Somers Wins Pitcher’s Duel and Moves to the Finals

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After completing an easy 9-2 over Wallkill in the quarterfinal round of the GHVBL, the 11u boys found themselves in a pretty tight pitcher’s duel on Thursday August 1. All tied at two in the bottom of the sixth, the Red Storm had the hammer and the top of the Somers order had Green Wave positioned as the nail.

Whack, Colton Gorgone stood at third with one out, and Jonathan Lantz’s lift to center brought down the house for a 3-2 victory.

On the mound, complete game winner Mike Paulmeno did his part first. The starter got two fly balls, and unbothered by an error at third, Paulmeno had Lucas Robinson looking up at first for the third out.

Onto the bottom of the inning, Somers answered by getting a good look and going on the run. Bryce Penzo and Lantz walked and stole second and third. One out, Paulmeno continued the small ball with a sacrifice. The run in, Robinson opted to unload. The first baseman smoked a double, and Somers led 2-0.

The Green Wave wasn’t letting this one get away though, Mason A. singled to left, and after stealing second, Nolan B. knocked his teammate in to cut the lead in half.

Teo N. followed with a single, and after a pair of steals, the Green Wave had the go ahead runner at second. So no one out, Paulmeno had his work cut out for him. No problem, the pitcher issued a strikeout and recorded two fly balls to get out of the jam.

Then Mason A. took his turn on the mound. Two strikeouts and a line out later, the game went to the top of third.

There Paulmeno was greeted by a Benjamin S. double to center, but help was on the way from both sides. Chase Q’s shot to center was run down by Mikey DeLuca, and he caught Benjamin S. too far off the second far for a double play.

A fly out ended the inning, and on the turnover, Mason remained on point. Two ground outs and a strike out, and the status quo stayed put.

Not for long, the Green Wave upset it in the fourth. Mason A. was hit by a pitch to lead off, Nolan B. singled him to third and Teo N's ground out to second tied the game.

But that was all. Paulmeno sent the ball aloft twice and ended the threat on a strikeout.

The pitching and defense wasn't done either. Mason A. had two strikeouts to send Somers down in order to end the fourth and Paulmeno registered a strikeout and two more fly outs to keep the game tied.

JJ Holub temporarily broke the trend with a walk but got thrown out trying to steal second. Mason then took care of the rest with two more strikeouts.

Still tied, Paulmeno flashed some glove to help his cause. After Nolan B grounded out, the pitcher snared a comebacker for the second out and gave his team the mallet with a ground out to first.

Colton picked it up with a single to right and reached second on a throwing error. The game there, the red storm took it by going back to the fundamentals. Penzo’s grounder to second moved Colton over, and Lantz sacrifice fly yielded the walk off.

Onto the finals, Coach Mike Paulmeno spread the credit around. “This was a total team effort,” he concluded.

Somers Completes Comeback to Advance to Quarterfinals

After a great 16-8 season, the Somers Red Storm had their sights set on a deep playoff run. A 6-0 third inning deficit in round one definitely didn’t look good for the 11u team, though. But these boys proved first impressions aren’t lasting ones.

They scored one in the third, exploded for seven in the fourth and capped off the 12-6 victory over the Nonnewaug Huskers with four more in the sixth.

A run each for the Huskers in the first two innings set an early tone and stayed in place with Somers’ first two at bats. The boys got a runner to third in each inning, but the Storm broke without being able to get a clutch two out hit.

So the Huskers took advantage. The visitors scored four in the third and now the skies looked really foreboding. That is until the weather turned decidedly in favor of the home team.

The first nine batters that Somers sent to the plate reached, and now the storm was a tsunami. Justin Mariani opened with a single to left, JJ Holub doubled him in, and Ryan Colderbank reached on an error at second base.

No apologies, Luca Guaragna singled in one, Colton Gorgone drew a walk and Bryce Penzo drove in one with a single. Three runs coming across, Lantz and Paulmeno each drove in two with singles, and Somers led 8-6.

Penzo held in the fifth, and that allowed the Red Storm to put on the finishing touches in the fifth. Gorgone reached on an error, Penzo singled up the middle, and a Lantz walk loaded the bases.

Paulmeno followed with an RBI single, and consecutive sacrifice flies by Lucas Robinson and Mariani opened up an 11-8 lead. One more to go, Holub drove in the final run with a single, and Somers closed out the last two innings to live another day.