Phillies Win Little League Championship

The Center for Orthopaedics Phillies defeated the Diamond Baseball Academy Yankees 8-7 in an extra-inning thriller in the East Greenwich Little League Championship Game Friday at Cragan Field.

The Yankees jumped on top with two runs in the top of the third highlighted by a Leonardo Giarrusso double.  The Phillies answered in their half of the third with five runs, which included five consecutive hits by Brian Gemma, Max Moss, Cris Argys, David Sarazen and Mitchell Gemma to take a 5-2 lead.  The Phillies scratched out their sixth run in the bottom of the fifth after Mitchell Gemma led off with a double and came around to score on a steal of third base and an overthrow.

Brian Gemma was cruising along on the mound and appeared to have thing under control but with two outs and two strikes in the top of the sixth, Yankee Jon Volpe doubled as Gemma reached his pitch count limit.  The Yankees then proceeded to load the bases and with the score 6-4, Yankee Ryan Caffrey stepped to the plate and laced a bases clearing triple to left center and the Yankees took a 7-6 lead.

The Phillies had their last chance in the bottom of the sixth and with one out and nobody on base Max Moss unloaded and launched a long homerun to tie the score at 7 and send the game into extra innings.  The Yankees had second and third with nobody out in the top of the seventh only to be kept off the score board on a sensational catch by Cris Argys who then threw to Mitchell Gemma at third base, doubling off Meran Topallian to end the inning.

In the bottom half of the seventh, Mitchell Gemma led off with a walk and went to second on a single by Nick DiBiasio.  They then executed a double steal sending them to second and third.  With Ethan Silva at the plate, fouling off several pitches to stay alive, Mitchell Gemma raced home on a wild pitch, sliding in safely, making the final score 8-7, Phillies.

Nick DiBiasio picked up the win.  Spencer Alkins pitched a strong game for the Yankees.  With the win, the Center for Orthopaedics Phillies (formerly Cardinals) repeated as East Greenwich Little League Majors Champions.