East Region: Day 6 (Final Pool Play Day: Wed. Aug. 7, 2013)

Capitol City (DC) 12, Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake (NY) 3 (Extended Recap)

Ummm... Wow. I wasn't surprised that DC won the game. They have the ability to win this whole thing. They're just the underdogs as they do it. Well, not today. Cap City turned in the dominant performance of the tournament in a "winner is in" scenario for both teams.

Robert Reynolds dominated in all facets of the game and is playing out of this world right now. He ripped a single in the first inning and then home runs in the third and fourth innings including a towering blast into the trees in left field. It was seven straight hits over two games including three home runs. He leads the entire East Region in hits and RBIs by himself and is tied for the region lead in home runs with Brandon Lee of Newton, Massachusetts. They both have three.

"I'm not trying to hit home runs, I'm just getting pitches right in my zone," Reynolds said. "I put a good swing on a couple of them and they went over the fence."

Reynold also threw 3 1/3 innings of shut out ball. After a bloop single started the game, Reynolds struck out five batters and never allowed another hit. After a rough first inning, he pitched with more authority in the third inning after getting a 2-0 lead from his first dinger.

"I felt much better out there with the lead," Reynolds said. "I was relaxed and just threw more strikes."

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In the top of the fourth, Capitol City's offense exploded. It all started with a nine-pitch at-bat from Kevin Oakley. He ended it with a single. Then "Firecracker" Aaron Rosenthal hit on of his four singles on the day. Isaac Frumkin doubled in both runs and then Reynolds hit his second blast to make it 6-0. Zach Lordan doubled and Sofia Ohanian knocked a run in with a hit of her own. Duncan Hudson knocked in a run with another single. After Rosenthal reached again by single, Frumkin hit his second double of the inning to score Collin Bosley-Smith. The inning ended with Capitol City leading 10-0.



"We blew the first two games and we think we should've won them," Rosenthal said. "We've blown late leads in the other three games and we didn't want to do that today."

Capitol City removed Reynolds at 65 pitches with a 10-0 lead in the fourth inning after he induced a flyout. With Burnt Hills' season on the line in a potential mercy-rule loss, Jack Wyatt blasted a home run to right centerfield. It gave Burnt Hills some life and was the first home run of the tournament for BHBL. It was also the first home run in the last eight games for New York teams in the Mid-Atlantic tournament.

Duncan Hudson was able to rebound from the first-pitch homer to get the final two outs of the fourth with just three more pitches. After a scoreless fifth inning, Cap City poured on two insurance runs in the sixth with an infield single from Aiden Trinity, a walk to Hudson, and an RBI single from Rosenthal. After a walk to Rory Friel, Burnt Hills stayed away from the danger zone with Reynolds and walked him to give Cap City a 12-1 lead.

In the bottom of the sixth, Dominic Rhodes hit an RBI double to put another run on the board for New York, but Rosenthal made one of 2-3 amazing plays behind second base. In fact, Cap City was flawless on defense, especially up the middle. Bosley-Smith made a pair of extraordinary plays at shortstop.

Courtesy of LISPN.Com

Adin McGurk came on for the final out and got a fly ball to centerfield to send Capitol City to the regional semifinals for the first time since 2004. It will be the first game that Washington D.C. plays on television. Capitol City earned the three seed and will face Newark National (DE) at 11 a.m. on Friday on ESPN. It was finally settling in for Robert Reynolds after the game.

"I never thought I'd ever be playing baseball on television."

Lincoln (RI) 9, Rye (NH) 1

Lincoln took care of business in a game that didn't mean much on the final day of pool play and clinched the three seed in New England. They finished pool play with a 3-1 record. Rye went 0-4 for the second time in its league's history at Bristol. Lincoln had four extra-base hits including a 3-run homer from big Steve Andrews in the victory. Lincoln scored four runs in the first inning to put the game away early. Dave Bordieri, Aaron DeSousa, and Andrews each had a pair of hits. Blake Zaniol hit an RBI double. Dominic Cunha also roped a run-scoring double in the game.

Lincoln will be the three seed and face South Burlington, Vermont in the semifinals. There's a good chance we can see Ben Tate vs Kyle Marrapese on the mound in that game.

In the loss, Rye played its best defensive game of the tournament. Dylan King hit a double and scored a run. Dylan Chase had an RBI single. Tripp Hindle was 2-for-3 for Rye.

Westport (CT) 10, Newton SouthEast 4

Westport saved some pitching and brought its bats against a tough pitcher from Newton. Chad Knight hit a two-run home run in the first inning to answer Brandon Lee's two-run blast in the top of the inning. Massachusetts took a 3-2 lead with a single by Dante Taylor and a few passed balls. Connecticut, with Saco Maine's tournament lives in their hands, put up eight runs in the third inning to put the game away. Alex Rainer (3-for-3) started it with a single. Charlie Roof also smacked a single. Then, Ricky Offenberg roped a two-run triple to retake the lead. Matt Brown came off the bench to hit an absolute towering home run. After a pair of walks, Harry Azadian hammered a deep three-run home run to center field.

Courtesy of LISPN.Com

Adam Freedman added an RBI single for Newton in the sixth inning, but it wasn't enough for Massachusetts to make the semifinals. Connecticut's win moved Maine into the four seed spot. The two squads will face off in the semifinal.

In the game, Connecticut used Max Popken, Roof, Reiner, and Knight. Roof and Reiner got some solid work in and looked great. For pitch count reasons, Westport decided to close with Chad Knight for the final out of the game and he slammed the door shut with an overpowering fastball for a game-ending strikeout.

Lionville (PA) 2, East Greenwich (NJ) 1

The final game of pool play had zero implications for the Mid-Atlantic and it was played that way. The game was very well-pitched and well-played by both teams, but the fire wasn't there. Lionville scored two runs on one hit in the first inning and four different pitchers made the first-inning lead stand up. Hunter Kelly went 85 pitches and 4 1/3 innings to keep New Jersey in the game. New Jersey outhit Pennsylvania in the game, but could never put the hits together. East Greenwich went 0-4, but lost three games by just one run.

Final East Region Rankings

1. Connecticut (4-0)

2. Vermont (3-1)

3. Rhode Island (3-1)

4. Pennsylvania (4-0)

5. Maryland (2-2)

6. Delaware (3-1)

7. Maine (1-3)

8. Washington, D.C. (2-2)

9. Massachusetts (1-3)

10. New York (1-3)

11. New Jersey (0-4)

12. New Hampshire (0-4)

Random Thoughts: New York and New Jersey haven't missed the Mid-Atlantic semifinals together ever in the history of the region which started in 2001. If you go back to the old East Region, the last time New York and New Jersey both missed the semifinals or quarterfinals was back in 1993 when Orchard Park (NY) and Nottingham (NJ) both fell on the same day in the losers bracket. They finished outside the Top 8 in the region.

The victory for Washington D.C. was incredible. It really was. This team is legitimate though. They beat two Maryland district champions including a team that had Berlin (MD) on the ropes and the team that made the state championship game. Oh by the way, they beat the state champion as well. They led in all four pool play games and should probably be 3-1.

If Connecticut hits throughout its lineup like it did today... They're going to not only win the region, they're going to do very well in Williamsport.

Home Run Meter: 26 (Last Year: 27)

Strikeout Meter: 315 (Last Year: 280)

Prediction Record: 3-1 (Overall: 19-5) *Improved my record from last year by three games


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East Region: Day 5 (Tuesday August 6, 2013)

Lionville (PA) 2, Berlin (MD) 0

The East Region tournament finally started! We got a chance to see what type of talent is truly out there today because two teams absolutely needed to win and they both went for it. For everyone, including myself who said that this was a weak regional, maybe we're wrong. Maybe its just crappy pitching decisions. This was an awesome game to watch. Old school.

Lionville went with Joe Janick and Michael Rodriguez on the mound for 50 pitches each and they were fantastic. Berlin countered with its stud, Tristan McDonough. The difference in the game was one monster swing from Lionville's Connor Kalten. The big lefty timed the overpowering fastball from McDonough and hit it a mile to right centerfield for a 1-0 lead. That run was enough to win, but just for giggles, Kalten hit an RBI single in the sixth against Berlin's relief pitching.

Janick allowed just three hits in 2 2/3 innings with four strikeouts. Rodriguez held Maryland hitless over three innings. He struck out six more. McDonough allowed just two hits over 5 1/3 innings. He struck out nine.

This game was fantastic and played by two very good looking teams when these guys are on the mound. McDonough impressed me a lot in the start. Berlin uses him out of the pen a lot, and he settled in nicely from the get go. After he gave up the homer, he trotted to the third base line and congratulated Kalten on his bomb. Plain and simple, these two are great players and both great kids from the times I've spoken to them.

Down to business, Maryland is going to be the three seed if New York beats D.C. If D.C. beats New York, then Maryland will be the four seed. Neither D.C. nor Maryland will have number one pitchers available at all in the semifinals. Pennsylvania is the one seed win or lose unless they give up a heck of a lot of runs to New York.

South Burlington (VT) 3, Saco (ME) 2

The trend of semifinal-worthy games continued in the second game of the day. Both Saco and South Burlington rolled out top of the rotation starters to pick up necessary wins. Vermont was in a bit of a better position with two wins already, however.

Ben Tate started for Vermont (and will start the semifinal as well) and he looked dominant. His fastball was electric and Maine was overmatched early. He struck out six in 2 1/3 innings of one-hit ball. He used just 35 pitches. Maine took a 2-0 lead in the third inning after Tate departed with an RBI single from Anthony Bracamonte.

South Burlington quickly tied the game in the bottom of the inning with a two-run single from Nick Liscinsky. Vermont 11-year old, Matt Guyette, came on to close the game and pitched a perfect 1 2/3 innings to pick up the win.

The end of the game ended a bit anti-climatic with a walk to Connor McGrath to load the bases and then a four-pitch walk to Ryan Sargent to end the game. Ethan Klesch had a huge single to start the inning.

Saco's Brogan Searle-Belanger and Luke Chessie pitched great in a combined effort. They allowed just five combined hits. Chessie will get the ball in the semifinal game if they happen to advance.

Maine is in, if CT beats Massachusetts. Maine is out of Massachusetts wins.

Newton SouthEast (MA) 9, Rye (NH) 2

Newton looked great in its win over New Hampshire on Tuesday. Brandon Lee and Zeke O'Connell pitched well to get the victory. O'Connell or Dante Taylor will probably get the ball against Connecticut in the final pool play game.

Taylor really impressed for television. He made a pair of dynamic plays in the field, went 3-for-3 at the plate with a laser home run. He had three RBI. Matt Beckles broke the game open in the in the third with a bases loaded double to deep left field. O'Connell was 2-for-2 with a double and RBI. Spencer Leger had two hits for New Hampshire.

Newark National (DE) 11, East Greenwich (NJ) 0 (5 innings)

Well, if New Jersey won this game, there could've been craziness on the final day of pool play. Instead, Newark National took care of business. Nate Hardcastle was magnificent on the mound with 4 2/3 innings of no-hit ball. He struck out 13 batters including eight of the first nine he faced. Brett Callahan got the final out for the combined and shortened no-hitter.

The Delaware bats really came alive today after 11-year old Brandon Sengphachanh blasted a grand slam in the third inning. Another 11-year old, Jack Hardcastle (2-for-3), hit a line drive homer in the fifth, and Joe Davis (2-for-3) continues to eat his Wheaties. He crushed a 3-run shot (his sixth in six games) later in the inning. Nate Hardcastle added two hits.

The win clinched a spot in the semifinals for Delaware and Maryland. New Jersey is now out. This result sets up the DC-NY game as a play-in game for the semifinals.

East Region Rankings after Day 5

1. Connecticut (3-0)

2. Vermont (3-1)

3. Pennsylvania (3-0)

4. Rhode Island (2-1)

5. Maryland (2-2)

6. Delaware (3-1)

7. Maine (1-3)

8. New York (1-2)

9. Washington D.C. (1-2)

10. Massachusetts (1-2)

11. New Jersey (1-2)

12. New Hampshire (0-3)

Random Thoughts: This was finally a full day worthy of Bristol in the past. There were great pitching, hitting, and defensive performances. Teams played to win. There was a sense of urgency. It really pumped me up for the semifinals. Tomorrow could be a huge day with Connecticut able to control a few hearts with its game against Massachusetts and of course, its basically single elimination now for Washington D.C. and New York. As you can see below, home runs are down almost one per game... strikeouts are WAY up. I think there's a few more dominant pitchers this year and hitting is a bit down overall. There's certainly no Par-Troy East NJ out there this year and Connecticut's two big arms haven't brought their home run power just yet.

Home Run Meter: 18 (Last Year: 21)

Strikeout Meter: 267 (Last Year: 235)

Prediction Record: 4-0 (Overall: 16-4) Notes: I'm back in the game!
Wednesday's Predictions: New York over D.C. 4-3, Rhode Island over New Hampshire 12-4, Connecticut over Massachusetts 6-3, Pennsylvania over New Jersey 9-4.

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East Region: Day 4 (Monday August 5, 2013)

Capitol City (DC) 11, Berlin (MD) 10

Capitol City roared out to a 10-3 lead after three innings then hung on late by cutting down the tying run at the plate in the sixth inning. Robert Reynolds and Isaac Frumkin were 7-for-8 with five RBI and four runs scored to lead Cap City. Wes Powell and Ryan Duncan each had two hits to lead Berlin in the loss. The victory for DC opens the region up a bit. If New Jersey loses a third game, then NY-DC will be a play-in game. There's a good possibility that a million teams could be 2-2 though. Craziest tournament I've ever seen.

To read a full game story from the epic conclusion to this game: CLICK HERE

South Burlington (VT) 8, Lincoln (RI) 1

Vermont absolutely made a statement with this victory over Rhode Island. Sammy Premsagar allowed just one run on four hits and struck out seven in 4 2/3 innings pitched to lead South Burlington to victory. He was also 2-for-3 at the plate with a pair of RBI singles. Ethan Klesch added a two-run single in the fourth to help put the game away.

Lincoln couldn't figure out Premsagar whatsoever at the plate except for Dominic Cunha's solo blast in the second inning. It was his second of the tournament. In the third inning, Lincoln imploded a bit defensively with three straight errors to give South Burlington a commanding 5-1 lead. Vermont made a big case for being the second best team in the entire East Region, but Lincoln can still beat anyone with Marrapese on the mound. Depending on the outcome of the Maine-Vermont game on Tuesday, there's a good chance these two teams see each other in the semifinal. Premsagar will not be available until the final, but Ben Tate will most likely be available. Tate and Klesch will probably get the ball for 35 pitches each in the Maine game with maybe an assist from Max Guyette.

Rhode Island has to be careful of possibly falling to 2-2 and a three-way tie with Vermont and Maine. They don't want to get stuck with the four seed and Connecticut in the semifinals.

Newark National (DE) 10, Burnt Hills (NY) 7

Delaware put New York in a "win and in" situation for its final game with the victory on Monday evening. Delaware led 10-2 after four innings before New York stormed back. Newark had a big second inning started with a triple by Jared Owens. Nate Hardcastle and Joey Davis (2-for-3, 2B, 2 RBI) each had big hits in the inning as well. Delaware tacked on a total of five more runs in the fourth and fifth innings behind RBIs from Ryan Miller and multiple defensive miscues by Burnt Hills. The New York state champions racked up six errors in the game.

Despite the defensive problems, New York battled to the end once again. Evan Bowers finished 2-for-3 with a triple and three RBI to lead Burnt Hills. Glenn Ramos was 2-for-2 with a pair of runs and an RBI. Robert Forlano added two hits and Nathan Katz had a triple off the bench. Burnt Hills' third pitcher of the day, Cameron Rhodes, impressed me with some good stuff in his lone inning of work in the sixth.

Delaware at 2-1 will stick Nate Hardcastle on the mound for at least 35 pitches. A win puts Newark squarely into the semifinals. New Jersey would be out with a loss. For New York, they're out with a loss to Washington D.C. on the final day of pool play.

Westport (CT) 12, Rye (NH) 2 (5 innings)

Ho-hum. It's just another rout from Connecticut. Harry Azadian struck out eight batters in three innings of work and allowed just four hits. Charlie Roof finished the game with a perfect two innings of work and four strikeouts. That's 26 Ks in the last 11 innings for CT's four pitchers for those who are counting.

Westport immediately jumped on Rye in the first inning with RBI doubles from Ricky Offenberg and Matt Stone to go up 6-0. New Hampshire's defense did itself no favors once again with multiple errors. Connecticut tacked on five more runs in the third inning with another double from Stone (who is on fire this week), an infield single from Drew Rogers, and four straight walks/hit batsmen. Tatin Llamas added an RBI groundout.

In the fifth inning, Chad Knight hit a rocket ground-rule double and then Azadian hit an RBI single back up the middle for the mercy rule victory. Westport is all but assured the top seed in the New England semifinals. Rye moves to 0-2.

East Region Rankings after Day 4

1. Connecticut (3-0)

2. Vermont (2-1)

3. Rhode Island (2-1)

4. Pennsylvania (2-0)

5. Maine (1-2)

6. Maryland (2-1)

7. Delaware (2-1)

8. New York (1-2)

9. Washington D.C. (1-2)

10. New Jersey (0-2)

11. Massachusetts (0-2)

12. New Hampshire (0-2)

Random Thoughts: What a wild tournament this is. I looked back to last year and my thoughts for this day where "This is the wildest tournament I've ever seen in Bristol." This is a close second. The Mid-Atlantic is all about matchups. Literally all six teams can beat each other depending on who's pitching. I really believe that. As for New England, it was a big win for Vermont today over Rhode Island, but burning one of its top pitchers for the semifinals could come back to bite them. You never know though. I liked the fire to go out and dominate a team that everyone assumes has an inside track to the final. Connecticut on the other hand looks unbeatable. Vermont and Rhode Island are both capable, but its going to take a monster upset to do it.

Home Run Meter: 13 (Last Year: 17)

Strikeout Meter: 206 (Last Year: 200)

Prediction Record: 1-3 (Overall: 12-4) *Wow, what an atrocious day. I stink.

Tuesday's Predictions: Pennsylvania over Maryland 8-4, Vermont over Maine 5-4, Massachusetts over New Hampshire 3-2, Delaware over New Jersey 6-5.

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Capitol City (DC) Shakes Up Mid-Atlantic Region

Written by John Malone, editor
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Capitol City Little League of Washington D.C. has more than held its own at the Little League Baseball Eastern Region Tournament. Cap City had leads in each of its first two games and threw monkey wrenches into a couple teams' pitching plans. In the third game of the tournament, Capitol City finally earned more than respect, it earned a victory.

Behind a much-needed offensive outburst from Robert Reynolds and Isaac Frumkin, Cap City took a 10-3 lead after three innings and hung on for dear life in the sixth to record an 11-10 victory over previously unbeaten Berlin, Maryland.

"I was really excited because I didn't hit the ball well in the game against Pennsylvania," Reynolds said. "I was just looking for pitches in my zone and I got a lot of those today."

Reynolds was 4-for-4 with a home run, four runs batted in, and three runs scored to lead Capitol City. Frumkin was 3-for-4 with a triple at the top of the order. Usually a dynamic catcher, Frumkin came on in the fourth inning to record a long save with 2 1/3 innings pitched, two runs, and just two hits.

Capitol City led 11-8 heading into the sixth inning with Frumkin on the hill. Maryland's Tristan McDonough promptly ripped a double, and then Billy Wheatley was hit by a pitch. With two outs and runners on second and third, Jack Rosenberg ripped a double to left field plating both runs. The ball squirted through the outfielders legs and rolled all the way to the deep left field corner. Maryland tried to bring Wheatley all the way around to score but shortstop Collin Bosley-Smith threw a perfect strike to Sofia Ohanian at home plate to cut down the tying run for the game-winning play.

"I saw the coach waving the runner home, but I saw the guy stop, and then kept on going," Frumkin said. "There were perfect throws from Noah (Gold) and Collin though, and we got him by a mile."

Capitol City took a 7-3 lead in the second inning with Frumkin's RBI triple, a Rory Friel RBI single, and Reynolds' home run. In the third, Cap City padded its lead with three more runs with RBI singles from Aaron Rosenthal, and two more RBI from Reynolds.

Capitol City starter, Bosley-Smith, allowed three first-inning runs to Berlin with some control issues but buckled down to retire five of the next six batters he faced in a solid start that was marred with inconsistent calls at home plate and frequent game stoppages among other things. He came out with 65 pitches to stay eligible for the potential semifinal.

D.C. took a 3-0 lead after one inning with an RBI double from Zach Lordan, an RBI from Sofia Ohanian (who had a web gem at first base), and an RBI from Aiden Trinity. Berlin answered back with three runs on a variety of walks, infield hits, and a fielder's choice.

"I was really impressed with the way Collin pitched today. He came back from a rough first inning and threw really well," Reynolds, the staff ace, said. "He blocked everything out. All the pitchers did a great job working through stuff today."

Maryland never gave up in its quest to come back from the huge deficit. Matt Kinsey had a big two-run single in the fourth, and Wes Powell added a two-run triple to follow. Powell scored on a wild pitch to bring Maryland within two runs.

In an effort to keep the score within reason, Maryland went to its ace, McDonough, in the sixth. Reynolds ripped a single to lead off the inning and then scored on three passed balls to add the ever-important insurance run. It ended up being the winning run.

"I hope people realize we can compete here. We could've won the first two games and we got one now," Frumkin said. "We're very confident. We knew we could win a game, now we want to win another one."

The victory was the second win for a District of Columbia team in two years (Northwest Washington LL beat eventual Mid-Atlantic champion, Par-Troy East (NJ) last year) and the first for Capitol City since it beat Haverstraw (NY) back in 2008. Now, Cap City will try to reach the Mid-Atlantic semifinals for the first time since 2004.

Washington D.C. faces Burnt Hills (NY) in its final pool play game on Wednesday. Both teams need a victory to stay in the running for a semifinal spot.

"This team is so hungry for wins, so hungry to earn respect for DC baseball," Assistant coach Seth Rosenthal said. "They did it in the first two games, but today took us another step towards earning DC baseball some respect."

To listen to a pre-tournament interview with Capitol City assistant coach Brice Plebani, listen to Little League Insider Radio: Episode 2.

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East Region: Day 3 (Sunday August 4, 2013)

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Lionville (PA) 8, Capitol City (DC) 4

It was another hard-luck loss for Cap City by an identical 8-4 score as its first game. Cap City took advantage of A LOT of Pennsylvania control issues early to take a 3-0 lead right off the bat. Isaac Frumpkin and Zach Lordan each hit singles in the inning to combine with four Lionville walks. Duncan Hudson pitched with a lot of guts against an imposing Pennsylvania lineup and allowed just three hits in three innings of work. Cap City took a 4-0 lead in the third with three more walks and a single by Sofia Ohanian. With the bases loaded and two outs, Frumpkin appeared to get a hit and two RBI taken away by a rough "trap vs catch" call in centerfield. With bases loaded, no outs, and no runs coming across, it was a huge swing in the game. You knew that four runs wouldn't be enough to win.

Capitol City took Hudson out after three innings and 50 pitches. In a game that DC was winning, it was a questionable move, but with no guarantees of victory and the win potentially not being enough to get into the semifinals, it might've been a good move. I tend to want to go for victories when I'm one of the smaller states. It could work out later for Cap City, however.

All photos courtesy of LISPN.Com

Lionville, on the other hand, took the lead for good with a five-run fourth inning behind a monster three-run home run from Michael Rodriguez (2-for-4, 2B, HR, 3 RBI). Joe Janick added an RBI and a double. Zach Burton, who homered in PA's first game, ripped two doubles against DC.

Capitol City threatened in the sixth inning with four base runners, but had a bad luck out at the plate with a head first slide and possibly the greatest catch I've ever seen in Bristol. Brian Ibarguen made a full extendion diving catch to his back hand in the right field gap on a well-hit ball by Frumpkin.



Pennsylvania is all but assured a semifinal spot now and D.C. can get in with a win over New York in its final game if New Jersey loses out. It's safe to say that the Mid-Atlantic is very interesting still.

Lincoln (RI) 14, Newton SouthEast (MA) 8

Rhode Island bashed its way to six runs in the first inning and cruised past Newton. Dominic Cunha picked up the win over five innings and helped his cause with a 3-for-3 day including a home run and three RBI. Lincoln pounded out 16 hits in the victory. Dave Bordieri had two hits including a double, Kyle Marrapese added two hits, two runs and a RBI, Blake Zaniol had three RBI and a double, and Connor Benbenek was 3-for-3 with three RBI.

Newton rallied in the third inning to cut the deficit to 6-4, but Lincoln poured five more on in the fourth. Brandon Lee led Massachusetts with two home runs and four RBI. Matt Beckles was 2-for-2 and also homered. Adam Freedman and Dante Taylor each had two hits. Jeremy Koven added an RBI-double.

Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake (NY) 5, East Greenwich (NJ) 4

Another very tight game in the Mid-Atlantic went the way of the boys from the Empire State. New York led 4-2 until the fifth inning when Josh Crowding and Zack Miller hit back-to-back RBI singles to tie the game. Burnt Hills was able to scratch across the game-winning run in the top of the sixth with an RBI fielder's choice by Derek Haughey. The winning run was set up with singles by Alex Hromada and Glenn Ramos and a walk to Evan Bowers.

New Jersey actually outhit New York for the game and threatened in the sixth inning with three straight singles by Sean Szestowicki, Shawn Dougherty, and Hunter Kelly, but Burnt Hills' Hunter Valley was able to escape with the victory in 1 1/3 innings of relief. Jack Wyatt pitched a solid 4 2/3 innings to get Burnt Hills deep into the game.

New Jersey falls to 0-2 and needs a victory desperately. They have Delaware and Pennsylvania left. New York picks up a much-needed victory. They face Delaware and District of Columbia in their final two games.

Westport (CT) 8, Saco (ME) 0

Well if Chad Knight had some nerves on opening night, he didn't have them in the victory over Maine on Sunday. Knight was perfect for four innings with 10 strikeouts and only reached one three-ball count. He was removed from the game with 50 pitches and a 8-0 lead. Max Popken came in to close out the combined perfect game. He struck out four against a good hitting Maine team.

Westport only had one big inning offensively, but it was all they needed. With a 1-0 lead already in the second inning, Westport tacked on six more to put the game out of reach. Matt Stone crushed a two-run home run, Drew Rogers tripled, and Knight and Harry Azadian (2-for-3) hit back-to-back RBI singles in the big inning. Connecticut tacked on another run in the fifth with an RBI single from Matt Brown.

All photos courtesy of LISPN.com

Maine fell to 1-2,  but its two losses are to the two best teams in the region and they still have their pitching eligibility for the important games. Connecticut can continue to work towards an unbeaten record with Azadian available for 50 pitches against New Hampshire and Popken available in relief if they want to go that route. Knight will be available for the final game of pool play if necessary.

East Region Rankings after Day 3

1. Connecticut (2-0)

2. Rhode Island (2-0)

3. Maryland (2-0)

4. Vermont (1-1)

5. Pennsylvania (2-0)

6. New York (1-1)

7. Maine (1-2)

8. Delaware (1-1)

9. New Jersey (0-2)

10. Washington D.C. (0-2)

11. Massachusetts (0-2)

12. New Hampshire (0-1)

Random Thoughts: Based on everything I'm hearing around the country, Westport could have the best 1-2 pitching punch outside of Northern California. Azadian and Knight are that good.  Westport is probably going to the Little League World Series and they'll do it with a very inconsistent offense. That's how good the pitching and defense have been. Ricky Offenberg is a major league shortstop. While there were a ton of pitching changes today, I didn't mind them as much as other days. For instance, New Jersey went all 35s, but that's what they always do. They don't have an ace, so they show you a different look every time through. It's effective. The D.C. pitching move was iffy today, but I was convinced with the strategy...kinda.

Home Run Meter: 11 (Last Year: 8)

Strikeout Meter: 163 (Last Year: 129)

Note: Only two games were played on Day 3 last year.

Prediction Record: 4-0 (11-1 overall)

Monday's Predictions: Maryland over DC 5-2, Rhode Island over Vermont 6-3, New York over Delaware 7-6, Connecticut over New Hampshire 7-2.

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East Region: Day 2 (Saturday Aug 3, 2013)

Reminder: You can see all eight regional scoreboards LIVE on one page right here: Live Little League Regional Scoreboards


Saco (ME) 12, Newton SouthEast 1

Well, I wish I stuck with my pre-tournament instincts. I originally expected this to be a Maine win and I was right, but to be fair, I switched my pick when I assumed Newton had a big time pitcher.

Saco showed its true colors today with a big win behind a combined one-hitter from its two star pitchers, Luke Chessie and Brogan Searle-Belanger. The dual number ones each threw three innings of 50-pitch thresholds and combined for 10 strikeouts. Saco took a 3-1 lead in the second inning on back-to-back doubles by Hunter Penley and Michael Bourgault (2-for-3, 2 RBI). They put the game away in the third when Searle-Belanger (3-for-3, 4 RBI, 2 runs) crushed a three-run home run. They padded the lead in the fifth and sixth innings with triples by Anthony Bracamonte and Chessie, and a two-run double from Penley (2-for-3, 3 RBI).

This is a great win for Maine. Saco has a tough game with Connecticut on Sunday, but the one victory is a great start. Massachusetts has a rough schedule with Rhode Island on Sunday, then back-to-back Tuesday/Wednesday games against New Hampshire and Connecticut. The NH game MAY be very important.

Lionville (PA) 7, Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake (NY) 5

This was a strange game. Pennsylvania has the physical look of the best team in the region, and New York is very ordinary looking. So of course Burnt Hills came out swinging with two quick runs off the Lionville ace in the first inning. Lionville bounced back to score multiple runs in the second, third, and fourth innings and seemingly take control of the game. Jack Waldbuesser doubled and the Lionville seven-batter, Zach Burton, ripped a home run to dead centerfield to tie the game. Connor Kalten (2-for-3, 4 RBI) hit a two-run single in the third to take the lead. Then added another two-run single in the following inning. Joe Cestare picked up the win in 3 1/3 innings of shutout middle relief. Burnt Hills threatened in the sixth inning against Joe Janick by scoring three runs. Cameron Rhodes doubled, Brendan Bachus walked, and Robert Forlano hit an infield single . After a wild pitch scored a run, Glenn Ramos (2-for-4, 3 RBI) hit a two-run single to pull within two. A ground out advanced the tying runs into scoring position, but Janick got a backwards K to secure the victory.

Pennsylvania looks like a regional contender and Burnt Hills can really swing the bats against the fastball despite their small size and stature overall. Burnt Hills' Hunter Valley came in late in the game to slow the bleeding and did a great job with his curve ball. He's potentially BHBL's best pitcher. He allowed just one run on one hit.

South Burlington (VT) 12, Rye (NH) 2, (5 inn.)

Vermont is for real. While New Hampshire looked as sloppy as a team can look in its first game in Bristol, South Burlington looked like the veterans they are. Ben Tate was throwing cheese with some pitches touching the mid-70s range. He threw 2 2/3 innings of no-hit ball with six strikeouts to earn the win. His counterpart Max Malilia was pitching very well allowing four hits and no earned runs over 2 2/3 innings before being pulled at 35 pitches. It was a 1-0 game at the time and looked like the worst idea ever. I don't know why Rye wanted to save Malila in a game they could potentially win when its next opponent he's eligible for is Connecticut.

Anyway, South Burlington mashed throughout the rest of the game. Sammy Premsagar (3-for-3, 2 runs), Ethan Klesch (2-for-3, RBI), and Tate, who had an RBI-single. Max Plunkett scored three times along with Chance O'Connor, who had two hits. Matt Guyette added an RBI-single to finish off the game.



Berlin (MD) 6, Newark National (DE) 2

Berlin most likely clinched a berth with its second victory in as many days as the Maryland boys move to 2-0 in pool play. With Tristan McDonough unavailable in relief due to pitch count, Matt Kinsey pitched a phenomenal game with 5 2/3 innings of two-run ball. He scattered seven hits in the victory. Berlin scored a single run in each of its first three offensive innings behind hit batters and wild pitches. Wes Powell hit an RBI-double in the third for a solid 3-0 lead. Newark came back in the fourth with two runs , but Maryland added insurance in the fifth an absolute rocket home run from McDonough. The ball was gone in a second flat, never higher than 12 feet off the ground straight to center field. He also made a leaping grab on a line drive and doubled a runner off second base in the second inning at shortstop. He's made his case for the best player in the region.

For Delaware, Eric Ludman led the way with two hits. Jack Hardcastle added a single and a run in the loss. Nate Hardcastle also had a single.


East Region Rankings after Day 2

1. Rhode Island (1-0)

2. Connecticut (1-0)

3. Maryland (2-0)

4. Pennsylvania (1-0)

5. Vermont (1-1)

6. New York (0-1)

7. Maine (1-1)

8. Delaware (1-1)

9. New Jersey (0-1)

10. Washington D.C. (0-1)

11. Massachusetts (0-1)

12. New Hampshire (0-1)

Random Thoughts: Despite the six errors from New Hampshire, I like Max Malila and company still. I'm confident in saying that there's no bad teams in the region this year at all. There's been some bad ones but D.C., Maine, and Vermont are all stronger than normal. There might not be a team that has great success in Williamsport, but this year there's definitely parity between all 12 teams especially when the coaches stop messing around with their pitching staffs. Twenty-three pitchers still took the mound today, including six from Massachusetts. Something has to be done about the rules. Maybe go back to innings or something? It's really too crazy.

Home Run Meter: 5 (Last Year: 8)

Strikeout Meter: 114 (Last Year: 105)

Prediction Record: 3-1 (Overall 7-1)

Sunday's Predictions: Pennsylvania over Washington D.C. 9-5, Rhode Island over Massachusetts 10-2, New York over New Jersey 5-3, Connecticut over Maine 7-1.


You can hear more of my thoughts on the entire East Region tournament by listening to Little League Insider Radio: Episode 2.

For Mobile Users, try this link here: Little League Insider Radio: Episode 2

To listen to the debut episode of Little League Insider Radio: CLICK HERE

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All Eight Little League Regionals: LIVE Scoreboards

Get Little League Insider to Williamsport: CLICK HERE

So, with the amount of work I'm doing at the Eastern Regional Tournament, it's really hard to keep up on Twitter, Facebook, etc.. this year. I'm used to just sitting in the stands and being a random fan. Now that I'm working every game. I feel like I'm not doing enough of a service to the readers. So, I put up all eight regional scoreboards right here on one page. I don't think all eight scoreboards are available in one spot anywhere on the web. So bookmark this page. Refresh the heck out of it and share it to your friends and family. You can see it all right here. Keep tweeting me important scores in other regions because I literally don't have time to check anything else out as it happens. I need your eyes.

Note: In no way do I, this blog, or the social media outlets for Little League Insider, represent anything from Little League International. This is completely run by fans for fans. 







You can hear more of my thoughts on the entire East Region tournament by listening to Little League Insider Radio: Episode 2.

For Mobile Users, try this link here: Little League Insider Radio: Episode 2

To listen to the debut episode of Little League Insider Radio: CLICK HERE

Join the Little League World Series discussion on Facebook with some of the best baseball minds around right here: Little League World Series Discussion

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East Region: Day 1 (Friday Aug 2, 2013)

Newark National (DE) 8, Capitol City (DC) 4, 7 inn.

Well that game didn't go as expected for Delaware. Newark saved some of its pitching early in this one and it looked like a great strategy off the bat. Joey Davis cracked his fifth home run in three games in the top of the first inning and Delaware quickly had a 2-0 lead. Capitol City's Robert Reynolds settled in and threw four strong innings allowed three runs (two earned) on just three hits. In the third inning, Capitol City ran itself into a bad inning with an unsuccessful "1st-and-3rd" situation. With no outs, Newark nabbed the runner stealing second without allowing the run to score. Two quick outs later, and it was still 2-0 Newark.

 After another run scored on some passed balls and an error, Capitol City finally got down to business. Rory Friel had an infield single to start it off. Delaware changed pitchers and got into a bigger jam. A hit-by-pitch set up an RBI single from Eli Doroshow and an error loaded the bases. Newark was forced to go to its hard-throwing ace, Nate Hardcastle. An immediate strikeout slowed the bleeding, but 4-foot-8 nine-hole hitter, Aaron Rosenthal, stepped into the box. The diminutive firecracker ripped a two-run single off Hardcastle to tie the game 3-3. Rosenthal added another hit off Hardcastle later in the game and also worked a 10-pitch walk in his first plate appearance.

Capitol City took the lead 4-3 with a two-out RBI single from Zach Lordan in the fourth inning and Newark was reeling. Not only was Hardcastle in the game past 20 pitches, but Newark was now losing. In the top of the sixth with one out, Hardcastle drove a fly ball to right field for a sacrifice and tied the game. With Capitol City past its first two pitchers, Newark tacked on four runs in the seventh behind RBI singles from Eric Ludman and Brandon Sengphachanh. DC's Reynolds threw 85 pitches and DE's Hardcastle threw 65.

Lincoln (RI) 11, Saco (ME) 2

As one of the two main favorites coming into the tournament, Lincoln took care of business against Saco by scoring in five of its six innings. Aaron DeSousa was 4-for-5 with two runs scored and a double to lead Lincoln. Kyle Marrapese was 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI. He also showcased an impressive left-handed fastball in his two innings of work to start the game. Along with Zarek Larisa and Steve Andrews, Lincoln's pitchers struck out 11 batters while allowing just three hits. Derek Madore had a hit and scored a run for Saco. Matthew Duchaine and Hunter Penley had the other two hits for Maine.

It was tough to tell if Lincoln is a viable threat to Westport, CT because Saco used six different pitchers of varying abilities. The jury is out on everyone still.

Berlin (MD) 5, East Greenwich (NJ) 4

For the second game in a row in the Mid-Atlantic region, the scrappy underdog forced the team with a big ace to waste its pitcher longer than it intended. Alas, like the first result with DE/DC, East Greenwich had to settle for a moral victory.

Berlin jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning after an RBI single from Tristan McDonough and sac fly from Matt Kinsey. Berlin starter Hayden Snelsire tossed four solid innings allowing three runs (one earned) on four hits. Snelsire doubled to lead off the third inning and scored on a sac fly by Billy Wheatley. Ethan Gill homered to pull New Jersey within 3-1. McDonough tripled in the fifth inning and scored on a groundout by Wes Powell to give Berlin a three-run cushion once again, but two errors and a Shawn Dougherty single made it 4-2. Maryland went to its big guy, McDonough. The overpowering righty induced three straight groundouts, but one of them scored a run to cut the lead to just one run. Berlin added a huge insurance run in the sixth after a Kevin Beck single (2-for-2, run), a walk, and a defensive miscue which led to an RBI for McDonough. In the sixth inning, McDonough picked up his six-out save but not before East Greenwich tacked on another run from a Zach Miller single and Sean Szestowicki RBI. The extra at-bats forced Maryland to stick with McDonough passed 20 pitches making him ineligible for Game 2. It was a valiant performance from Jersey, but Berlin picked up the necessary victory.

Westport (CT) 9, South Burlington (VT) 2

With South Burlington returning six players from a regional semifinalist a season ago, this was not a gimme game for Westport. If anyone had questions about Vermont's abilities, they were answered in the first inning with RBI singles from Chance O'Connor and Sammy Premsagar. Premsagar, one of the veterans, was more than effective on the mound with a great fastball. He struck out five batters in two innings. He also walked five. Connecticut took a 3-2 lead in the third inning without the benefit of a hit or an error. Three consecutive walks plus passed balls and wild pitches allowed a run to score. A fielders choice tied the game 2-2 and then a well-executed run down on a first-and-third situation allowed the third run to come home before the third out was made. Connecticut's Chad Knight, one of the best pitchers in the region, didn't had his best stuff and was smartly pulled at 35 pitches in just 1 1/3 innings pitched.  All four outs were recorded by strikeout. Westport's equally dominant pitcher, Harry Azadian, came on and pitched 3 2/3 innings of no-hit ball. He struck out seven. Max Popken quickly picked out the final two outs of the game. Connecticut piled on five runs in the fourth inning to put the game out of reach with an RBI from Popken and back-to-back triples by Azadian (1-for-3, 4 RBI) and Charlie Roof.

East Region Rankings after Day 1

1. Rhode Island

2. Connecticut

3. Maryland

4. Delaware

5. Vermont

6. New Jersey

7. Washington D.C.

8. Maine

OFF: New York, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Massachusetts

Random Thoughts: The amount of pitchers that took the mound today was crazy. With pitch counts and four games in six days, I understand it, but wow do games drag now. In four games, there were TWENTY-NINE pitchers. I had to spell it out. It's just ridiculous. Here's hoping it gets better when teams really need to pick up wins. I was impressed with the amount of players with great velocity today. Out of the eight teams, I'd say there were nine pitchers who threw really hard.

Home Run Meter: 2 (Last Year: 3)

Strikeout Meter: 66 (Last Year: 50)

Prediction Record: 4-0

Saturday's Predictions: Massachusetts over Maine 4-2, Pennsylvania over New York 6-3, Vermont over New Hampshire 3-2, Maryland over Delaware 6-5.

You can hear more of my thoughts on the entire East Region tournament by listening to Little League Insider Radio: Episode 2.

For Mobile Users, try this link here: Little League Insider Radio: Episode 2

To listen to the debut episode of Little League Insider Radio: CLICK HERE

Join the Little League World Series discussion on Facebook with some of the best baseball minds around right here: Little League World Series Discussion

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East Region: The Longest Day (August 1, 2013)

We're finally 12 hours away from the start of the Little League Eastern Region tournament. At 11 a.m. on Friday, Capitol City (DC)'s starting pitcher will throw the first pitch at Leon J. Breen Field. I cannot wait. The Thursday before the tournament begins is the worst day of all-time. Sure the players are excited when they arrive in Bristol, CT because of all the wonder, but for the adults... it just drags. We're here to play baseball, right?

My initial thoughts on the teams? I think it's going to be a very good week. Everyone looks very athletic. There's the usual 6-foot monsters like Lincoln (RI)'s Steve Andrews and Lionville (PA) has a triumvirate of stars who all look the part (How in the world could someone ever intentionally walk anyone in front of someone that looks like Connor Kalten!!).

The afternoon is filled with a barbecue for players, coaches, families, and staff. There was a very nice dedication for a new monument in front of the press box for all the hometown heroes out there and Little League CEO and President, Stephen Keener, was even on hand.  When the parents all go home and the players head back to the dorms, it becomes pin trading central. Players are hunting down the pins for each of the other teams and they move around in packs. I pulled a handful of pins out of my pocket and like seagulls, they swarmed.

I had a chance to meet a few coaches that I've corresponded with and some parents who read the blog and listen to the radio show. I chatted with the only female player in the tournament, Capitol City (DC)'s Sofia Ohanian and her coach Brice Plebani about what else? Taylor Swift, One Direction, and Austin Mahone. Apparently, baseball isn't important yet on The Longest Day.

Finally, at 11 p.m, I found my way to my hotel room sopping wet from the rain that won't stop. After The Longest Day, there better not be a field maintenance delay tomorrow. Knowing the staff at the East Region, they'll have it all under control.

Each day here on the blog during the tournament, I'll have a full and in-depth recap on the games. I'll tell you how they went down, how they could've went down, and my general thoughts about the outcomes. We'll have home run meters and strikeout meters, predictions and rankings, and we'll highlight the best plays of the day.

Predictions for Day 1

Newark (DE) 5, Capitol City (DC) 3

Lincoln (RI) 10, Saco (ME) 2

Berlin (MD) 6, East Greenwich (NJ) 4

Westport (CT) 5, South Burlington (VT) 1

For the past two weeks, we've also had Little League Insider Radio. We will continue that this week as I'll be LIVE from Bristol.


To listen to the debut episode of Little League Insider Radio: CLICK HERE
To listen to Episode 2 of Little League Insider Radio: CLICK HERE

Join the Little League World Series discussion on Facebook with some of the best baseball minds around right here: Little League World Series Discussion

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2013 New England Region Preview

Read last year's New England Region Tournament to see how well I did or didn't do right here.


Read about the 2013 Mid-Atlantic Region Tournament also in Bristol, CT right here.


Tournament History: Since New England split with the Mid-Atlantic region, Massachusetts has excelled winning four regional championships in the last 11 years. Connecticut and Rhode Island each have three championships including one each in the last two years. New Hampshire and Maine each have one trip the World Series since the New England regional tournament was formed, and Vermont is looking for its first trip to Williamsport ever.

2012 Team Pedigree: Lincoln (RI) just won its first state title since 2009 but it’s the eighth title overall for the regional powerhouse, all since 1999. Lincoln has already struck gold twice with two trips to Williamsport including 2001 and 2004. Lincoln has played an astounding 40 games at the regional level in its history. They’re 26-14 overall.

South Burlington (VT) is making its second straight trip to Bristol and fourth overall since 2001. Over that time, SBLL is only 5-10 in regional play but made the regional semifinals twice and even played for the New England title back in 2001 after a massive upset in the semifinals. Last year, South Burlington nearly pulled off another one when it pushed eventual regional champion, Fairfield American (CT), to eight innings in a 4-3 loss. Rye (NH) just won its second state title ever. The first was back in 2003. Maremont LL of Saco (ME) won a state championship back in 1988. This version of Saco LL won the state title as 10s and 11s previously.

Newton SouthEast (MA) and Westport (CT) are playing in regional competition for the first time in league histories. Another interesting note is that these two teams failed to win state titles as 10-year olds. The other four teams all reached the 10-year old regional tournament back in 2011 and have some familiarity with each other.

Team Previews (Tournament records in parentheses)

Rye, NH (12-1): Rye has had plans of visiting Bristol, CT for a couple years now after winning a state title back in 2011 and it’s a happy time for the league. Dylan Chase and Max Malila provide some home run pop at the top of the order, but the team has 25 total in 13 games. They’ve hit at least one in 12 of the 13 games throughout the tournament. Malila has been on fire with a .600 batting average and nine home runs so far. Chase and Malila happen to be the team’s top two pitchers and are both capable of blowing it by hitters.  

South Burlington, VT (10-1): This is the second straight trip to Bristol for South Burlington who returns six key players from a run to the regional semifinals last year. Ben Tate and Ethan Klesch have been mashing the ball and Max Plunkett is a pure hitter. Sammy Premsagar seemingly hits the ball hard every time. Tate, Klesch, and Premsagar are a valuable 1-2-3 punch on the mound and 11-year old Matt Guyette is solid in relief.

Westport, CT (12-0): Without seeing the other five state champions in the New England region tournament, it is still safe to say that nobody will have a better combined duo on the mound than Chad Knight and Harry Azadian. Both throw in the low 70’s with incredible control and breaking stuff. They make Westport go. The defense behind them is excellent, and with Chris Drbal and Max Popken bringing the bats along with Azadian and Knight’s power… this is a very formidable team. You can pencil them into the championship game.

Lincoln, RI (9-0): Lincoln is a powerhouse league that has seen some competition pop up lately within its district. This year’s squad has gone back in time however. Lincoln completely dominated the state of Rhode Island, and that rarely happens even when RI comes up with a regional championship. As a team, Lincoln has posted four shutouts in nine games and has only allowed more than two runs twice… never more than four runs in a game. Steve Andrews is an intimidating force at the plate and hits the ball as hard and far as you’d expect him to. Braedon Carney and Dominic Cunha have a ton of pop and Dave Bordieri is a doubles machine. Kyle Marrapese is the team’s hard-throwing lefty on the mound

Saco, ME (9-1): Saco is slowly becoming a powerhouse in Maine despite not having a ton of past success. This squad has won state titles as 10s, 11s, and 12s. The age group right behind them owns state championships as 10s and 11s now too. This team has a never say die attitude as it needed to come out of the losers bracket every single year so far. Saco has scored 41 runs in its last three games including a sweep of Portland Bayside. Brogan Searle-Belanger has a good fastball and leads the pitching staff. Luke Chessie is a very good starting pitcher as well. Michael Bourgault, Timmy Smith, and Dan McLeer all have home run power. Chessie, Hunter Penley, and Daniel Sprague do damage with their bats too.

Newton SouthEast, MA (14-2): Not only has 12 of Newton’s 14 wins come by three runs or less, but Newton has come from behind nine times so far in the tournament. They’re officially the latest brand of The Cardiac Kids. Newton usually pieces its pitching together with three or four pitchers per games which creates matchup advantages. Matt Beckles, Dante Taylor, and Brandon Lee can swing the lumber, but everyone has handled the late-game pressure for Newton. They’re never dead.

Projected Records

Connecticut                        4-0

Rhode Island                      4-0

New Hampshire               2-2

Vermont                              1-3

Maine                                   1-3

Massachusetts                  0-4

Semifinals: Connecticut over Vermont 5-0, Rhode Island over New Hampshire 5-2

Final: Connecticut over Rhode Island 3-2


You can hear more of my thoughts on the entire East Region tournament by listening to Little League Insider Radio: Episode 2.

For Mobile Users, try this link here: Little League Insider Radio: Episode 2

To listen to the debut episode of Little League Insider Radio: CLICK HERE

Join the Little League World Series discussion on Facebook with some of the best baseball minds around right here: Little League World Series Discussion

Like our Facebook page: Little League Insider

Follow along on Twitter: @LittleLeaguePro

Please spread the word about the blog to anyone who loves the Little League World Series. To support all the hard work on this blog, Please...