NCLL Giants Clinch First Round Victory Over Ramapo Angels

The New City Little League National Champion Giants won an exciting 11-9 baseball victory over the Ramapo Angels in the first round of the Tournament of Champions Monday night.

The high scoring game was characterized by solid pitching and fielding on both sides battling it out against top-notch line-ups.  The Giants took the lead twice early on, however, the Angels retaliated each time to leave the game tied going into the fifth.  The Giants pulled ahead at this point, 5-2, to bring them to the wild conclusion of the game. 

The Giants scored six runs in the top of the inning to give them a seemingly insurmountable 11-2 lead.  The Angels stuck with it though, and in the bottom of the sixth scored seven runs before the Giants were able to secure their win.  In summing up the game, Giants #8 Matthew Deblasio, who had a great game with three RBIs, said, "The Angels almost lost but came back.  Dean stayed strong though and didn't give up to get the win."

#7 Danny Lynch pitched a great game for the Angels, which he started off with two outs in the top of the first.  He then walked one to bring up the starting pitcher for the Giants #7 Andrew Bunyan.  Not only did Bunyan pitch an excellent game, with 11 strikeouts and only two runs allowed in five innings and ninety pitches, but he also put the Giants on the board with an RBI single in his first at bat.  Lynch then struck out the next batter to end the inning.

The Angels retaliated in the bottom of the second with an RBI single from #13 David Garcia.  The Giants ended the inning after that, with a strikeout from Bunyan and a solid play on a ground ball by short stop  #11 Thomas Cuddy to bring the Giants up in the top of the third.  Cuddy followed this up with an RBI double to right centerfield, bringing the score to 2-1.  The Giants gave the Angels an opportunity to recover in the bottom of the third on an overthrow in an attempt to stop Lynch from stealing third, which he took advantage of to tie the game 2-2.

The game remained tied until the top of the fifth, when the Giants began a run that would be picked up again in the sixth.  #10 Jordan Kirsch came in to relieve Lynch after an exemplary nine strikeouts, four walks, and only two runs allowed in four innings pitched.  Though a solid pitcher, the Giants had an easier time hitting Kirsch.  Cuddy started it off for his team with a single up the middle to bring up #8 Matthew Deblasio.  Deblasio hit a powerful shot to right which fell in for an RBI double.  #32 Dean Conti followed this up with a well-placed grounder to right for an RBI single.  Kirsch then struck out the next batter, which brought up #27 Josh Etkind.  He hit the ball hard to right to bring home the Giants fifth run of the game, though he was thrown out at first.  The Angels then got out of the inning on a pop-fly from the next batter.

Bunyan then struck out the first batter of the fifth swinging to end an excellent night for him after he reached a regulation ninety pitches.  Relieving him was Dean Conti, who had an excellent start striking out the first batter he faced with three strikes.  The inning concluded off a hit to second which #4 Tommy Doherty fielded to get the out.

This brought the game to the exciting finale, when both lineups went wild in the sixth to score a combined thirteen runs.  After walking one to start the top of  the inning, Kirsch let up a single to center field from #6 Daniel Cusak which advanced #42 Michael Barron to third.  With the count 2-1 on #5 Sebastiano Damiani, Kirsch threw a ball which Cusak stole second on.  In attempting to catch Cusak, the Angels gave up protecting home.  Barron took advantage to steal home, which in turn gave Cusak the opportunity to steal third.  Kirsch then walked Damiani to bring up Cuddy, who brought Damiani home with an RBI double.  Deblasio then came up again to get his second and third RBI of the game with a single to left field.  Kirsch and the Angels rallied at that point to get two outs, before letting up another run on an overthrow to first in an attempt to get Etkind out.  Doherty followed this up with an RBI single for the final run of the game for the Giants.  With the score now 11-2, the Angels were able to get out of the inning on the next at bat.

Despite the overwhelming lead, the Angels came into the bottom of the inning determined to come back for the win.  They very nearly accomplished this, starting off with a lead-off double from #14 Jeremy Soloman.  #12 Robert Iametti followed this up with an RBI double to begin the Angel rally.  #9 Scott Levine then connected with a single up the middle to put runners on the corners.  This put #3 Andy Robbins up, who brought the two home with a hit that ended up as a triple due to an obstruction at first.

With the score now 11-5, #13 David Garcia connected for an RBI single.  After getting two outs, Lynch came up with another RBI single.  It was then Soloman's turn at bat again, as he continued the rally with an RBI double to left field.  Iametti then connected for his second RBI of the inning.  Fortunately for the Giants, they were able to close out the game on the next at bat with an out at first.

In an excellent game on both sides, the Giants came out victorious and will continue on in the tournament.  They displayed an impressive offensive and defensive effort all around in the exciting and dynamic game.  Thanks to their heads-up base running and solid hitting, coupled with excellent pitching and defensive play-making, they were able to defeat a decidedly tough opponent.  As Giants manager Rich Bunyan put it "Ramapo played a great game.  They hung tough and we were lucky to get out of the sixth the way we did.  This reinforces that you really can't get enough insurance runs."

The Giants continue their quest for the championship title this evening at 5:45 in Haverstraw.