By The TimesLedger
It started with a bang — a Michael Biordi home run on the second pitch of the game — and it ended with a third-inning rally from a 2-1 deficit to propel the Bayside 12-year-old All-Stars to a 7-2 victory over Larchmont-Mamaroneck in the first round of the Section III Championships. The game was played at Valle East Field in Crocheron Park Sunday before a crowd of 200 fans.
Biordi (2-for-4, a double and a home run) got the home crowd going with a blast over the left-field fence for a 1-0 lead in the first inning. The lead would stand until Larchmont scored two unearned runs in the second inning.
Bayside would claw back with a run in the top of the third inning on a RBI double by catcher Anthony Zupnick to knot the game at 2-2.
Pitcher Chris Paruch (four strikeouts) was solid and kept Larchmont in check, giving up just three hits on the afternoon in six innings of work to set up the exciting finish.
Head coach Doug Rowen would use all 14 players to his advantage, as Bayside used an 11-hit attack to overwhelm Larchmont in the late innings. Ricky Strauss (2-for-3, two doubles) and Biordi were offensive catalysts and were assisted with doubles by Spiros Cominos (1-for-3), George Rowen (1-for-3) and Zupnick (1-for-4).
Also adding to the hit parade with singles were Pete Scianna, Chris Hamm, Mike Wiederhold and Paruch to key the victory. Andrew Parraga and Julius Wells added RBIs, while Sam Koenig, Anthony Ippolito and shortstop Nicky Ryan were solid defensively in the win.
The game was the first Sectional hosted by Bayside Little League and President Bob Reid in the 49-year history of the program and the Valle East Field was perfectly prepared by Bayside board members John McManus and Mike Karcinski, who had the field decorated with Fire Department and New York Police Department banners in honor of the fallen heroes of Sept. 11.
This week Bayside travels to Westchester to play the winner of District 23 vs. District 21 in the semifinals of the Section III championships. The game will be played at Francis X. O’Rourke Field, home diamond to Eastchester Little League.
