SOMERS, N.Y. - When the Somers 8U team fell behind 2-0 in the seventh inning of the GHVBL finals, the momentum seemed to slip away.
A single to right with a runner on second looked dangerous, but the Maverick runner froze between third and home. A perfectly executed rundown flipped the script.
“The tide turned,” said Coach Paul Salerno. Moments later, Somers completed the comeback.
“We walked them off,” said Salerno after the 3-2 victory, sealed by Luca DelPozzo’s two-run RBI single. “They learned what winning a championship feels like.”
That championship mindset was born from heartbreak. In the spring, Somers suffered a tough semifinal loss.
“Losing is not fun,” Salerno said. Calling it “an eye opener,” he emphasized hard work over the summer. The Red Storm responded, winning their first three games. After a crushing 10-8 extra-inning loss, they regrouped and rattled off 14 straight victories.
In the finals, Chase Bello set the tone with three scoreless innings and seven strikeouts. Angelo Indusi took over, backed by big defensive plays from Declan Goodwin, Francesco Salerno, Donald Kenneally, Tommy Molito, and Christian Ciavardini.
Down to their last outs, Somers tied the game with a rally before DelPozzo delivered the walk-off. Salerno summed it up: “We get paid in smiles and high fives.”
Somers finished the spring and summer with a dominant 31-5 record. “We want them to learn to play the game the right way,” Salerno said — and this championship proved they’re on track.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here