U-11 Little League Champions Finish Off Tournament

Runs were few and far between at the in Rocky Point Saturday morning as Plainview squared off against the North Shore National All-Stars.

Both starting pitchers were pushed to the limit as the sun grew hotter and the game went into extra innings and North Shore’s Joe Toperek came through with the game-winning hit in the bottom of the seventh to give his team a 2-1 victory.

Both teams were 1-2 in the tournament heading into this final game.

“It was great,” North Shore manager John Scarlatos said about the game. “We struggled the first two games. This game they were playing for pride and they came out and battled. To finish like that – they could have come out with their head down from the beginning but they stepped up.

"Anthony Seymour came in and pitched well and Scott Puric pitched a great game. It was just a tremendous team effort and we’re very proud of them.”

Plainview starting pitcher Jason Brenner was the tough luck loser, striking out 11 batters in the game.

“Jason Brenner threw the game of his life,” Plainview Coach Franco said. “He’s got a mean cutter that was working today. We played our best and lost 2-1. It’s a heartbreaker but what are you going to do?”

North Shore scored its first run in the fourth inning. Cleanup hitter Christian Mcpartland walked and immediately stole second base. He scored on an RBI single to give North Shore the 1-0 lead.

Plainview, down to its last few at-bats in the sixth inning, had runners on first and third with one out after a single by Sammy Howell. Howell then attempted to steal third base but the North Shore catcher threw the ball to the shortstop in front of the bag in a designed play. He quickly fired over to third and picked off the lead run, seemingly securing the victory for North Shore.

But the next batter, Brandon Mintz, hit a slow roller to third and barely beat the throw in a bang-bang play, allowing the tying run to score.

Plainview threatened to take the lead in the seventh when they had the bases loaded and one out but North Shore pitcher Anthony Seymour pitched out of the jam, inducing a pop up to shortstop and then a fly ball to right field to end the inning.

North Shore put runners on second and third in the bottom of the seventh and it was Joe Toperek that smashed the ball by the drawn in infield to win the game.

“Both teams played very well,” Scarlatos said. “Both pitchers brought their ‘A’ games. If it’s not for a couple of hits – a dink and a stolen base – that’s how these games are won. To win a game like this, 2-1 in extra innings, it makes us proud as coaches. Just to see how well they’ve come together as a team is inspiring for all of us.”

Although the journey is over for both teams, both coaching staffs were proud of the effort put forth by their respective teams.

“Our backs were against the wall, we lost our first game in Williamsport and we won the next five to win our district and the kids played very hard," Franco said. "We have a great bunch of kids.”