The NEAA Dodgers 16-18 year old team completed their summer long season by defeating the Jamaica Plain Angels 2 games to 1 to win the best of three RBI Senior Division Championship.
The Dodgers were the number one seed after posting an undefeated regular season but the Angels proved to be worthy opponents and gave the Dodgers all they could handle.
Game one went to the Dodgers as Ace Vin Lopriore continued his spectacular season by throwing a 5 hit complete game shutout as the Dodgers cruised 6-0. He struck out 10 Angels in his 7 innings of work while walking only 1. The team broke a scoreless tie by pushing across two runs in the bottom of the 4th inning when Steve Passatempo singled, stole 2nd base, and was driven home by Nick Iudiciani to put the Dodgers up 1-0.
Nick went to 2nd base on the throw home and then scored the 2nd run on an rbi single from Jack Ditomassi. The score remained 2-0 until the Dodgers broke it open with four runs in the bottom of the 6th. Eddie Funes led off with a single and then Lopriore walked. After a double steal and a strikeout, Iudiciani was intentionally walked to load the bases.
After the 2nd out was achieved via strikeout, Ditomassi was hit by a pitch to force home the 3rd run. Navide Aminpour then delivered a pinch hit double to ice game one for the Dodgers.
Game two was very different as the Dodger’s struggled on defense and the Angels came out swinging leading to an easy 11-3 win.
The Dodgers scored two in the top of the 1st to take a 2-0 lead as Anthony Coppola doubled home Nick Iudiciani and Vin Lopriore.
After that it was all Angels. With a 4 run 4th inning and a 5 run 6th inning the Dodgers were saddled with their first loss of the year and left to contemplate a deciding game three the following day.
Game three was for all the marbles and the Dodgers were focused. Sixteen year old Michael Rauseo got the start and did not disappoint. Rauseo threw 4 shutout innings striking out five and keeping the Angels off balance with a combination of fastball, curveball and change-up.
While Rauseo was silencing the Angels the Dodgers came out swinging.
After two were out in the bottom of the first Nick Iudiciani singled to center field. Following Iudiciani, Steve Passatempo got hold of a fastball and drilled it high and deep into the nighttime sky easily clearing the 330 wall in left field at Jim Rice Stadium and giving the Dodgers a 2-0 lead.
In the 2nd inning the red-hot James Ditomassi doubled to right center and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly by Rauseo giving the Dodgers a 3-0 lead after 2 innings.
The team blew it open in the 3rd . After walks to Iudiciani and Passatempo, Jack Ditomassi doubled to right field driving in Iudiciani. Mark Girard followed with a two run single giving the Dodgers a 7-0 lead after 3 innings.
The Dodgers were not finished as in the 4th inning Passatempo caught hold of a hanging curveball and cleared the 345 mark in left center with room to spare for his 2nd home run of the game and an 8-0 Dodger lead.
In the 5th the Angels tried to battle back. With a tiring Rauseo on the mound the Angels put two runs on the board and loaded the bases with no out for the top of their order.
Coach Ralph Martignetti made a pitching change calling for hard throwing Nick Iudiciani. Iudiciani was up to the task as he struck out the 1-2-3 hitters in the Angels’ line-up ending any thoughts of an Angel comeback. Lopriore came on to wrap things up in the top of the 7th and the Dodgers were RBI Champions