Even as football seasons kicks off, little league baseball still steals the headlines as swiftly as second base. Eager to prolong their vacation from school, the boys of summer took the field one final time before returning to reading, writing and arithmetic.
Bayside’s eight-year-old Little League Travel Team achieved the ultimate prize with a championship victory over the Whitestone Angels on Saturday, September 4.
The victory capped an undefeated season for Bayside, as their offense never cooled even as the sun began to set on summer. In the championship game, they were led by Nicholas Perez and Christopher Rouzinos – both of whom had base knocks and scored the first runs in the fourth inning.
Wesley Kao also got a big bit – an RBI double later in the fourth – but the game’s colossal smash came off the bat of John DeCastro, who belted a grand slam that all but finished off the Angels. In the fifth inning, the offensive onslaught continued with hits and RBI from Dominick Damiano and John Callahan.
Callahan also starred from the mound, pitching four and a half innings and mowing down seven Angels with an array of fast balls and off-speed pitches. Relief pitcher Savvas Papadopoulos took over for the final inning and a half, striking out two and chasing the Angels back to Whitestone. Both hurlers had the luxury of tossing to catcher Damiano, who once again called an excellent game and proved to be the team’s anchor behind the plate.
Defensively, Bayside blanked the Angels throughout the game with infield stops and outfield putouts. Matthew Dullahan provided the “wow” moment with a spectacular catch in left field during the fifth inning. DeCastro continued his gold glove play at first, while Papadopoulos made numerous acrobatic plays at second before being inserted as pitcher.
The coaches and parents congratulate their Bayside boys on an exhilarating and triumphant end to the summer. Now, as their parents noted, it’s time hang up the cleats and get back to school.
