SOMERS, N.Y. - After Somers 11u cut Lakeland’s 4-0 lead in half in the bottom of the third, the visitors added three in the fourth and eight more in the fifth.
A 15-2 final resulting, there wasn’t much to highlight. But Leo Newman still had his priorities right with no more school books to lug about.
Even in a blowout, he assured, “Homework is terrible and baseball is not.”
Lakeland quickly agreed. Kyle Renaldo knocked in Declan Meaney and Ryan Egan, and the Hornets took a 2-0 lead to the bottom of the first.
There, Tommy O’Grady took a fastball to the back, which set Somers up to see what kind of defense they were facing on the mound. Nick Hagey beat a high bouncer into the ground, and Matt DeRosa did more than make a leaping grab. He planted himself, turned and confidently fired to second for the force.
Any rally possibility ending, Hagey went back to mound down two. Three up, three down this time, Hagey handed the ball back to DeRosa.
Same result, the Lakeland offense took the cue and livened it up at the plate again in the third. Anthony Romano and Egan had RBI singles, and the lead was doubled.
Not for long, Somers got right down to it when Ben Palancia opened the inning with a walk. Unfortunately, Cyrus Clark was next to run afoul of DeRosa’s defense. He smoked a line drive back at the box, and the starter’s low snare didn’t go unnoticed by the batter.
“His defense was on point,” said the Tusker.
A sentiment that was in line with what he takes away from the sport - even in a 15-2 loss. “Baseball teaches you to be a good person,” Clark asserted.
Among those traits, keeping your head up, and Gianni DeBisceglie did just that.
“I was just trying to hit it,” the leadoff batter said of his line double down third.
Second and third, O’Grady blooped one over short, and one run was in. A big rally was not to be, though, and Lakeland had their pitcher to thank. Hagey found his counterpart with another hot shot, and DeRosa scooped it up for the out at first.
A run in, Coach John Debisceglie did like what he saw in the inning. “We had some timely hitting to get on the board,” he praised.
4-2, a game it was - until it wasn’t. Hagey did register a pair of strikeouts in the fourth. But three errors undid the good work, and Newman entered to close out the three run inning with a line drive to third.
Somers didn’t answer in the bottom, and the Hornets countered with a stinging storm of eight green runs. Not necessarily begging for mercy, Somers first two batters went down on strikes but Clark’s good character kept him fighting.
The right fielder worked a walk, and that gave Debisceglie a chance to end the game on a high note. “We were losing by so much,” he said. “I was just trying to do something for the team.”
Debisceglie went deep over the centerfielder’s head and raised the Somers sideline out of their seats. Unfortunately, a close play on O’Grady’s grounder to third ended the game.
Still, with a good look at Debisceglie’s drive, Newman was certain that the blast would provide a carryover. “We’re going to bounce back and score a lot of runs next game,” concluded the first baseman.
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