A 2-0 lead evaporated in an instant after a one-hour rain delay and so went the fortunes of Bayside’s 12-year old Baseball All-Stars as their dream of advancing to the New York State Championship fell a game short, losing to Pelham 3-2 last Tuesday i
Manager Doug Rowen was frustrated after the loss but thrilled by his teams run through the regionals (3-0) and success in the sectional (a 7-2 victory over Larchmont-Mamaroneck).
“At first you're disappointed but when you think about what these kids have done in the last two years you can only be impressed,” Rowen said. “Not too many teams get the opportunity to play for the right to go to a state championship and we fell a run short. We have a great group of kids who’ve played together since they were eight years old and I’m proud of what they’ve accomplished.”
Things looked good after three and a half innings as Bayside built a 2-0 lead on the strength of a Spiros Cominos home run (a 285 foot blast over the wall in dead centerfield) and a heads-up base running play by Julius Wells who scored on a passed ball from third base.
With the lead and runners on second and third with one out in the top of the fourth inning the rains emptied on Francis O’Rourke Stadium (home of Eastchester Little League) and Bayside had to wait through an hour rain delay before continuing the game. When play resumed, Cominos was thrown out at home on a slow roller to shortstop and a golden opportunity slipped through Bayside’s hands to increase the lead.
Pelham took advantage of the momentum shift scoring three runs in the bottom of the frame on a bloop hit to right field clearing the bases when an errant throw went all the way to the backstop, allowing the winning run to score.
Bayside’s defense kept them in the game with great plays by Nicky Ryan who saved a big inning from erupting in the first inning turning a sharp line drive into a double play, while Anthony Ippolito made a diving stop at first to thwart another run from scoring.
Pitcher Chris Hamm had a great outing for Bayside collecting four strikeouts while giving up only four hits and two earned runs in five innings of work.
Offensive highlights included Cominos’ big blast finishing the day (2-for-3 with an RBI), Wells (1-for-2, double), Mike Biordi (1-for-3, double) and Mike Wiederhold (1-for-1).
Even though Bayside came up short in their quest for a state title, the past two years have been fruitful. They have a 7-0 record in regional district play and a 9-2 record in Williamsport Little League play, with their only two losses coming to
Pelham and Rolando Paulino Little League in 2000 in a well played 4-3 loss in 10 innings.
The rest of the Bayside 12-year old roster includes: Andrew Parraga, Chris Paruch, Pete Scianna, Sam Koenig, George Rowen, Ricky Strauss and Anthony Zupnick.
Manager Rowen also has a fine four-man coaching staff led by Ben Biordi, Dominic Scianna, Gus Parraga and Dave Strauss who have been together since 1998.
