Newtown trainer’s horse is the favorite

Peck’s colt expected
to muscle its way
to the front in Hambletonian
By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor
Surprise, surprise.
Newtown has one of its own training race horses.
Originally from Nova Scotia, Greg Peck of Clivedon Drive, has one of his trotters entered into the upcoming Hambletonian, a $1.5 million stakes race slated for Saturday, Aug. 8 at the Meadowlands.
Peck is planning on entering Muscle Hill in harness racing’s most prestigious event for 3-year-old trotting colts. The horse is a heavy favorite, making its debut by posting a time of 1:53.1 in round two of New Jersey Sire Stakes June 4 at the Big M.
"Physically, he's grown up and filled out," said driver Brian Sears. "I couldn't ask for anything more, he pretty much went on his own."
The 2008 Two-Year-Old Trotting Colt of the Year is a perfect three-for-three this season and reached millionaire status July 17 in his final prep for the Hambletonian, posting a career best 1:52.1 in one of two $185,250 Stanley Dancer Memorial divisions.
Peck trains Muscle Hill for Jerry Silva and Muscle Hill Racing of Long Beach, NY; Southwind Farm of Pennington; and TLP Stable of Kearny, NJ. Along with stablemate My Back Pages, Muscle Hill is one of two colts Peck will start in the Aug. 1 $70,000 Hambletonian eliminations.
The son of 1998 Hambletonian winner Muscles Yankee is vying to become the third freshman Dan Patch champion in as many years to win the Hambletonian. Both Donato Hanover (2007) and Deweycheatumnhowe (2008) were able to duplicate their freshman success and win the Hambletonian on their way to Trotter of the Year honors.
Two colts that could knock Muscle Hill from his perch in the Hambletonian are Federal Flex, also undefeated in three starts this season, and Explosive Matter.
In his first trip at the Meadowlands this summer, Federal Flex romped to a convincing victory in 1:53.3 in his Dancer Memorial division. Prior to arriving in New Jersey, the Jeff Gillis trainee swept the Goodtimes elimination and final at Mohawk.
Explosive Matter was one of the top colts of his freshman class last year, winning six of eight starts that earned it more than $360,000. The homebred son of Cantab Hall also finished second only to Muscle Hill in the Breeders Crown at the Meadowlands. After winning a division of the Historic Dickerson Cup on July 3, Explosive Matter rebounded from an early mishap to finish second behind Muscle Hill again in their Dancer Memorial division.
Explosive Matter sits at the No. 1 post in the first of three $70,000 elimination races this Saturday at the Meadowlands. Federal Flex drew the seventh slot in the second race with Muscle Hill drawing the No. 2 post in race number three. My Back Pages races alongside Federal Flex in race two after drawing the No. 4 post.
Muscle Hill carries a formidable 11-race winning streak into the Hambletonian eliminations. To date, the colt has won $1,037,376 in his career, including $ 220,075 this year.
The top three finishers in each race, plus the fourth-place finisher with the highest overall earnings, will advance to harness racing's most prestigious event on Aug. 8.
Peck also has a Philly named Caviart Annie in the Hambletonian Oaks, the $750,000 filly division which drew the most entries in its 38-year history, with 32 fillies forcing four eliminations. All of those elims will also take place Saturday night at the Big M.
Peck isn’t the only Bucks County resident breeding trotters. Arlene and Jules Siegel, owners of New Hope’s Fashion Farms, are also in the high-stakes horse racing game. The Siegels recently had one of their trotters--Dial Or Nodial--finish fifth in the $1.4 million North America Cup that went off June 27 at Mohawk Racetrack in Campbellville, Ontario.
Dial Or Nodial, which was 4-1 in the morning line and 7-2 at post, finished behind 3-1 winner Well Said, runner-up Art Colony, show horse and the favorite going in at 9-5 Keep it Real and fourth place Mr. Wiggles.
The Siegels will post Tomcango in the upcoming Hambletonian, one of the biggest stakes races for trotters in the world. The couple earned their place in the winners circle in 1995 when their horse, Tagliabue, named for the former NFL commissioner, won the race by 2 and 1/4 lengths.

***

Aug. 1 Eliminations

$70,000 Hambletonian Elimination - Race 7
1. Explosive Matter
2. Citation Lindy
3. Select Yankee
4. Reinsman Hanover
5. NF Quotable
6. Truth In Action
7. Hot Shot Blue Chip

$70,000 Hambletonian Elimination - Race 8
1. Symphonic Hanover
2. Judge Joe
3. Mr Cantab
4. My Back Pages
5. Calchips Brute
6. Cesar A Blue Chip
7. Federal Flex

$70,000 Hambletonian Elimination - Race 9
1. Triumphant Caviar
2. Muscle Hill
3. The Chancellor
4. Tom Cango
5. Braggart
6. Big Bikkies
7. Airzoom Lindy
8. Wuthering Hanover

Pennington area ironmenreport success at Lake Placid

Pennington's own Elizabeth Savino (R) and Hamiltonian Chris Draper (L) finished the Lake Placid Ironman Triathlon last Sunday.

Two area residents successfully completed the Lake Placid Ironman Triathlon last Sunday in the Empire State.
For those of you not familiar with ironman competitions, the athletic events consist of a 2.5-mile swim followed by a 112-mile bike ride, topped off with a running marathon, meaning another 26.2 miles.
Competing in her first ironman tri ever, Pennington resident Elizabeth Savino, 45, finished the grueling course in just over 14 hours (14:19). Hamilton resident Chris Draper, a 33-year-old conditioning specialist based at PEAC Health & Fitness, finished the event in under 12 hours (11:52).
Draper meanwhile has been on the ironman circuit before, turning in a time of 10-and-a-half hours in Ironman Florida last November.
At Lake Placid however, Mother Nature didn't smile on the ironmen. Early on in the event, it rained giving the swimmers an added challenge in the opening leg. When the rains stopped, the weather turned hot and humid, making parts two and three tough to stay hydrated.
"The Ironman was a great success for both Chris and me," stated Savino. "Our training really paid off and gave us what we needed to endure so many hours of both the physical and mental demands."
Savino is a long-time endurance runner, having completed marathon events in Philadelphia, New York, Hartford, Scranton and Lake Placid.
About two years ago, Elizabeth grew weary of the distance runners' routine. She needed a new challenge. Draper suggested triathlon competitions.
Starting out by competing in sprint-tris, Savino built herself up to the point where she felt comfortable competing in Olympic distance triathlons. While sprint tris consist of 500-meter swims followed by 10 to 15 miles on the bike, capped off with a 5K run, the Olympic distance forces a competitor to swim 1,500 meters, bike 25 miles and run 10 kilometers (6.2 miles).
In 2006, Elizabeth did so well in the Philadelphia Marathon that she qualified for the Boston Marathon. Her time of 3:49:48 was bested only by the pace of 3:43:19 that Savino posted in the Lake Placid Marathon a month ago. She credits her recent success to a new dietary regimen suggested to her by Draper.
“Diet is ongoing,” says Savino. “You have to eat right before, during and after the competition.”
Draper’s entrance into endurance events is even more dramatic than Savino’s. Chris was once a power-lifting bodybuilder who tipped the scale at more than 250 pounds. Inspired by the very same distance runners and Olympic hopefuls he trained in his work at PEAC, Chris began a conditioning quest that has the 33-year-old at 160 pounds now.
While the two ironmen found the Lake Placid course more challenging than any other triathlon course that they had previously entered, that didn't stop them from signing up to do next year's event.
"We had such a great experience that we both signed up for 2010," commented Savino. "That will give us some time to train specifically on our weak areas now that we are familiar with the course and its specific demands."
Draper plans to get back to the ironman circuit well before next summer, returning to Florida this fall. Elizabeth is planning to compete in October’s Steamtown Marathon in Scranton, where she hopes to qualify for the Boston Marathon a third time.
Together, the pair plans to compete in a half-ironman in the spring. That's only a one-and-a-quarter mile swim followed by 56-miles of biking, capped off by a 13.1-mile half-marathon run.
Hmmm.
Should be a piece of cake, right?

Warrington walks off with state title

By James D’Arcangelo
For BucksLocalSports.com
Big time pitching wins big time games. And when the stars, or, in this game, the rainbow is aligned, both the winner and loser of a big time battle put up big time pitching.
With the sixth inning view from behind home plate revealing a rainbow that ended at the Warrington dugout, Warrington seemingly co-opted the karma to decision Langhorne, 1-0, as both teams’ pitchers threw barely-touchable three-hitters.
The decisive hit was rung up by Warrington clutch offense instigator-of-late J.M. Clauss who smacked an infield chopper up the middle in the bottom of the sixth, scoring Jared Conroy (on board with a single), earning Warrington its first Cal Ripken 11-year-old Pennsylvania State Championship.
Walking away with the title, this represented Warrington’s latest addition to their 2009 wall of state championship banners, as Warrington’s 8s, 9s, 10s, and now 11s, have grabbed first place in Pennsylvania (the 12s had to settle for a semifinal state appearance).
In an amazingly bizarre and exciting turn of events, the title tilt, like the tournament’s two semifinal games, was decided in a wild walk-off win. And, just like this tournament’s semifinal games, the winner never held the lead until the winning run crossed the plate.
Gritty hard-luck hurler Timmy Mulhern, who pitched the complete game three-hitter for Langhorne, had a no-hitter in progress, as he sent down Warrington 1-2-3 in each of the first three frames.
Warrington’s Will Moller was just as stingy, as his no-hitter was disrupted in the third inning when Timmy Mulhern singled to right off of his counterpart. Mulhern reached as right fielder J.M. Clauss’ sliding effort was just inches short of enough to reach the sinking liner.
Nolan Jones then poked an opposite field single. However, even though Moller, who allowed only these two hits in four innings, faced runners on first and second and the vaunted top end of the Langhorne batting order, he fought back to end the inning undamaged.
The Lions surged again in the top of the fourth. Zach Winkler reached on an error, and Danny Bishop and Eric Chapman walked to load the bases. After striking out the next batter, Moller relied on his defense, just as every pitcher has to at some point. Thwarting the next batter in what may well have been a game-decider, Ky “Special K” Rossi made a sliding snag at short on a hard hit grounder, then threw to second base to his brother Ty, who relayed to Zach Dennis at first to record a critical double play that ended the inning.
Meanwhile, though Brendan Parker broke up Mulhern’s no-hitter with a single in the top of the fourth inning for Warrington, he was stranded, as Mulhern kept Warrington’s offense eerily quiet.
In between the fifth and sixth innings, a short rain delay was called. As play resumed to start the sixth, the rainbow that bowed over the Warrington dugout when viewed from behind home plate seemed to indicate championship gold ahead for Warrington. With what followed, one might start to believe in such omens.
In the top of the sixth, Langhorne’s Bishop walked. He stole second, and then third. “Big Z” Dennis turned down the next two batters, but, with the game on the line, the Langhorne batter lofted a soft fly into the gap between second and center in shallow center.
Even with both Rossis running back full tilt, the ball seemed sure to land. But center fielder Tommy Funk, legs churning, came from nowhere to make a title-saving diving catch, and was greeted by swarms of high-fives and backslaps from his teammates before he could even get back to the infield on his way to the dugout.
Once again, as it had the night before, the Wolf Pack entered the bottom of the sixth without a lead but with a steely focus. Jared Conroy reached on a watery field-aided single past third that the shortstop kept in the infield. Conroy stole second and third, giving the next batter J.M. Clauss the chance to win the game for his team.
Clauss came through too, smacking a chopping grounder straight to second base, and though the ball was miraculously kept in the infield, the desperate throw home was not in time. Players piled on Clauss and Conroy. Fans piled over the yellow-rimmed fence in right in celebration of the new Cal Ripken State Champions, the Warrington Wolf Pack.
So, with yet another big game between the two teams decided by one key hit, the latest chapter of Warrington-Langhorne rivalry was somehow even better than its enthralling predecessors this season. In this instance, the state championship was decided on an infield chopper, no less.
As Warrington looks ahead to the Cal Ripken Regional Championships in New Jersey next week, they are quietly confident in that they showed all tournament that they could stay more than composed when behind, and knowing they can come through when pressed to the very last batter’s last swing.
In the end, both teams gave their fans quality baseball, entertaining spectators from both sides with their grit and determination. Both squads should be proud of themselves, as everyone who played or watched has a lot of great memories to savor this winter and for years to come.

Parker parks a walk-off in Warrington win

By James D’Arcangelo
For BucksLocalSports.com
Riding a dramatic walk-off home run by Brendan Parker and lights-out relief pitching by Zach Dennis, Warrington fought its way to the Pennsylvania Cal Ripken State Championship game in Central Perkiomen.
Mirroring Langhorne’s win the night before, Warrington trailed until the bottom of the sixth, tying it, and then winning it in the seventh with the Parker smash. Appropriately, Warrington will meet Langhorne for the state title on Wednesday night in a rematch of the Cal Ripken River League Championship.
As happens when teams close in on championship games, another pitchers’ duel set the background for the Warrington-Central Perkiomen semifinal. The bats were still for both teams in the first two innings. Central Perk’s starting pitcher, Adam Gaines, allowed three walks, but he sent down the Warrington bats 1-2-3 in the second inning.
For Warrington, T.J. Anthony dominated the first two innings, as Central Perkiomen went down 1-2-3 in each of the initial frames.
However, in the third inning, both offenses pushed back. Gabe Kolb blooped in a single for Central Perk, and Matt Perrin followed with a two-run home run to left-center field, over the ATI Entertainment (which provided the audio for the tournament) sign.
In the bottom of the frame, Warrington’s T.J. Anthony walked and Ray Maletz took first for Anthony, pinch-running for his starting pitcher and the offense was in motion. Tommy Funk crushed a long single off of the right field wall, scoring Maletz. The 2-1 Central Perk lead would hold for quite a while.
In the fourth inning, Adam Grosshanten relieved Gaines for Central Perkiomen and the pace quickened, as he threw smoke and set Warrington down with gusto. In the fifth, Grosshanten flirted with misfortune when he walked Brendan Parker and Tommy Funk, but got key strikeouts to get out of the inning without allowing a run.
As teams strapped in for the sixth inning of a 2-1 thriller, a relief pitchers’ duel was locked and loaded. Zach Dennis entered for Warrington, bringing his own branding iron fastball. Dennis found his touch, but not before he walked lead batter Adam Gaines, who, in executing a perfect hit and run, sailed to third on a Grosshanten line single to the left field wall.
Nail-biter in full force, Dennis shut down the next three Central Perk batters in order to escape without allowing a run.
The game and in turn each teams’ championship hopes were in the hands of Warrington’s batters. In the bottom of the sixth, trailing 2-1, Connor Moffat walked to leadoff the inning. Not willing to leave Moffat and his team’s season stranded on the bases, Will Moller turned on a fastball and crushed a double to left, scoring the “Moffat Man” and tying the game.
Extra innings ensued and what nails were left were being bitten off by the fans when Zach Dennis allowed a leadoff walk, before “Big Z” exerted control and struck out the side, including big-hitter Matt Perrin.
With Warrington fans on their feet for the bottom of the seventh, J.M. Clauss walked, yet again, to further ignite the bench and fans. Reaching for a knee-high fastball, next batter Brendan Parker “parked” a two-run, line drive home run 10 feet in from the right field foul pole, a virtual mirror image shot of the walk-off home run that sent Langhorne to the championship game the night before.
And, like the night before, crazy joyful celebrations by teammates and families erupted in a happiness that didn’t want to stop.
With fate marching on through the weekend (and the whole season), it seemed inevitable that Langhorne and Warrington would meet for the Pennsylvania Cal Ripken State Championship. And fate would have it that Warrington and Langhorne would get there in exactly the same fashion, with 4-2 come-from-behind-in-games-they-never-lead, walk-off wins.
With only a few key hits separating the two teams in the River League championship and the District III semifinals, no doubt, the championship game was destined to be a great one.

PA Playaz hottest thing this summer

Pennsy AAU team ousts Dreamvisions in Vegas tourney

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor
About the hottest thing going this summer--besides the temperature--is an area U15 boys basketball team, the PA Playaz.
This year’s AAU Mid-Atlantic Division I champion, the Playaz is a squad comprised mostly of athletes from Bucks County. Virtually all of the players hail from Council Rock North and Neshaminy High Schools including ‘Skins sophomore scoring sensation Ryan Arcidiacono and Indian forward Arron Goodman.
Last week in the Adidas Super 64 Tournament that took place in Las Vegas, the duo combined to help the Playaz eliminate Dreamvisions--an elite AAU team from San Diego that won the tourney as a U14 squad in 2008.
Among the players competing for Dreamvisions this summer are Shabazz Muhammad and Winston Shepard.
Muhammad is a 6-4 sophomore from Las Vegas’ Bishop Gorman High. Muhammad is one of the most talked about names in AAU hoops; he’s drawn comparisons to James Harden, a 6-5 shooting guard recently selected by Oklahoma City with the third overall pick in the NBA Draft. One of the top prospects in the class of 2012, Muhammad has already been offered a scholarship by UNLV.
Shepard is a 6-foot, 5-inch sophomore out of Houston now playing high school hoops at Findlay Prep, a team that went 33-0 last season in varsity play, capping its campaign off in April with a win in ESPN’s first National High School Invitational. HoopScoopOnline declared Shepard “the best player in the rising sophomore division.”
When the Playaz took on Dreamvisions July 25 at Rancho High School, ESPN.com was there ready to report another big win for the California hoopsters. According to Coach Rice, college basketball coaches including Phil Martelli (St. Joe’s), Lon Kruger (UNLV), and John Thompson III (Georgetown) came from all corners of the nation to witness the defending champions’ title quest.
It never came.
The Playaz ruined the San Diego team’s party, outpacing Dreamvisions, 67-62. Arcidiacono led the boys from Bucks County with 17 points. Goodman came through for the Playaz defensively as well, limiting Shepard to just 11 points. On offense, Goodman contributed 15 points while hauling down 14 rebounds.
Neshaminy High’s Dwight Williams was next with 16 points. More importantly, he held Muhammad to 15 points.
“Dreamvisions is like a traveling all-star team; they have 10 kids from five different states,” stated Coach Rice. We have [11] kids from two schools within three miles of each other—and we beat them.”
Earlier in the day, the Playaz defeated the Bay Area Hoosiers, 72-59. Arcidiacono led the offensive effort with 15 points, Rice and Katz chipped in with 12 points each. Morgan did his part pouring in 12 points.
The team’s Adidas Super 64 win streak--a tear that totaled six games--began July 22 when it outpaced Oregon, 56-35. Arcidiacono led the Playaz with 16 points and Neshaminy High’s Tyler Katz came through with 15. Owen Rice--of CR North and Dan Brown--of CB South each poured in 11.
Goodman chipped in with 14 rebounds and Williams pitched in with six steals.
“This is an extremely talented group of players,” stated head coach Gene Rice, who doubles as an executive recruiter from Yardley when he’s not coaching hoops. “There’s never been a group of Bucks County kids playing together that are this good.”
Also suiting up for the Playaz this summer are Billy McAllister, Matt McCloskey and Dan Schmidt. All three play for the Rock during the varsity season. McCloskey and Schmidt serve as the team’s defensive leaders.
Also contributing to the effort this summer are Brown and Brendan Kilpatrick of Malvern Prep School. Both are big contributors on offense.
After capturing the division title, the Playaz went on a tear, taking first place in the Carrierdome Classic in Syracuse, winning the Coaches Versus Cancer Tournament at Temple University then taking the Team Philly Championship.
Memorial Day weekend, the team went to the Final Four in the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions held at Duke University. At the Spring Fling tourney held at Rutgers University, the team finished in the Final Four in a 32-team field. The Playaz also finished in the top four at the Providence College Jam Fest, a tournament comprised of 54 teams.
In late July, the Playaz also went to the Final Four in the West Virginia Invitational before heading to Las Vegas. Back in March, the team won Philly's Finest March Madness Invitational at Girard College, defeating Hoop Heaven, 75-67, in overtime in the championship. Arcidiacono paced the Playaz with 33 points. Tyler Katz contributed five points in overtime. Goodman blocked six shots.
“There’s never been an AAU team--boys or girls--from Bucks County that has played at this level,” stated Coach Rice. “There’s never been as many talented kids from Bucks County playing this sport-that’s what’s unique about this group.”
Back in Vegas, the team’s hot streak came to a grinding halt when it fell 71-68 to DC Assault Gold 71-68. Ahead by four points at the break and by seven in the second half, the Playaz players simply ran out of gas, said Coach Rice.
“It was our third game that day so it caught up to us by then,” stated Rice. “The Dreamvisions game was such an emotional win it was hard to get the kids up for that next game.”
***
NOTES: In May, the Playaz captured the Mid-Atlantic AAU Division I championship by defeating Chester.

***

PA Playaz Roster
No. Name--Position High School Graduation Year
1 Ryan Arcidiacono--G Neshaminy 2012
23 Matt McCloskey--G Council Rock North 2012
3 Billy McAlister--F Council Rock North 2012
32 Dan Schmidt--F Council Rock North 2012
12 Danny Brown--G Central Bucks South 2012
21 Dwight Williams--F Neshaminy 2013
30 Owen Rice--G Council Rock North 2012
22 Arron Goodman--F Council Rock North 2012
5 Aaron Morgan--G Council Rock North 2012
14 Brendan Kilpatrick--F Malvern Prep 2012
11 Tyler Katz--G Neshaminy 2012
Coaches
Gene Rice
Adam Bowen

Upper Makefield closes book on historic season

On July 19, Upper Makefield's resplendent George's Field played host to the Cal Ripken State Championships.

By James D’Arcangelo
For BucksLocalSports.com
The 2009 season has been a landmark, historic year for the Upper Makefield Youth Baseball League (UMYBL). For the first time in its 32 year existence, the township has placed three teams (its 9-, 11-, and 12-year-olds) in the Pennsylvania State Championship tournaments, specifically, within the highly competitive Cal Ripken league.
If its 2009 season was a movie, UMYBL’s baseball might land on the far side of credible as it has not one, but three, Hoosiers-like state playoff streaks in the same season. Except that it’s real and it’s now for the Upper Makefield Mavericks.
This was actually the year converging paths of hard work came together for UMYBL. A very focused few years of player development has paralleled a very focused few years of facility development - and major upgrades have come in both areas.
UMYBL president Mike Sullivan reflected, “A lot of people have put in a great deal of effort to make this truly proud moment for the league a reality. More important though, our players and parents should be proud of what they have accomplished.”
Two years ago, the Lookout Park softball and youth baseball fields were added, as well as major improvements in the Senior baseball field. Over the past two years, the baseball complex by Sol Feinstone School has also seen dramatic improvements. Grand scoreboards grace each field now. The Senior Field’s warm-up pitching area, field, fence and foul pole quality have been dramatically upgraded.
The league went forward and spent considerably this past season to make the American and George’s Fields top-grade, Cal Ripken-quality (UMYBL elected to align itself with the Cal Ripken youth program during this period), and that has resulted in a breath-taking baseball campus.
New fences have been moved back and raised relative to their predecessors, creating interesting alleys and “monster” walls that are great fun for the kids and offer more interesting baseball. The “Mavs’s” stampeding horse logo snarls threateningly, its oversized image imprinted on the outfield fence screens and opponents’ psyches. Improved batting cages, soft-toss targets, batting tees, and an “Iron Mike” pitching machine get Mavs players ready now, virtually all year round now.
All of this laid the groundwork for Mavericks players and coaches to step up. And step-up they did.
Coaches Paul Thompson and Manager Bill McAlister’s 9-year-old team qualified for the State Championship tournament, taking a tough road.
After a 7-5 regular season that lead into the regular season playoffs, the Mavs beat a very tough Middletown squad before losing to Levittown Continental in The Suburban League Quarterfinals.
Big wins over major Bucks County powers Doylestown and Langhorne in the district tournament gave Upper Makefield their shot at state supremacy.
Coach Thompson said that, "we set a goal back in December to make it to States, and we were able to accomplish that very goal. It was especially rewarding considering the route we took in District championships.... having to fight our way back through the losers bracket in the toughest district in the state." He added, "We have had different players step up each game, which is a key ingredient in any championship run."
Coach John Parker, assisted by Bob Roda, Gary Roberts, and Peter Greubel have taken their eleven year olds from mid-level players to a top regional team this past year. The team won twenty games, starting in Maryland last March.
In the regular season they went 11-3, 10-1 after losing two of their opening three. They also went undefeated in a regional spring tournament in Rehobeth Beach, in May, and took second in the PONY State Championships earlier this month.
Coach Parker says he is most proud of the fact that “the boys have come together to make a very good team, combining their individual talents into a team that is competitive with the best teams in the State.
He adds, “they have so often succeeded when executing our core strategy: throw strikes, make the other team throw strikes, and only give the other team three outs per inning.”
Coach Rich Brunetti, and Matt Glenn, and Chuck Charlton have taken the twelve year-olds to new heights this season. They enjoyed great success in the regular season, league and district tournaments, compiling a 20-9 overall record, heading in the State Championship tournament.
Reflecting on how these boys have come together this year and over the past few years, Brunetti said he “found it most rewarding to see the boys grow up together and become a family.” He expanded on the sentiment to note, “the coaches really enjoyed seeing all thirteen players make significant contributions to the teams success.”
Looking at this year in the context of the past 32 years, George Strachan, one of UMYBL’s inspirations and founders, has been pleased at the transformation, commenting, “The strides we have made in the last few seasons should be very gratifying to all the people and players associated with our league.”
Strachan added, “Improved facilities and improved play are obvious to all, but, more importantly, we have continued to do things within the greatest spirit of competition and sportsmanship. Winning is important to us, but not at the expense of our core values. Those values allow all of our players and members to stand proud.”
While the sun sets on this historic season, all signs are for blue skies ahead for the Upper Makefield Mavericks and UMYBL. Things are looking up, way up for these local, modern-day baseball Hoosiers.

Day Two at Cal Ripken states

By James D’Arcangelo
For BucksLocalSports.com

Big ‘Z’ Delivers a Big ‘W’ versus Harleysville

For the second time in two days, the Warrington team was caught in a predicament. They were trailing big after an inning. Undaunted, they steadily and assuredly chipped away at the margin. Will Moller and Jared Conroy each scored in the second inning. And Zach Dennis scored in the third in what was the first of what would be two large shoes he would drop in what would become yet another Warrington win.
After Warrington inevitably tied the game at 4, and with his teammates chanting “Big Z” as he stepped to the plate, Zach Dennis slammed a two-run single that put Harleysville in a 6-4 baseball tar pit, trailing for the first time in the game. Harleysville scored a run late to make it 6-5, but, like all games in which they have played in this tournament, this game was to go Warrington’s way. Dennis, along with T.J. Anthony and Ky Rossi, pitched great baseball working for the clamp down. Harleysville’s Nate Luscombe, pitched a complete game in the tough loss.

***
Undefeated Warrington trounces Towamencin

It was the end of the day on Sunday. The sign at the snack shed said, “No More Meatballs,” and so did the umpires, as they called the ten-run “mercy” rule to close out the Warrington-Towamencin game. No, the Towamencin hurlers weren’t throwing meatball pitches. Warrington just made it seem that way as they won 11-1.
Ray Maletz and Jake Fitts each went 2-for-3 with two singles and two runs scored. Eight of Warrington’s nine starters scored runs. In the third inning, Will Moller drilled a two-run bank shot that dented the State of Pennsylvanis’s flag pole in left center field. For Towamencin, Dalton Baum hit a double and scored the lone run off of a Jared Gorman single.
As they have all tournament, Warrington baffled their opponents with lights-out pitching. Will Moller and Brendan Parker combined to allow a mere, single run and only two hits, in Warrington’s 11-1 win. Warrington went through the qualifications rounds as the only undefeated team, carrying unbridled momentum into the State Championship semi-finals.

*** No Keeping up with the Jones’ as Langhorne outpaces Central Perk

Like Ricky Henderson (who was being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on this day) so often did in his hey-day, Nolan Jones hit a yet another leadoff home run in this tournament, this time giving host Central Perkiomen a rude welcome to the game. Jones’s home run was his fifth of the tournament.
Overall, the whole Langhorne team was in a pretty “offensive” mood versus the tournament host as they won, 14-6. Tyler Galazin hit a two-run homer in the fourth, which was his third in two days. Joel Thibodeau, Zach Winkler, Anthony Titano, Eric Chapman and James Lehman each scored two runs, and Tyler Galazin threw five innings for the Lions.
For Central Perkiomen, Sonny Rennard hit two homers in the game. His solo shot came in the 2nd, and his two-run blast was hit in the 5th. The other runs were scored by Dave Terry, Liam Strausser and Adam Grosshanten. David Terry, the starter for Central Perkiomen, pitched the first five innings for his team before being relieved by Matt Rice.

***
Carter Usowski powers Tri-Township walkoff against Towamencin

In the first game of the Cal Ripken State Tournament that required extra innings, Tri-Township walked off of the field with beaming smiles. A tied, tight battle after six innings resulted from Tri-Township’s Nick Rodstrom’s home run as well as Chris Woolslayer’s score while Towamencin’s Justin Campanella, Eric Beideman and Matt Pizzo scored runs in the teeter-totter affair. But this all served as a precursor to the Big Play when Carter Usowski absolutely demolished the ball in the seventh inning, a dead red shot to center that sent parents running for cover, and Tri-Township to a dramatic win to start their day.

*** Tri-Township tops Harleysville

All of the other teams had long gone home, but Carter Usowski was still getting warmed up for Tri-Township. Following a walk-off jack in the previous game, Usowski crushed a home run to dead centerfield and helped boost Tri-Township to a 2-0 lead after one inning. Robbie Fasciocco scored in the third off of an Alec Thompson single. In the 5th and 6th, Jack Hogan scored as Tri-Township fought back to put the game away.
Harleysville scored three runs in the 2nd inning, as Connor Lennon and Mitch Amenta spanked singles and were hit home by Blake Gular, who jacked a three-run homerun. In the bottom of the sixth, attempting to make a walk-off comeback bid of their own, Blake Gular singled and Chris Toler smashed an opposite field two-run homerun for Harleysville. But Alec Thompson, the Tri-Township pitcher, hunkered down and got the final out, as his team triumphed 6-5 to end the day.

*** BYC scratches back to beat Upper Makefield

BYC, for the second day in a row, showed it’s not where you start, it’s where you finish, in these Cal Ripken State Championships. After going up on 4-0 on Warrington yesterday, but losing, 7-6, BYC reversed those roles today, falling behind 4-0 in the first, but coming back to win 5-4 against Upper Makefield.
Upper Makefield flexed their considerable long ball muscles in the first inning, on two monster-shots by Andrew Greubel and Juliano Kovalcik. Both players turned on fastballs and drove them 230-plus feet to dead center. Overall, the Mavs played outstanding baseball through the first three innings.
Though no other players crossed home, Upper Makefield made up for that by executing flawless defense and pitching. Starter Andrew Greubel was cruising with five strikeouts through three-plus innings pitched, but then seemed to start to run out of gas, still building stamina after overcoming a mid-season leg injury.
After BYC chipped in a run using a small ball approach, and with the score now 4-1, their big hitter Andrew Chobany stepped into the box with runners on second and third. Chobany took a high fastball out of the park in deep right-center. His three-run smash scored Nicholas Vandervere and Ryan McCrossan, who each walked earlier in the inning. Just like that the game now belonged to either team, tied at 4-4.
The winning run saw BYC go back to small ball in the top of the sixth. An innocuous error, a few stolen bases, and a score on a ground out ended up putting BYC back on top, 5-4. With the win almost in their grasp, BYC’s flame-throwing Andrew Chobany, who had taken the mound for Nick Talley, and who threw the final two innings to the tune of a 1-2-3 beat, shut down any possible Mavs comeback.
Capitalizing on their chances and winning a game that was too precious to let slip away, BYC was in the driver’s seat to move onto the States semi-finals as they headed into a game versus the hosts, Central Perkiomen while Upper Makefield reflected on what slipped away, knowing a big win versus Langhorne and other cooperative factors would need to fall into place for them to make the state’s final four.

***
Upper Makefield wins final game vs. Langhorne

Hit well, pitch well, and field well. Hard as that is to do, that’s all you have to do to win competitive baseball games, and that is all that Upper Makefield did in their last game of their season – ending on a high note with all feeling good.
In a game that was purely for fun for Langhorne from the start (they had already qualified for the semi-finals) and became that way for Upper Makefield by the halfway point, the Mavs beat the Langhorne Lions, 15-7.
With urgency, Upper Makefield jumped out and scored three runs in the first. With less urgency, but as much determination, Langhorne counteracted the surge. The Lions’ lead four batters, the Fantastic Four one might call them in this tournament, bit back as Zach Winkler smashed a three-run homer to score Nolan Jones and Tyler Galazin. Joel Thibodeau also scored later in the inning.
However, the Mavs were not ready to step down and sag shoulders, fighting for their tournament lives. They collected five runs in a second inning to show their own toughness. Their five run inning was powered by simple “small ball,” as Riley Thompson and Nick Roda hit singles, drove in runs and then scored on walks and steals. Brett Miller also scored in the inning, as he and Thompson each had three runs in the game.
In the fourth inning, Upper Makefield scored twice as Chase D’Arcangelo and Brett Miller scampered to tally runs. The two runs made the game 10-4 for the Mavs, and they gave them space to effectively end the game as a competitive endeavor.
Never ones to quit though, in the bottom of the fifth Langhorne scraped out two runs. Evan Kelbaugh cracked a solo shot to left center, closing the deficit to four runs. In the top of the sixth, the Mavs lived up to “when it rains, it pours” syndrome, cranking up their offense again.
Upper Makefield had yet another 5-run inning. Chase D’Arcangelo, who was 4-for-4 on the day, had a towering ground-rule double and three RBI. Fellow partner in crime, Drew Burschlag, also had a ground-rule double right behind him. Burschlag was a solid contributor, going 3-for-3 with 5 RBI.
To shut down the game and the season, Chase D’Arcangelo took the mound and kept the Fantastic Four’s Jones, Galazin, and Thibodeau off balance as he popped them up and grounded them out, finishing off what T.J. Roberts and Brett Miller had started. Though they are going home with their season finished, the Upper Makefield Mavericks look forward to next season while District III champ Langhorne looks forward to a run at the state championship.

Day One at Cal Ripken states

By James D’Arcangelo
For BucksLocalSports.com

Langhorne edges Tri-Township in pitchers’ dual

Pitchers’ dual or, for batters, “pitchers cruel” at Central Perkiomen’s fields during the Cal Ripken State Tournament as Langhorne locked horns with Tri-Township. For Langhorne, Nolan Jones threw a complete game two-hitter, slightly besting Alec Thompson’s complete game, three-hitter. Langhorne’s Nolan Jones helped himself to the tune of a solo home run, and Josh Lehman scored the other run in a 2-1 victory. The hard-luck Tri-Township Titans’ only run came from the bat of Alex Bariahtaris, who crushed a solo home run of his own.

***

Langhorne dismantles Towamencin

The scouting report of Nolan Jones: the kid can throw – oh, and he can hit a bit too. Fresh off of throwing a two-hitter, lead-off batter Nolan Jones’s white-hot state championship tournament got even hotter as he jacked three home runs against Towamencin. Jones’ teammate, and following him in the line-up batting second, Tyler Galazin, hit two of his own. Langhorne got an extra push from pitcher Timmy Mulhern, who threw a two-run complete game in an 11-2 win.

***
Central Perk Beats Tri-Township

Central Perkiomen, the host for this year’s Cal Ripken State Tournament, edged Tri-Township in a wild game, winning 6-5. Tri-Township had a 3-0 lead after three innings, only to have “Central Perk” tie the game up at three in their half of the fifth.
But, in their fifth, Tri-Township took the lead on runs scored by Alec Thompson and Carter Usowski, who each had two runs on the day. Central Perkiomen ended up winning, off of runs scored by David Terry, Jonuer Nieves and Adam Grosshanten, in an exciting game-closing performance.

***
Warrington holds off BYC

Jumping out fast and scoring four in the first inning, BYC couldn’t tame the baseball beast called Warrington with Andrew Chobany crossing the plate for two runs. Warrington jumped out to a 6-4 lead in the second inning, as Ty Rossi, Ky Rossi, Connor Moffat, Jared Conroy, T.J. Anthony and Will Moller came home. In the third, their lead was upped to 7-4, as Jake Fitts scored.
BYC climbed up the comeback ladder a short time later as Nicholas Talley made the score 7-6. But Zach Dennis took the mound and threw two 1-2-3 innings, preserving the slim lead and giving the Warrington Wolf Pack a dramatic 7-6 win.
***

Warrington Blanks Upper Makefield

By James D’Arcangelo
For BucksLocalSports.com

Yet another meeting between the Warrington and Upper Makefield, teams which have met four times previously this year. Another game between these River League foes. It was only two weeks ago when they last met, in the Cal Ripken District 3 Tournament, and Warrington came out on top with a 12-0 shutout at the Cal Ripken PA State Championships hosted by Central Perkiomen.
Well, if one reads into scores, not a whole lot changed in the last few weeks.
Warrington outdistanced the Mavericks, just as they had a fortnight ago, and it would seem that Warrington has gotten deep in the Mavericks’ heads. It started in the second inning when J.M. Clauss tallied a double and Ky Rossi smashed a single and Warrington went up 3-0. But for a few Upper Makefield clutch defensive plays, Warrington could have doubled that lead.
The Mavs came off the field feeling relatively good, and they looked determined to build some momentum of their own to answer. And they did set the table for a comeback. Upper Makefield loaded the bases off of a Chase D’Arcangelo deep single to left and a couple of early walks. They got plenty of runners on, but Warrington stopped them from cashing in on their opportunity. “Close, but not close enough” was the phrase that summed up Upper Makefield’s offense in this game.
But they did not give in. Warrington stacked the bases in their half of the third inning, but couldn’t get any men across home, as the Mavericks answered with a stop of their own. The score remained 3-0 for two innings, until the fifth, which, unfortunately for Upper Makefield, resembled the third…squared. Jared Conroy bombed a two-run home run, scoring Zach Dennis, who had walked. Earlier in the game, Conroy took a pitch to the head, but he took this pitch the bleachers. Conroy’s going yard sent Warrington off to a win going away.
In that fifth inning, every Warrington player in the line-up both batted and scored as Warrington jacked the lead from 3-0 to 12-0. Tommy Funk went 3-for-4 with three singles. Jared Conroy, the offensive M.V.P. of the game for Warrington, went 2-for-3 with his towering two-run home run and a double, leading to four R.B.I.
As it was back in mid-July, the arms for Warrington were lights-out. T.J. Anthony started, with Ky Rossi and Brendan Parker relieving him to throw shutout baseball. This game was won in typical Warrington fashion – they pitched hard, they hit harder, and they fielded with soft hands. While the Mavs contemplate a rematch down the road in this tournament, Warrington’s play left their fans thinking they just well might be good enough to win the state championship.
***

Upper Makefield Mavs top Harleysville

By James D’Arcangelo
For BucksLocalSports.com

Crack. Crack. Pop. Crack. No, it’s not the Fourth of July. Fireworks were exploding off of the Mavs’ bats. The fireworks didn’t light up the sky, but they sure lit up the scoreboard. Upper Makfield rode the long ball to a 12-6 win over Harleysville.
Coming off of a tough loss to Warrington, Upper Makefield looked like a different team, one that really wanted to prove itself here in the Cal Ripken State Championship Tournament. Prove themselves, they did.
It only took two outs for the Mavs bats to wake up as slugger Andrew Greubel snapped into action. First-pitch swinging, he rocketed a ball to left-center, crashing into fans’ tents 20 feet beyond the fence. Nick Roda, first baseman for the Mavs, crushed his first of the tournament in the second inning. Though it was only 2-0, these home runs gave U.M. the confidence they needed to play a “complete” game against Harleysville.
Chase D’Arcangelo scored Juliano Kovalcik with a double to left field, and Brett Miller scored off of a Riley Thompson single in the same inning. With the score 4-0, the Mavs had a whole new energy of a seemingly whole new day.
Miller scored Kovalcik in the third inning with an opposite field grounder the snuck past the shortstop. An inning later, Miller and D’Arcangelo scored on Andrew Greubel’s liner up the middle. Jackson Parker scored Kovalcik with his own single up the middle, and Drew Burschlag sacrificed a run in with a groundout.
Juliano Kovalcik was superior, once again, as starting pitcher for Upper Makefield. He helped himself out, scoring four of the Mavs’ runs, while slamming two singles. Kovalcik mixed well-placed fastballs with his bat-freezing changeup, receiving much-deserved applause as he was relieved by Joey Rutkowski in the fifth inning.
Harleysville scratched out runs late to make it interesting, including a Nate Luscombe home run in the bottom of the sixth, but it was too little, too late. The Mavs darted from the bench to congratulate themselves and their teammates, with a great “team win” under their belts. More “cracks” and “pops” are sure to be still left in those Mavs bats as they move deeper into the State Championship tournament.

Fleming headed to East West game

Yardley Post 317 catcher Doug Fleming has been selected to compete in the Pennsylvania American Legion Baseball East West Showcase game that’s taking place at 6 p.m. Sunday, July 26 at the Commerce Bank Park in Harrisburg.
A recent graduate of Penn Charter High School from Hulmeville, this is Doug’s third consecutive appearance in the contest.
In his team’s Lower Bucks Legion playoff opener against Bristol, Fleming worked a full count and drew a walk with the bases loaded to give Post 317 the lead for good at 3-2 in a game that Western eventually went on to win 6-5.
Fleming also pushed a run across in Western’s semifinal opening 15-7 win over Yardley-Morrisville and the team’s series clinching 4-3 triumph.

***

Compiled by Sports Editor Steve Sherman

Kalibat finishes first at Easterns

Natalie Kalibat, of Princeton, performs a dive during the Eastern Interscholastic Diving Championships.

Natalie Kalibat, of Princeton, placed first at the 109th annual Eastern Interscholastic Diving Championships held recently at LaSalle University. Kalibat, who represented The Lewis School, defeated 23 other contestants to win the Women’s 1-Meter Diving Division. The competition consisted of five voluntary and six optional dives, which included forward, back, reverse, inward and twist dives.
Hosted by Germantown Academy, the Easterns is one of the most prestigious and competitive high school meets in the country. It’s the largest Prep School aquatic event in the US for both men’s and women’s swimming and diving competitions. More national and prep school records are set during this competition than any other meet in the nation.

Vipers rewrite PA record book

The FC Bucks Vipers won a national title in the USYS U-18 Girls National Championship Sunday morning.

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor

The FC Bucks Vipers (E-PA) made history last Sunday, July 26 in girls soccer. This year’s U.S. Youth Soccer Region I Champion, the Vipers capped their national tour off with a 1-0 victory over Ohio Elite.
In so doing, the group became the first girls soccer team in Pennsylvania to claim a USYS national championship.
In a national tourney that began July 21 at Citizens Bank Fields at Progin Park in Lancaster, Massachusetts, FC Bucks posted a 3-0-1 mark.
On Sunday morning, the Vipers took on Ohio Elite, a Cincinnati team that won Region II this year. Ohio entered the finale with an identical 2-0-1 mark, having battled FC Bucks to a 2-2 deadlock last Friday, July 24.
In the championship however, after the sides battled to a scoreless standoff in the first half, Vipers midfielder Maddie Evans of Abington scored the game’s only goal in the 70th minute, sending the girls home with the Francis J. Kelly Cup.
The quest for the cup this season was completed in honor of head coach Eddie Leigh’s son-in-law--fallen Philadelphia Police Officer John Pawloski.
In February, the policeman was gunned down in the middle of breaking up an altercation between a cab driver and his assailant that took place in the city’s Olney section.
“The kids were just devastated at everything that happened,” stated Leigh, whose daughter Kim was married to Pawloski. “This was just something they wanted to do.”
***
Last year, FC Bucks beat the Cincinnati team twice--once in Ohio’s Blue Chip Classic and another time in the Nashville Invitational.
In last Friday’s game, with her team trailing 1-0, Kaitlin Kerr, a soon-to-be-senior at the Pennington School, scored first for FC Bucks, taking the feed from Pennsbury High School alum Yvonne Moyer, who is headed to Penn. Kerr’s goal came two minutes after Ohio’s first strike.
The opponent took the lead once again with a goal that came in the 53rd minute of play but Holland’s own Erin Galen (Villa Jo) reached the back of the net off a feed from Colleen Williams, of Titusville in the 72nd minute, locking the final tally at 2-all.
The Vipers kicked off the tournament July 22 by defeating Pleasanton Rage, 3-1 on two goals scored by Evans, a center-midfielder from Abington who is headed to Penn State. Evans scored on feeds from Hoy and Kerr. Goal number three was tallied by Heidi Sabatura off a feed from Alexa Carugati, of Newtown. Ironically, both are Pennington School grads who are headed to Villanova in the fall.
Splitting time in goal for FC Bucks was Tara Murphy, a Council Rock South alum who is headed to Rhode Island and Kate Heim, of West Windsor, NJ. Murphy made four saves in preserving the win.
The Rage is this year’s Region IV champion from California.
“The game we played against California could have been the best we’ve played all year,” stated Leigh. “They are a very good possession-oriented team; we were fortunate to get them to turn the ball over a few times.”
As an encore, FC Bucks blanked Edmond Soccer Club (ESC), 2-0, Thursday, July 23. Hoy opened up the scoring for the Vipers and Sabatura finished things off with her goal that came off a feed from Kerr.
ESC is this year’s Region III champion from Oklahoma.
“Oklahoma was the kind of team that stood by in the back and waited for us to make a mistake,” explained Leigh. “Luckily, we didn’t make any and were fortunate enough to get a pair of goals by them.”
Playing between the pipes in all three Viper wins was Gabrielle Pakhtigian, of North Wales. Gabby made seven saves in the opening win and three more in the shutout victory. Headed to LaSalle University in September, she captured the Golden Glove award, surrendering a lone goal on a penalty kick
This year’s Under-18 Girls champion for Region I, the Vipers captured the title on July 7 for the second straight year in the final minutes of the championship.
Of the 10 defending US Youth Soccer Region I Champions, only four repeated as champs at regionals which took place July 2-7 at the Barboursville Soccer Complex in West Virginia.
In the regional title tilt, the Vipers won the match against Montclair United (NJ) when Evans scored the game's only goal in the 89th minute of play.
For their efforts, the Vipers advanced to their second straight appearance at nationals. FC Bucks made it to the national semifinals last year, though this was their first trip to the finale.
The group of girls who make up the Viper roster are a veritable who's who among Bucks County girls soccer players, including Neshaminy alum Lyndsay Pierson of Langhorne, Pennsbury graduate Yvonne Moyer of Levittown, and Council Rock North alum Clare Roche, of Washington Crossing. All are committed to Division I soccer programs in the fall. A forward for the Vipers this summer, Moyer will play her soccer at Penn in the fall. Both defenders, Pierson is headed to Pitt and Roche is going to George Washington.
The list doesn't end there though. It also includes defender Alysha Mallon, of Newtown, and midfielder Colleen Williams, of Titusville. Mallon is a Villa Jo grad and Williams is from Hopewell Valley Central. Both are headed to Dayton University to play soccer this fall. Galen, a Villa Jo Marie alum from Holland, is headed to West Chester.
Carugati is a defender from Newtown and Sabatura is a forward from Lawrencville. Kerr hails from Bensalem and has a year left at Pennington before she heads to Duke in 2010. According to Leigh, Kerr keys the offense along with Evans.
And Taylor Houck, a CB South graduate from Chalfont, is committed to play soccer at Nebraska. Coach says, she and Carugati helped keep opponents off the scoreboard throughout nationals.

***
Vipers headed to NCAA Soccer programs

1 Alexa Carugati- VILLANOVA (Newtown) Defender
2 Carly Edgecomb– VILLANOVA ( Princeton) Defender
3 Madlyn Evans– PENN STATE (Abington) Central Midfielder
4 Erin Galen- WEST CHESTER (Holland) Winger
5 Caitlin Heim- WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY (West Windsor) Goalkeeper
6 Taylor Houck- NEBRASKA (Chalfont) Defender
7 Jennifer Hoy- PRINCETON (Sellersville) Forward
8 Kaitlyn Kerr- DUKE 2010 (Bensalem) Central Midfielder
9 Alysha Mallon- DAYTON (Newtown) Defender
10 Yvonne Moyer- PENN (Levittown) Forward
11 Gabrielle Pakhtigian- LA SALLE (North Wales) Goalkeeper
12 Lyndsay Pierson- PITT (Langhorne) Defender
13 Clare Roche- GEORGE WASHINGTON (Washington Crossing) Defender
14 Heidi Sabatura- VILLANOVA (Lawrenceville) Forward
15 Rachael Sheehy- PRINCETON (Exton) Central Midfielder
16 Colleen Williams- DAYTON (Titusville) Central Midfielder

Dawgs edge Central Perk; take states

The Warrington Youth Baseball 10-year-old tournament team won the Pennsylvania Cal Ripken State Championship which was held July 23 at the Barness fields, home of the Warrington Diamond Dawgs. The Dawgs captured the title by beating Central Perk, 5-4. Warrington advances to regional play which will take place in Monroe, NJ at the end of July. Pictured in the first row, from left: Cole Meenan, Kevin Berntsen, and Andrew Dietz. Middle row: Colin Green, Kevin Dorozinsky, Jack Cucinotta, Devin Farrell, Alex Bendzlowicz, Danny Klepchick, Alex Karras, Dan McCartin, and Tyler Watson. Back row: Coaches Jay Watson, John Cucinotta, Ciaran Farrell and Matt Bendzlowicz.

Warrington, Doylestown ousted from states

By James D’Arcangelo
For BucksLocalSports

Boom-boom and then out went the lights on Warrington and Doylestown in the semifinals of the Pennsylvania Cal Ripken 12-year-old State Tournament, hosted recently at Upper Makefield Youth Baseball League (UMYBL) complex.
First Central Perkiomen ousted Warrington, posting a 6-1 triumph on the wings of a second inning three-run homer, then Harleysville rode a fourth-inning grand slam to upset Doylestown, 5-4.
Central Perk's pitching dictated their game, shutting down heavy-hitting Warrington. Matt Kellar threw the first four, stellar innings, allowing two hits and one run. And James Bleming, after allowing Warrington to load the bases in the bottom of the sixth to make the game more interesting, closed out the game with two blazing strike outs, igniting the fans, his coaches and teammates’ celebrations. He let up only one hit in his two innings.
Though Warrington struck first, they were then silenced after they scored in the first. Mike Kupers walked and he later scored on a Steve Trachtenberg double for Warrington’s lone run.
When it came to hitting, C.P. thought it was B.P. In clutch moments, Central Perkiomen stroked key doubles, lined significant singles, and even threw in a towering home run. Central Perkiomen effectively clinched the game in the second inning on the back of a three-run homer to right by Evan Myers, who knocked in James Bleming and Matt Kellar. Bleming had doubled and Kellar who had singled. Central Perk splintered in runs in the third, fourth and sixth (mostly on singles) to close out Warrington.
Across the baseball complex at Georges’ Field, Harleysville was “home” against Doylestown and they would readily attest that the "Big Bang" theory is at the genesis of their playing in the state championship game. A fourth inning, towering grand slam by Tim Markow broke open the barn door on a pitchers' duel and sent the elated underdogs into the title game Tuesday.
Doylestown scored first as Will Taylor walked and scored on an error. In the third, Doylestown scored again, as Brian Browne's single scored A.J. Grezeszak and they held a 2-0 lead into the fourth.
The fourth of the game was like the Fourth of July for Harleysville. Chase Koffel led off with a long, high home run (would have been second deck if there was a second deck) to left finally get Harleysville on the board.
Koffel’s jack looked as if it were a high pop-up, but it carried and carried until it landed beyond the scoreboard in left field. Then, Jimmy Herron singled, and Doylestown allowed an error and a walk to load the bases.
Markow's moon shot to right probably would have been out in the new Yankee Stadium, and it stunned the large Doylestown crowd and the largely favored Doylestown team.
But Doylestown was too good and too tough to go down quietly. A James Moran single, followed by a Matt Malatesta home run, brought Doylestown to the edge of full comeback in the sixth. But Harleysville clamped down and closed out the game, and they move on.
Central Perkiomen and Harleysville each showed what it takes to be a championship team on Monday night. Each team laid out the law, made a statement, and hung in there until the end. With the games they have played, whether it be shut-down pitching, or launching home runs into the trees, the championship game at the Cal Ripken 12-year-old State Tournament on Tuesday night is sure to be a good one.

Outpouring of support, hope for Missy

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor
The fourth annual Missy Flynn Challenge is set for Sunday, Aug. 9. It’s a running, biking and swimming fundraiser aimed at gathering funds used to help in the recovery effort of the 50-year-old Newtown resident who suffered a brain injury more than three years ago.
For those of you not familiar with the name Missy Flynn, she was once an area triathlete who competed in ironman triathlons including the Ironman World Championship that takes place annually in Hawaii. That’s a 2 1/2 mile swim followed by a 112-mile bike ride, capped off with a 26.2-mile running marathon.
But that was before December 2005. Two days before Christmas, Flynn suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm that initially rendered her bound to a wheelchair and unable to speak. Family and friends, especially significant other Brian Wong, had a difficult time seeing someone they remembered as bursting with energy sitting there almost lifeless.
That is how Flynn remained for over six months after the injury. It took her eight months before she could return home from the hospital and rehabilitation center.
There was a time when she worked for the Doylestown Intelligencer doing promotion work and marketing. After that, she held a similar post for the New Jersey Press Association. In between, she found time to run a jewelry business on the side and work out—running, biking and swimming were routine parts of Flynn’s day.
Now, it takes her three hours to get out the door in the morning.
“What we do and what we have to do take up quite a large part of the day,” said Wong, matter-of-factly.
And though she’s learned to speak once again, Flynn requires constant attention, care that she gets from Wong, who revamped his entire life to accommodate Missy.
Now, remarkably, Flynn is able to speak out loud and can stand, things she could not do in 2008. She’s also eating better and has regained much of the weight she lost after the injury.
“I’m always happy with the progress she makes because I know there’s a chance there’s not going to be any more,” said Wong.
More recently, Missy started riding an exercise bike. She and Brian have talked about the possibility of cycling outdoors and riding a tandem bike together. Still, that’s off in the distance and not something either of them know is doable.
Through it all, the pair have shown remarkable resilience coupled together with tremendous patience. While Brian is encouraged at Missy’s recent progress, he seems willing to accept whatever cards he and Flynn are dealt.
“This type of injury doesn’t lend itself to many breakthroughs,” said Wong. “You don’t get too many aha moments.”
The couple is grateful to members of the community who have came through in support of the care that Missy requires, which is round the clock. While Brian took on all of that for the first two-and-a-half years, he’s relented more recently and allowed a home health care aid to come into the couple’s home four times a week.
The funds used to pay for the nurse come from the moneys raised by many in the community. To date, that figure is up over $55,000 but it’s more than just the money.
Brian says some folks have been bringing cooked meals to the couple’s home for over three years now. That helps, says Wong, one—because he’s admittedly not the greatest cook and two—it gives him more time to spend with Missy.
“It’s things like that that make it possible for Missy to be home,” said Brian.
Wong knows that some people might choose to put someone like Missy in a nursing home. He doesn’t mince words on the topic.
“She doesn’t need to be in a nursing home, she doesn’t deserve to be in a nursing home and I don’t want her in one,” he says firmly.
“She won’t get the help that she needs there anyway.”
Support for Flynn’s recovery effort has come from all corners of the community--people like Courier Times sports writer Wayne Fish and former Bucks County Road Runners (BCRR) president Bob Curci. The pair have brought the BCRR into the mix. Now the runners organization directs the running part of the Challenge.
Newtown Bike Shop owner Harry Betz gets busy bringing the biking world and organizations like the Central Bucks Bike Club into the fold. The Newtown Athletic Club (NAC) helps by donating its facilities in the form of pool time for the swimming segment of the Challenge and also the space needed to conduct an auction and hold the award ceremony after the event is finished.
Though she's since moved away, Mary Johnson comes back to help organize the swim portion of the Challenge. Gwen Smith brings it all together—the Newtown physical therapist coordinates all the fundraising efforts for the couple.
Wong is overwhelmed by the strength of the support.
“The most amazing thing is I didn’t ask,” said Brian. “They do it on their own because they know we need the help.”
The dramatic changes in Missy described by those who don’t see the former triathlete everyday are not as extraordinary to Wong. He says he foresaw her being able to get back onto a bicycle, even if it is a standing bike. One suspects it’s much like a mother who doesn’t notice the changes in her own baby as much as friends and relatives do—it’s hard to see transformations in someone you never take your eyes off of.
"The changes I see in her are good things but they’re much more subtle to me,” he says.
What Wong does notice is that between January and the present time, Missy is laughing more when she’s watching television or speaking with friends on the phone, all of which is brand new behavior in the post-brain injury world of Flynn.
“It’s a little thing but it’s a big thing,” said Wong.
“It lets me know that she’s enjoying something whereas before I wouldn’t know one way or the other.”
When Missy started speaking in a full voice in January, Brian made sure one of the first things she did was call people to let them know.
“I knew everyone would be stunned and happy to get a call from Missy,” he says.
Flynn still has a long way to go or so the hope goes. The longest distance she can walk is 40 to 50 feet, at most. But for the first time, she’s able to do things while standing on her feet—something she couldn’t do this time last year.
“The biggest thing for me is that she is still making progress," said Brian. "It means she still has somewhere to go.”
***
Marking Missy’s past performance in the triathletic world, the Challenge is a swimming, biking and running fundraiser.
There are four rides this year starting at 10 miles and capping off at fifty. The entry fee is $20. ($25 after July 24). The ride begins at the NAC, located at the Newtown Bypass and Penn’s Trail. Riders can register between 7 and 10 a.m.
The swimming competition (400- 800 meters) starts at 6 a.m. The 5K run starts at 8:30 a.m. in front of the NAC.
For more information, contact the Newtown Bike Shop at (215) 968-3200 or visit online at www.newtownbike.com/to/missyflynn.

Tri-Township repeats championship

The Tri-Township 12-year-old team has repeated as Suburban Travel Baseball League Champions.

Tri-Township 12-year-old baseball team recently captured the Suburban Travel Baseball League crown for the second consecutive year with a commanding 9-4 triumph over the Solebury Spiders. This championship accents a season that also boasted a Monroe Tournament and a Hopewell Valley Bad Dawgs Tournament Championship.
"The wins are great," says coach Ken Hone, "but the most important thing is the winning attitude, commitment and sportsmanship these young boys show regardless of the victor or final score."
Tri-Township has continued its winning ways for the second year in a row in many ways. The team features exhibitted sportsmanship, teammate, and a collective approach to baseball that is unmatched elsewhere.
The boys and league boasted the largest roster because it wanted to give as many young players the opportunity to play as possible. Although this was predicted to cause a drop-off in ability and competitiveness because of increased play sharing time, the parents, players, and league committed to this inclusive approach and they not only won the hearts and minds of families and opponents, but they won ballgames.
In fact, more ballgames than anyone else in their division for the second consecutive year. Including the Suburban Travel, the Monroe, Mount Laurel and Hopewell Tournaments, the group went 42-7 over the past two years.

PA Playaz winning in Las Vegas

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor
Area boys basketball team, the PA Playaz, is lighting things up this summer on the travel tournament circuit.
This year’s AAU Mid-Atlantic Division I champion, the Playaz are an AAU team comprised mostly of athletes from Bucks County. Most of the players hail from Council Rock North and Neshaminy High Schools including ‘skins sophomore scoring sensation Ryan Arcidiacono and Indian forward Arron Goodman.
In May, the Playaz captured the Division I championship by defeating Chester.
The team’s latest win came yesterday (July 22) in Las Vegas in the Adidas Super 64 Tournament when it outpaced Oregon, 56-35. Arcidiacono led the Playaz with 16 points and Owen Rice—of CR North—chipped in with 11. Goodman came through with 14 rebounds and Dwight Williams—of Neshaminy—pitched in with six steals.
“This is an extremely talented group of players,” stated head coach Gene Rice, who doubles as a Yardley businessman when he’s not coaching hoops. “There’s never been a group of Bucks County kids playing together that are this good.”
Also suiting up for the Playaz this summer are Billy McAllister, Matt McCloskey and Dan Schmidt. All three play for the Rock during the varsity season. McCloskey and Schmidt serve as the team’s defensive leaders.
Also contributing to the effort this summer are Dan Brown of CB South and Brandon Gilpatrick of Malvern Prep School. Both are big contributors on offense.
After capturing the division title, the Playaz went on a tear taking first place in the Carrierdome Classic in Syracuse, winning the Coaches Versus Cancer Tournament at Temple University then taking the Team Philly Championship.
Memorial Day weekend, they took the top prize in the Bob Givens Tournament of Champions held at Duke University. At the Spring Fling tourney held at Rutgers University, the team finished in the Final Four in a 32-team field. The Playaz also finished in the top four at the Providence College Jam Fest, a tournament comprised of 54 teams.
Last week, the Playaz won the West Virginia Invitational outright before heading to Las Vegas. Back in March, the team won Philly's Finest March Madness Invitational at Girard College, defeating Hoop Heaven, 75-67, in overtime in the championship. Arcidiacono paced the Playaz with 33 points. Tyler Katz contributed five points in overtime. Goodman blocked six shots.

Mavs finish second in baseball tourney

The Pennsbury Athletic Association (PAA) Classic 2009 baseball tournament concluded July 18 with the U-8 Upper Makefield Mavericks earning a second place finish.
The MAVS were the team to beat as they tore throught the tourney by defeating Tri-Township 16-11, followed by two additional clear victories over Pennsbury, 10-1, and Newtown, 16-7.
These decisive wins earned the Mavs a bye and entrance into the July 17 semifinals, where they battled Deep Run, coming up with an 8-7 win in extra innings. Giving it their all, the Mavs came up short as they lost 11-1 in the championship game against Northampton on July 18.
The tournament marked the end to an excellent first season together, under the exceptional direction of Head Coach Bob Johnson and Assistant Coach Bill Hoefer.

Area trainer taking pupil to Lake Placid

Elizabeth Savino (L), of Pennington, and Chris Draper, of Hamilton, are headed to Lake Placid to do an ironman.

Draper, Savino to compete in ironman competition
By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor
Two area residents are heading to Lake Placid this weekend to compete in the Ironman Triathlon there.
For those of you not familiar with ironman competitions, the athletic events consist of a 2.5-mile swim followed by a 112-mile bike ride, topped off with a running marathon, meaning another 26.2 miles.
For Pennington resident Elizabeth Savino, 45, it is her first ironman. Elizabeth is a long-time endurance runner, having completed marathon events in Philadelphia, New York, Hartford, Scranton and Lake Placid.
Hamilton resident Chris Draper, a 33-year-old conditioning specialist based at PEAC Health & Fitness, meanwhile, has done the ironman before, competing in Ironman Florida last November.
The connection between the two athletes headed to New York this weekend is typical in the world of endurance sports.
About five years ago, Elizabeth hit a wall in the middle of competing in the Hartford Marathon and didn’t break four hours in the event like she usually did. Savino’s time in the event--4 hours, 19 minutes--suffered because she couldn’t run the last 5 miles and was forced to walk.
Afterward, she came to Chris, who discovered that Savino hadn’t prepared properly for the competition nutritionally. Draper spelled out a new dietary regimen for Savino that ignited the Pennington woman’s marathon performance.
In 2006, Elizabeth did so well in the Philadelphia Marathon that she qualified for the Boston Marathon. Her time of 3:49:48 was bested only by the time of 3:43:19 that Savino posted in the Lake Placid Marathon a month ago.
“Diet is ongoing,” says Savino, now. “You have to eat right before, during and after the competition.”
About two years ago, Elizabeth grew weary of the distance runners routine. She needed a new challenge. Draper suggested triathlon competitions.
Starting out by competing in sprint-tris, Savino built herself up to the point that she competed in Olympic distance triathlons. While sprint tris consist of 500-meter swims followed by 10 to 15-miles on the bike capped off with a 5K run, the Olympic distance forces a competitor to swim 1,500 meters, bike 25 miles and run 10 kilometers.
Draper’s entrance into endurance events is even more dramatic than Savino’s. Chris was once a power-lifting bodybuilder who tipped the scale at more than 250 pounds.
Inspired by the very same distance runners and Olympic hopefuls he trained in his work at PEAC, Chris began a conditioning quest that has the 33-year-old at 160 pounds as he prepares for his second ironman.
Last year, Chris turned in a time of 10-and-a-half hours in the Florida Ironman.
***
NOTES: Savino had to raise more than $1,200 to enter the Lake Placid Ironman competition. The money goes toward a community fund in the upstate New York area that assists underprivileged youths involved in sports.

PONY State Championships:Upper Makefield a runner-up

Progress, steady progress.
That was the take for Upper Makefield as they were pleased, and at the same time disappointed, with their second place finish in the 11-year-old Pennsylvania PONY State Championships held July 18 and 19 in Monessen Township.
Representing Bucks County, the Upper Makefield Mavericks, which made the championship tournament last year but was knocked out in three games, ousted the host team Monessen, 7-4, in the semifinals before losing, 7-1, to defending champion Washington in the title tilt.
Though many of the Upper Makefield players had worked through the effects of a five-hour car ride to far-western Pennsylvania in their double-header split the day before, they still looked a little weary as they fell behind Monessen in the semifinal game, 3-0, in the first inning, then 4-0 in the second.
But the first of three double plays in the game seemed to ignite Upper Makefield, leading to a comeback in the bottom of the second. A leadoff single by Nick Roda and a reach-on-error for Drew Burschlag got their offense going, and Upper Makefield made the most of the opportunity as both runners scored on hits by Anthony Stefani and Matt Dellehy.
In the third inning, Riley Thompson’s leadoff single and steal resulted in a run when Nick Roda singled him in. Joe Rutkowski’s right field fence-banging single scored Roda, and Drew Burschlag’s infield hit then scored Rutkowski, who had stolen second and third.
Up 5-4, Upper Makefield put the game away in the sixth as Rutkowski skied a shot to the fence in dead center, Burschlag scratched out an infield hit, and TJ Roberts walked to load the bases. Riley Thompson hit a two-run double to extend the lead to 7-4 and assure that Upper Makefield would play for the state championship.
Rested and ready, pitching and defense-rich Washington was waiting to defend their crown. Aside from the considerable aforementioned strengths, the game was decided by the team--in this case, Washington--which took advantage of their scoring opportunities. Washington pitcher Cole Griffin threw a complete game as Upper Makefield left men on second and/or third in three innings, while Washington chipped in runs in each of their at bats.
The defending champs took a 2-0 lead in the first on a double to left by Christopher Gouin, an RBI infield chopper by Griffin, a double to center by Blake Rothbacher and an RBI on a fielder’s choice by Dakota Wilkinson. It was all they needed to close out Upper Makefield as Chase D’Arcangelo singled up the middle and scored his team’s lone run in the second while Washington used combinations of singles, steals, and smart behind-runner hitting to add a run or two each frame to create the game-winning space they needed to clinch the championship.
With the win, Washington took home the Pennsylvania PONY State Championship one more time and moves on to the North Carolina-based super regional, one step from the Virginia-based World Championship. Finalist Upper Makefield goes home to get ready for the Cal Ripken Pennsylvania State Championships next weekend when they get another shot at state supremacy.

Upper Makefield splits a pair

A two-way pitchers’ duel opened the 11-year-old Pennsylvania PONY State Championships as the Upper Makefield Mavericks fell, 3-1, July 18 to reigning champ Washington Township.
Representing Bucks County, Upper Makefield rebounded with a 10-0 shut-out of Vesta in their second game, as the Mavs both stayed alive in the double-elimination tournament and ensured an appearance in the semifinals with the win.
The difference in the Upper Makefield-Washington Township game came in the first inning when the Bucks County team gave up two quick runs, while many of their players seemed to be still shaking off the effects of a five-hour car ride to far-western Pennsylvania. A thunder and frightening, epic rain delay pushed the rest of the game to Saturday morning, when the Mavericks were rested and equal to everything the Washington team had to throw at them.
Upper Makefield starter Juliano Kovalcik threw a three-hitter through four innings. He only allowed those two runs, which came in that two-hit, one-walk first inning. Michael Kalosky and Guy Markley scored the runs for Washington before the Mavs could loosen up their legs, backs and gloves that had seemed to stiffen up during the long trip west. Riley Thompson relieved Kovalcik, and allowed one run, scored by Christopher Gouin, in his two very solid innings.
Washington starter Christopher Gouin baffled the Mavs with sweeping sliders, cutting curveballs and fiery fastballs. Evan McDaniel and Cole Griffin, Washington relievers, shut down the Upper Makefield bats as well. That only one run was allowed by Washington could also be attributed to their tremendous defense. Upper Makefield crushed grounders through the game, but the Washington infielders ranged to play them consistently, notching 11 infield put-outs.
Washington Township looked as good at the start of the tournament this year as they did at the end of it last year. For Upper Makefield, the silver lining was that they played an extremely competitive game against the defending champs, much more so than last year.
But even with the silver lining, the forecast was cloudy as Upper Makefield could not lose another game in this double-elimination tournament without being ousted.
With their game legs underneath them, the Mavericks took the field primed and ready to play in its second game of the day, as they mercy-ruled Vesta, 10-0, in five innings. A complete game saw the Mavs’ hitting and pitching come together at once as they chipped away at Vesta with a small ball combination of walks, singles, and steals, in the first four innings.
Riley Thompson used his speed to score in the first, Nick Roda singled, stole second and third and scored on a past ball in the third, and TJ Roberts segued his line single down the third base line into a run after stealing second, and scoring on a shortstop error in the fourth. In the meantime, TJ Roberts and Brett Miller threw shut-out after shut-out inning.
The game was blown open in the fifth inning as Brett Miller singled, and Nick Roda and Joe Rutkowski walked to load the bases. After Drew Burschlag knocked in Miller with an infield single, Chase D’Arcangelo cleared the bases, crushing a line drive triple to the left field fence. TJ Roberts scored D’Arcangelo on an infield sacrifice, and Riley Thompson knocked in Anthony Stefani (who had walked) with a single to close out the game.
With the win, Upper Makefield assured itself of an appearance in the semi-final game, and no worse than a third place finish. So far, their trip to the PONY PA State Championships seems well worth the five hour drive and car-lag.

BASEBALL:Bristol gets robbed

Bristol won the District 21 title only days before going to states.

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor

Looks like the men in blue have taken yet another baseball game from our boys in red.
This one hurt, however (don’t they all) as Big Blue all but handed a state title to Williamsport last week in Coatesville.
With a state championship on the line, umpires ejected Bristol’s leadoff hitter—twice—and called a walk-off game-winning run safe in extra innings, sending the red team down in defeat, 3-2, in the bottom of the eighth July 14 at Caln Park Little League ballfields
By then, Bristol had been playing with a severe disadvantage as it was down to its last 11 ballplayers. First, the home plate umpire ejected Bryan Dean, a Neshaminy High School senior, for tossing his helmet upon returning to the dugout in the third inning.
Dean was apparently upset after getting picked off first base. In his first at-bat, Dean hit a Williamsport pitch off the fence and scored a run. But after drawing a walk in the third inning, he was subsequently picked off the bag.
In place of Dean, Bristol head coach Al Pirollo inserted Anthony Yenette into the lineup. Yenette came up to bat in the fifth inning and was ejected soon after when the home plate umpire discovered that Anthony was wearing a chain, which is not allowed under league rules.
Despite leading twice in this game—1-0 and 2-1—Bristol eventually fell, 3-2. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Williamsport got runners on first and third then loaded the bases when Pirollo opted to intentionally walk a batter.
The next batter up hit a long fly ball to outfielder Mike Devane, a recent graduate of Bristol High School. A standout lefthander for Tony Mangiaracina’s Warriors during the varsity season, Devane threw a strike to catcher Chris Bechter, who had the ball in his glove and was awaiting the tag as the runner approached.
According to Pirollo, Bechter had the Williamsport runner in his sights and was ready to ring him up.
But alas, the umpire ruled the runner safe. After making the controversial call, the umpire drew a police escort and withdrew from the facility.
Game.
Set.
Match.
Police had been called to the scene when the home plate umpire got into a verbal altercation with a Bristol parent who made the trek to Coatesville to witness the skirmish.
At one point in the heat of the battle, the same umpire threatened to throw Big Al out of the contest (I’d like to see him try it).
“By that point, he’d obviously lost control of the game,” stated Big Al.
Obviously.

SOFTBALL:Bristol captures triple crown

Bristol's U-10 softball team edged Fairless Hills to capture its third straight D-21 championship.

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor

Winning a district title once is fabulous.
Repeating the feat is doubly nice.
Going for--and getting--the three-peat, well that’s just spectacular.
The Bristol Borough Little League U-10 softball team captured its third consecutive District 21 championship last Wednesday, July 15 at the Bristol Memorial baseball/softball complex.
To get to the title tilt, Bristol triumphed over Neshaminy, 8-3, on July 11 and Levittown-Continental, 14-0, on July 12.
The championship win wouldn’t come quite so easy against Fairless Hills, which downed Levittown Continental, 14-4, to get to the finale.
This title bout was a pitchers’ duel that lasted seven innings. In the circle for Bristol was Alyssa Adams, who was busy setting the opposition up then knocking ‘em down. Adams allowed only two hits in blanking the opposition, leading her team to its third straight D-21 title.
Tianna Brewington provided the offense for Bristol, slapping a one-out single in the seventh, then using some heads-up base-running to get herself into scoring position.
Tianna advanced to second base on a throwing error then on to third on a sac-fly. With two outs and Bryanna Vearling up at bat for Bristol, Brewington stole home on a passed ball, scoring the game’s only run.
Bristol captured D-21 titles in each of its two previous campaigns, defeating Neshaminy last year and Levittown-Continental the year before.
***
Meet Bristol

Pitcher Alyssa Adams has been outstanding in her work in the circle for Bristol, giving up only 4 runs in the two playoff games. Her coaches can't believe this 10-year-old can pitch as fast as she does.
Utility player Madison Bitting may be the smallest player on the team but what she lacks in size, she makes up for with lots of spunk and agility and can play anywhere on the field, even in the circle.
Tianna Brewington is a beast behind the plate. Nothing gets by her, defensively. She is the team's best base runner, power hitter and team clown.
Cara Fabiano almost pitched a no-hitter in a game against Continental, giving up one hit in their last up at-bat. Cara surrendered nary a run in that game.
Desiree Franchitte is a great bat that's fast as lighting with fantastic fielding skills. She went 3-for-4 against Continental.
Center fielder Demeria Jones is quick in the outfield and on the bases.
Third baseman Melissa Marchese has skills with the bat that are sure to impress.
Katie Morris is another small player but don't let that fool you. She is quick like lighting on the bases.
Alexis Mossbrook is another small player not to overlook - she had numerous key hits to produce runs for Bristol.
Shortstop Katie Santana has a great bat, great skills on the field and is an excellent base runner.
Outfielder Jade Stevens is a player with so much power, you wouldn't believe she is only 9 years old. Jade slapped a key 2-run hit against Neshaminy.
Bryanna Vearling is a player that can play infield and outfield, is quick on the bases and made a awesome diving catch in the dirt against Continental in the semifinal.
Haily Biglelow is the icing on the cake. Her dedication and skills are invaluable to the team.
Along with Head Coach Scott Fabiano, Bristol is guided by assistants Steve Bitting and John Scancella. Team Mom Luz Stevens also doubles as the scorekeeper.