By The TimesLedger
The Midville Dodgers College team had a successful trip to Cooperstown, N.Y., the birth place of baseball, sweeping all three games from the South Shore Dodgers at historic Doubleday Field. Pitching again stood out for Midville in the three games. South Shore was held to a total of three runs on 13 hits in the three-game series, as Midville won 14-1, 11-1 and 5-1.
In the first game. Ramon Valenzuela hurled no-hit ball into then fifth inning. He retired the first 12 batters, striking out six. A lead-off single in the fifth ended his no-hit bid. Mike Giampilis and David Spinner each pitched an inning to complete a three-hitter.
Midville’s offense broke out in the three games, amassing 30 runs on 32 hits, including 11 doubles. Catcher Jeff Infant was the top hitter, going 8-for-12 with three doubles, six RBIs and five runs scored.
Infante led an 11-hit attack with four hits, three runs scored and three RBIs. His RBI-single put Midville ahead in the first inning. Mike Giampilis followed with another RBI single to make it 3-0. Mike Cannone’s double started a three-run third which was capped by David Spinner’s run-scoring single. Infante’s two-run single made it 8-0 in the fourth. Eric Zinke’s sac fly, Infante’s single and a run-scoring hit by Sal Zanca helped add four runs in the fifth.
Joe Munda doubled home a run in the sixth and Infante doubled and scored on Matt Staffieri’s single for a 14-0 lead in the seventh.
In the second game, Charlie Patamarapipan also pitched no-hit ball until a lead-off single in the fifth. He went the first six innings with the only run scoring on a throwing error in the sixth. Matt Staffieri retired the side in order in the seventh.
In game three, Ken Ward retired seven of the eight batters he faced before leaving with a knee injury. Rich Merslich got the final two batters in the third and Staffieri went the final four innings, allowing three hits and an unearned run in getting his first win of the year.
Rick Mundy and Infante each had two hits, Zinke scored three times and stole two bases and Infante drove in three runs.
Midville returned from Cooperstown for a mid-week ABC Super League game. The locals dropped a 5-3 decision to the Monmouth Hurricanes at Murcer County Community College. Pitchers Robert Benjamin and Anthony Giampaolo combined on a four-hitter, but walked 12, which proved to be Midville’s downfall.
The Dodgers fell behind 2-0 in the first inning, but came back to tie the score. A second inning a walk to Infante, Ron Scrimenti’s single and a force play got a run back, while Juan Carlos Maldonado singled, stole second and scored on Mike Cannone’s double in the third.
The Hurricanes regained the lead in the fourth and made it 5-2 in the fifth. The Dodgers added a run in the sixth, as Infante walked, stole second and scored on David Spinner’s double.
The next 10 days will severely test the Dodgers’ pitching staff with seven games in five days. Saturday they are home at Juniper Valley Park at 2 p.m. for an Interstate Collegiate doubleheader with the defending champion Westchester Indians. Sunday they will travel to North Salem for a doubleheader with the Knights.
Monday they are back at Juniper against the Bronx Condors in a 6 p.m. start and on July 4 they host the Toms River Zephyrs in a noon twin bill.
Dodger Dust: Although the Dodgers are undefeated in league play (7-0) they got some bad news earlier this week. Their ace pitcher, Ken Ward ,hurt his knee on the mound at Doubleday Field and could miss at least a month of the season. And the news did not get any better later in the week when it was learned that pitcher James Arrante will miss six weeks with tendonitis in his right shoulder.
MV Dodgers Seniors top LI Tigers, move to 11-1-2
The Midville Dodgers Seniors continue to play some of the best baseball in town, winning four of five with a split of two games with the L.I. Tigers the only blemish on their record.
On Tuesday, June 19, at Suffolk Community College, the Dodgers mercied the L.I. Mariners, 13-3, jumping out to a 7-0 first inning lead. After three walks, Kenny Gleason doubled home two runs and Phil Kuhner singled in two more. Gary Kaible continues to score a ton of runs from his lead-off spot, scoring three times and tripling in a run. Sly Giutierrez had two more hits and Johnny Sikiric had an RBI hit. Leon Kruset benefited from the run support, posting the win with five innings of one-hit ball.
On Wednesday, June 20, at Adelphi College, the Dodgers suffered their first setback. Trailing 5-3 after five innings to the Tigers, the rains washed out the Dodger comeback attempt.
Tommy Greene’s single and a triple by Nick Theoharis gave the Dodgers a quick 1-0 lead. Dodger hurler Kenny Gleason came out on fire in the first, striking out all three hitters on 12 pitches. But his control in the second and third innings hurt him, walking three and all scored for a 3-1 Tiger lead. Phil Kuhner tied the score at three with a booming double, scoring Theoharis who had doubled.
Gleason, despite striking out eight in five innings, took the 5-3 loss as the Tigers became the first team to pin a loss on the Dodger Seniors this season.
On Friday, June 22, with the Dodgers playing at home in front a large crowd at Juniper Valley Park, they got their revenge on the Tigers with a come-from-behind 7-3 win. Kenny Hoch got the win with 4 2/3 innings of excellent pitching. Phil Kuhner had a big save with 2 1/3 innings and five strikeouts.
Trailing 3-0, the Dodgers were no-hit for three innings before Johnny Sikiric got the first Dodger hit with two out in the fourth. The Dodgers only junior, Mike Agliorloro, got the flat Dodger team rolling in the fifth with a line single to open the inning. Pinch hitter Karl Steingrubner singled and Al DiCanio was safe on an error. Sly Guitierrez walked in a run and clean-up hitter, Nick Theoharis singled in two runs to tie the score. Kenny Gleason followed with a triple to give the Dodgers a 5-3 lead.
In the next inning, Phil Kuhner and John Maser both had RBI hits as the Dodgers came away with a hard-fought 7-3 win.
On Saturday, June 23, the Dodgers swept the Tri-Village Devil Rays at Huntington High School by scores of 12-3 and 6-5. In the first game, Gary Kaible had a two-run home run and RBI hits from Nick Theoharis, Phil Kuhner, Tommy Greene and Sly Guitierrez. Anthony Ditroia hit a long sac-fly and a booming triple accounting for four RBIs to start a terrific day. Karl Steingrubner went the distance to pickup his third Dodger victory.
In game two, Ditroia’s heroics continued, as his RBI groundout gave the Dodgers a 1-0 lead. He then hit the longest wooden bat home run seen this year to dead center estimated at 410 feet.
“The wind was blowing out, but that was a bomb,” said coach Jim Gleason.
Ditroia was intentionally walked in his final time up in a show of respect, as he hammered the ball all day. Shortstop John Maser’s two-RBI single turned out to be a big blow. E.J. Kapela pitched four strong innings, giving up two runs. Usually dependable Mike Mole could not protect the lead, as the Rays tied the score at five. Phil Kuhner singled in the go-ahead run and was also used in relief to get the final five outs in a 6-5 Dodger win.
Midville Juniors take 4 of 5
In a week of nothing but baseball, the Midville Dodgers Junior team (ages 15-16) took to the road again to Putnam County to play the Putnam White Sox. Pitcher Mike Dietz hurled a five-hitter and the Midville bats erupted with 12 hits to beat the Sox 9-5. Kevin Conlin was 2-for-3, Vinny Johnson was 2-for-4 and Denson Ambrose was 2-for-3 to spark the Dodgers to the win.
Again on the road to Scarsdale, the Dodgers sent ace Kevin Conlin to mound. Conlin went on to pitch a gem of a game for seven innings, striking out 11 and giving up only two hits. The Dodger bats did the rest with Dean Andriotis, Vinny Johnson , Eddie Kaminsky and Mike Manetta all collecting two hits for the Dodgers in the 7-2 win.
The Dodgers Junior team then went up to Armonk to take on the Armonk Royals. Dodger pitcher Mike Dietz recorded his second win in less than then a week with a 12 K, one-hit performance. Dietz was in control the entire game, allowing only one walk.
The Dodgers exploded for seven runs with hits from Kevin Conlin (3-for-3, three runs scored), Mike Dietz (3-for-3) and Mike Arlotta (1-for-1) for all the offense the Dodgers needed to record another win, 7-0.
The Dodgers and L.I. Cardinals are now the rivalry to speak of stemming from last year’s battles. In game one, Jimmy Calamia gave up only one earned run and pitched brilliantly for six innings until giving up the only earned run of the game in the seventh to push the Cards on to a 4-3 win.
In game two of the twilight doubleheader, the Dodgers sent out Kevin Conlin to the mound, who scattered three hits and struck out six, as the Dodger bats went to work. Eddie Kaminsky’s two booming triples, Frankie Russo’s single and two stolen bases, Andrew Pfeffer’s and Anthony Bruno’s had timely hits scoring four runs and Pat Mannings’ two-RBI single capped off the night, as Kaminsky came in relief to strike out the side in the seventh as the Dodgers won, 10-3
