By The TimesLedger
The Midville Dodgers junior squad traveled to Glen Cove to take on the GC Cardinals Saturday. In the first game, McClancy right-hander Kevin Conlin took the mound in a tune up for the Dodgers West Coast trip to San Diego. The always reliable Conlin hurled four innings, recording seven strikeouts and allowed two runs, one earned, on three hits.
Meanwhile, the Midville bats handled Glen Cove pitching, picking up 12 hits and 12 runs. Andrew Pfeffer went 2-for-3 and 10 other Dodgers had a hit apiece. Tom Maser came on in relief and shut down the Cards for two innings, striking out four and allowed only one hit as the Dodgers cruised to a 12-2 win.
In the nightcap, hard-throwing Frankie Russo was on the mound and matched Conlin’s effort from game one, fanning seven while allowing four hits. He was relieved by closer Tom Maser, who shut the door for the second time in the day.
Dodger bats were not so lively in the second game with an excellent pitching effort by the Cardinal pitcher, who kept the Dodgers scoreless until the third inning, when Tommy Maser singled and Vinny Johnson tripled in two runs. With the game knotted at two in the top of the seventh, Chris Kaible’s lead-off triple and Andrew Pfeffer’s one-out double provided the winning run, as the visiting Dodgers swept doubleheader with a 3-2 win.
Midville sweeps Bronx Highlanders, 10-1, 12-2
Right-hander Jim Calamia took the mound and gave up an early run, but settled down to mow down the Bronx Highlanders, striking out eight, while scattering five hits. Meanwhile, the Dodgers pounded out 11 hits and 10 runs in six innings to win going away, 10-1.
Dodger catcher Chris Kaible went 3-for-3 and power-hitting first baseman Matt Rizzotti was 2-for-3, including his seventh homer of the season. Slick-fielding second baseman, Denson Ambrose picked up two hits in four at bats for the boys in blue.
In game two, Matt Rizzotti got the ball and threw three flawless innings, yielding no runs on two hits, but was relieved by the ever reliable Anthony Bruno, who once again kept batters off balance with a variety of pitches. Bruno retired the last six batters of the game, which ended in a mercy rule as the Dodgers coasted to a 12-2 victory and a sweep of the Bronx Highlanders.
Once again Matt Rizzotti provided the power. He blasted a 1-0 fast ball that landed somewhere on Juniper Boulevard North for his eighth homer of the year. Andrew Pfeffer also hit a massive two-run homer. Hot hitting Chris Kaible went 2-for-2, Anthony Bruno was 2-for-3 and Jimmy Calamia doubled with two RBIs.
As the Midville Dodgers leave for their West Coast trip to San Diego for the United State Amateur Baseball Federal Holiday Tournament, they are in first place in the Elite Eight League (8-3-1) and have a combined record of 20-4-1.
Midville Dodgers dedicate California tourney to 9/11 victims
The MV Dodgers Junior squad met at Kennedy Airport on Tuesday and are off to the United States Amateur Baseball Federation (USABF) Holiday Tournament in San Diego. The boys will play single games on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and a doubleheader on Saturday. Hopefully, the team will be around on Sunday for the final round. They will pay teams from California, Arizona, Minnesota and Colorado.
The team will wear a third jersey with “New York” across the front and wear American flags to honor the memory of those lost on Sept. 11. The Midville coaching staff includes firefighter Billy Johnson, who was part of the rescue effort at the World Trade Center. Johnson barely made it out before the North Tower collapsed.
The team will also carry and display a New York State flag flown at Ground Zero.
Midville Freshman fall short
The Midville Dodgers Freshmen team (ages 13 and 14) let a fine pitching performance by Andrew Kapela go to waste. Although it was nip-and-tuck for the entire game, the Dodgers fell short to the Long Island Bulldogs, 5-3.
Dodger bats wake up
The Dodgers Freshmen finally started to swing the bats well, and gave their starting pitcher, Matt Schindler, some much needed run support Saturday. The Dodgers came out of the gate with five runs in the first inning and never looked back. The attack was led with three hits from Michael Tableman and two from Cletus Schuyler. Southpaw hurler Schindler allowed only six hits and two walks throughout the entire game as the Dodgers held on to win, 10-5.
It was a little closer in the second game of the twin bill, with righty John Anthony Salvaggio on the mound keeping it together with six strikeouts and allowing only three hits through six innings. The Dodgers were able to outlast the Indians, 6-5, and pull out the game in the bottom of the eighth inning with Cletus Schuyler driving in the winning run with a long double.
