm fall behind 9-2.

"We were down a ton, and we came back,” said Ciavardini. “So we never give up.”

Lucas Robinson began the game the same way. On a sinking blooper to right center, the right fielder made a diving catch to get the first out of the game.

Then a long fly to left almost had JJ Holub following suit. He tracked the drive deep, got his glove on the ball but could not put the squeeze on. A single to center was next, and Shrub Oak led 1-0.

Somers did not answer in the bottom and neither did the visitors in the top of the second. Two quick outs to start the bottom and a fly to left by Holub seemed to have the trend continue.

Instead, the ball dropped, the batter landed at second and didn’t stand pat on Bryce Penzo’s walk. The runner took off and the throw down to third ended up in left field.

All tied, the knot didn’t hold for long. After a single led off the inning, a dropped bunt on the third base side opened the door.

Penzo fielded cleanly and threw to first, where Ciavardini intercepted the on target toss to second baseman Jon Lanz. Off the bag, the runner was safe, and a double brought in two.

A single later, Shrub Oak led 4-1 but Penzo contained the damage. The starter got a grounder to short and then executed a perfect pickoff to end the inning.

Onto the bottom of the third, Somers stayed in range with some clutch hitting. With two out and two on, Mike Paulmeno stroked a single to center and cut the lead in half.

The third baseman then taking the mound, Paulmeno was soon in a bases loaded, one out jam. Two walks and a single, Shrub Oak added four on two more singles and a walk.

They added one more in the fifth, and the Red Storm looked like calm was all they had left. Not quite, Luca Guaragna and Colton Gorgone walked, and Lantz loaded the bases on a bloop single to right.

A run in, Paulmeno walked, and with one out, Holub hit a scorcher to the right side. Somers up with visions of a big comeback, the ball was fielded on one hop, and the out at first put a damper.

Even so, Somers cheered the run in and continued with a Penzo blast. A double to deep left center, it was suddenly a 9-7 game. “I was looking for the right pitch, at the right moment,” he beamed.

Left at third, though, Shrub Oak answered. They made it 10-7 in the top of the seventh, and Adam Davino did a solo job on the mound. Three straight shots back at him, he hit the trifecta to end a game that certainly had Coach Joe Ciavardini praising the team’s fight. “They didn’t quit,” he clarified.

On the other hand, the mistakes and lack of mental toughness couldn’t be missed. Of course, the game one letdown doesn’t have him worried. “I’m very confident, they are a good group of boys,” the coach concluded. “They know how to play the game, and they’ll come back.”

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