LEWISBORO, N.Y. - With a 7–7 record, the Lewisboro Lightning 10u team hoped to enter the playoffs on a high note.
On Thursday, July 24, they faced the Florida, N.Y., Blue Sox—a familiar matchup for John LoPiccolo.
“I’ve faced them before, they are a good team,” said the starter. “I just wanted to hit my spots, so my defense could kill it.”
After a leadoff single, ground balls gobbled up by Noah Pearson and Michael Stoddard immediately backed up that defensive promise. Things got even easier for LoPiccolo after a two-run bottom of the first paved the way for a 3–1 victory.
With Stoddard due up for the big hit, the number three batter had to wait his turn. First, Christian Cisco stepped in, and his leadoff low ball hit the rubber and bounced high into the air.
An infield hit followed. LoPiccolo’s line drive past short left no doubt, and Stoddard was just as sure about his pitch selection. “I was looking fastball,” said the third baseman.
It came on the outside corner, and he didn’t try to do too much. “I took it the other way,” said Stoddard. Landing just inside the left-field line, Lewisboro had the lead for good.
A big inning wasn’t in the cards, though. JJ Santos retired the next two batters, and the Blue Sox starter got big help in the field on Emerson Payne’s shot to deep left. Liam Marley ranged back, extended high, and made a backhanded grab to end the inning.
Still, LoPiccolo wasn’t rattled by the highlight-reel play. A flyout to Gio Santoro in center, a pop-up to Stoddard, and a called strike three kept the score at 2–0.
In the bottom half, Lewisboro threatened again. Vincent Secchiano stroked a one-out double, James Maharaj reached on an infield hit, and Caiden Jones’ bloop to center loaded the bases.
A strikeout by Cisco left it to the pitcher. LoPiccolo’s line drive between second and first looked destined to bring in two runs, but G. Ferrare extended to his left to snare the one-hopper and recorded the out at first.
It was a deflating moment—but not for LoPiccolo. Aside from an infield hit by Santos, the Lewisboro starter struck out the side in the top of the third, generating his own lightning on the mound.
The offense responded in turn. Stoddard singled to center, and when the ball got by the outfielder, Santoro came up with a runner in scoring position.
“I was looking fastball down the middle,” the centerfielder assured.
Instead, it came outside—but Santoro adjusted. “I took it up the middle,” he said, giving his team a 3–0 lead.
The inning ended when Santoro was thrown out stealing second, but he wasn’t taking full blame. “My dad told me to steal,” he joked.
Still, the laughs almost flipped when the Blue Sox loaded the bases with one out in the fourth. But the punchline belonged to Lewisboro.
LoPiccolo struck out the next batter, and Pearson kept his head on a dropped line drive to second.
“I saw the batter hit an outside pitch, and I thought it would tail away more. So I overran the ball and it hit me in the palm,” said the second baseman. “But I just picked it up and threw to first.”
Another threat averted, the Blue Sox finally broke through in the fifth. After a pair of infield hits put runners on first and third with one out, the typical steal of second didn’t sit well with Henry Parrish.
“It annoys me so much,” said the catcher, known by his teammates as Hollywood.
Not this time. The call came in to cut down the runner and give up the run—and Parrish delivered.
“I was very excited,” said Parrish, who made the play to keep the bases clear.
With the score 3–1, the Lightning needed just three more outs. Maharaj came on in relief and got the job done.
Looking ahead to the playoffs, Secchiano summed up the team’s mindset: “We’re going to do what we did last year,” he concluded for the defending champs.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here