The Senior Midville Dodgers traveled to Connecticut to play in the Super East Showcase last week, where they displayed their game skills to a host of college scouts attending the four-day event. The tournament was open to high-schoolers entering their sen
Midville Dodgers 3, Maine Frozen Ropes 1. In the first game, the Dodgers faced the Frozen Ropes team from Maine. In the first inning the Dodgers set a pattern scoring runs, as Nunzio Franzese (St. Edmund) led off the game with a single and promptly stole second base. The next batter, Vinny Johnson (McClancy), singled to left to give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead.
With runners on, catcher Chris Kaible (Molloy) singled to score another. The final blow of the inning was delivered by Dean Andriotis (Molloy), who laced a double down the left-field line to give Midville an early 4-0 lead. That’s all the Dodgers would score in this game, but it was all junior pitcher Bobby Gorvetzian (McClancy) would need, pitching a complete game two-hitter.
Midville Dodgers 8, South Jersey Seminoles 5. In the second game, the Dodgers faced the South Jersey Seminoles. The game started on a bad note for Midville, as the starting pitcher, 16-year-old Danny Pagan, hit the first two batters he faced. After a clean single the Seminoles had an early 1-0 lead.
But Midville quickly answered back in its half of the first. Again Franzese started with a single and went to third on a double by the clutch-hitting Johnson. First baseman Matt Rizzotti (Molloy) singled to score two runs.
Pagan ran into trouble in the fourth when the Seminoles scored two to tie the game.
In the bottom of the fourth, however, the Dodgers showed that luck sometimes helps good teams. With two outs and a runner on, third baseman Tommy Maser (Molloy) was hit by a pitch. Sean Cheng (Molloy) then singled to score one, setting up lead-off man Franzese, who tripled to drive in two. Johnson then singled and later scored on a double by Rizzotti, putting the Dodgers up for good. Pagan wound up pitching a complete game, giving up seven hits and striking out nine.
Moosic Mets 11, Midville Dodgers 4. The Dodgers had the game every player dreads, where everyone seems as if they should have stayed in bed. The Dodgers looked nothing close to the same team that played flawlessly in the first two games. The only bright spot was the pitching of Brandon Steuber (McClancy), who took the mound for four strong innings for the Dodgers.
Midville Dodgers 7, Oyster Bay Yellow Jackets 4. The Dodgers bounced back from their worst game of the tourney by beating the undefeated Yellow Jackets. Midville jumped out quickly in the first inning on hits by Franzese and Johnson. After a double steal, Gorvetzian singled to drive in two. In the second, Franzese and Johnson did it again. Franzese singled then Johnson tripled to drive him in. A sacrifice fly by Rizzotti gave the Dodgers a 4-0 lead.
The third inning saw the Yellow Jackets cut the lead in half, but with two outs in their half of the third, the Dodgers answered right back with Johnson lining a double to left-center to drive in two more runs. That would be enough runs for Dodger pitcher Frankie Russo, who pitched a complete game, scattering seven hits.
Midville Dodgers 12, Connecticut 1. The MV Dodgers exploded for 12 runs and beat team Connecticut, 12-1. Justin Dross, a 16-year-old pitcher for the junior Midville Dodgers, came along to show his talent and disappointed no one, hurling a complete game two-hitter.
There were many hitting stars in this game. Steve Kroski (McClancy) had three hits, Mike Arlotta (Molloy) had two hits and Mike Manetta (Cathedral Prep) also had two hits.
Dodgers 16, Yellow Jackets 1. The Dodgers drew the Oyster Bay Yellow Jackets in the quarterfinals. This game was even more significant because a loss would eliminate the losing squad. A victory, however, would put the Dodgers in first place in their bracket. The Yellow Jackets jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead, but again the Dodgers answered back in their half of the first. With one out, Johnson tripled and scored on a double by Kaible.
Rizzotti was the starting pitcher for the Dodgers and he was dominating from the second inning, allowing one hit the rest of the game while striking out nine.
The Dodgers opened up the game in the second, scoring three on a massive home run by Franzese well over the 330-foot sign in left field. Midville never looked back with Johnson going 4-for-5, Kaible going 3-for-5 and Manetta going 3-for-4.
The win gave the Dodgers the No. 1 seed in their bracket and a date in the semifinals.
College Select 4, Dodgers 0. The Dodgers found themselves facing an all-star team comprised of players hand-picked from individual showcases throughout the northeast.
Kaible started the game for Midville, surrendering three in the first. Throughout the tournament, the Dodgers had shown a knack at answering right back, but it would not be. After a lead-off hit by Franzese, the Dodgers’ aggressiveness hurt them. With Franzese running, Johnson lined a bullet to the shortstop, who doubled up Franzese at first.
Kaible pitched a masterful game, giving up one more run the rest of the way. The Dodgers had as many hits as the College Select team, with Maser getting two of them.
The Dodgers’ weekend ended, but not before they left their mark showing not only the teams they faced their ability but also opening the eyes of many of the college scouts who attended the showcase.
