Little League Downer – RGMVM falls in NYC final to Staten Island's big bats

The first five at-bats couldn't have turned out any better for the All-Stars from Ridgewood-Glendale-Middle Village-Maspeth (RGMVM), the western Queens Little League, in the 11-12-year-old New York City (Section 3) final.
Their ace, Joe Mortillaro, set down three of the first four Mid Island (Staten Island) batters he faced, and RGMVM's first two hitters reached base, leadoff man Ken Sumsky on an error and third baseman Kevin Lawlor beat out a dribbler in front of the mound. That, however, would be the extent of the evening they would care to remember.
Mid Island's Chris Goetz got out of the jam, retiring the heart of the lethal RGMVM lineup in order from there, and the result would never be in doubt. The District 27 champions' dreams of becoming just the second team from RGMVM to reach the state tournament came to a disappointing halt as Mid Island bashed 12 hits and three homers en route to a 9-4 win last Wednesday evening at the Schmidt Little League Field in Yonkers.
Mortillaro, who had yet to allow a run in 24 previous shutout innings in sectional and regional play, couldn't get out of the third inning, yielding seven hits and five earned runs, including Dom Casella's mammoth three-run homer.
With runners on first and third with none out, Mortillaro got ahead of Casella with a high fastball. He appeared to beat him on 0-1 delivery as well, but the burly first baseman's follow-through and quick wrists sent the inside pitch shooting over the left field wall and up above the oak trees in left field, turning what had been a competitive game up to that point into a rout. &#8220I guess he likes to hit high pitches,” said Mortillaro, who complained of pain in his right shoulder afterwards. &#8220He just got contact and it went.”
RGMVM's best chance to get back in the game, just like Mortillaro's outing, was not to be. After Sumsky doubled Mike Guglielmi to third with no outs to start the fourth, Guglielmi froze on Lawlor's grounder up the middle. His hesitation cost RGMVM a sure run, as he was thrown out at the plate by a few steps, short-circuiting the rally and turning the remaining three and a half innings into a mere formality. &#8220That might have been the difference,” said RGMVM Manager Richie Callahan, although adding, &#8220a lot of things took the wind out of our sails.”
In relief of Mortillaro, Rob Shanley didn't fare much better, allowing a pair of homers and four runs in four innings. The boys from western Queens, however, did provide a bright spot as a capper - scoring four sixth-inning runs on five straight hits by Sumsky, Lawlor, Shanley, birthday boy Sal Ciccone and Marco Martino. It showed &#8220that we won't go down without a fight,” Mortillaro said, &#8220that we could at least score a couple of runs.”
Decidedly downtrodden and disappointed during the last few innings, the uprising served as the chaser for the sour performance. &#8220At least we made it a little bit respectable,” said Callahan. &#8220We like to win, but we tried our best.”
&#8220It helped our confidence to show we were a little better team,” Ciccone added.
Even Mortillaro, who had experienced remorse along with all the others, wore a slight smile afterwards in between helpings of ice cream and hot dogs he and his teammates shared. When one parent asked him if the homerun he gave up to Casella had any stewardesses on it, he replied, &#8220We'll find it (the ball) when we go home on the highway.”