By Phil Orlandella
Some exciting baseball games were played last week at Langone Park during the NEAA/Nazzaro Center Majors third week of competition.
Tigers 8-Red Sox 2
In a rematch of last year’s championship series the Tigers got some revenge by knocking the Red Sox from the unbeaten ranks with a 8-2 win over the defending champs.
Robert Pagliuca singled home the first Tigers run and Joe O’Brien had an RBI ground out for a first inning 2-0 lead.
Pagliuca and Zach Knopf kept the Sox scoreless through the first three innings while building up a 4-0 lead on a double by Knopf and an RBI single by Anthony Freni.
The Sox mounted a 4th inning rally, scoring two runs closing the Tigers lead to 2 runs.
Aaron Cronin led off with a single, Anthony Russo walked and Ellie Gozigian ripped a two run double.
A four run 5th inning gave the Tigers all the runs they would need to take over first place in the standings.
After three Tigers reached base, Freni hit a 2 RBI single, O’Brien and Eli Swab hit RBI singles capping off the 8-2 win.
Freni came in striking out the side in the bottom of the 6th inning.
Indians 20-Tigers 8
If you like to see a lot of runs scored, then this was the game to be at as the Indians and Tigers crossed the plate 28 times during an Indians 20-8 blowout of the Tigers.
Zach Taieb had 1 hit and 3 RBI, Taalin Raoshah had 1 hit and 1 RBI and he pitched the 6th fanning the three batters he faced.
Jase Cherchi had a hit an RBI and scored 3 times.
Eli Swab collected 2 hits and 4 RBI while teammate DJ DiCenso had 2 hits in a losing effort.
Victoria DiCenso threw out a runner at first from right field and made a dazzling catch in the outfield.
Indians 4-Tigers 0
Three innings of scoreless pitching by Tigers ace hurler Anthony Freni who struck out all 9 batters he faced was not enough as the Indians captured a 4-0 shut-out win.
Nicole Cerulli, T.J. Shea and Guarino Vilar pitched two scoreless innings on route to the win.
Shea had a hit and scored 2 runs. Paul Szulc went 2 for 2 collecting 2 RBI for the Indians.
Hot-hitting rookie, Taalin Raoshah hit a 3 run single accounting for the Indians final runs.
Tiger batters Freni, Swab, Pagliuca and O’Brien had a hit each.
Tigers 8-Cubs 8
Rain forced the Tigers and Cubs to play a four inning tie, 8-8.
Sixteen runs scored made for an exciting game and the fans that braved the weather conditions enjoyed an entertaining contest from these two teams.
Going into what turned out to be the last inning (4th) the Cubs trailed 8-7. Some timely walks and a run scoring single by Mike Pittore tied the game.
Cubs pitcher Colman Shea held the Tigers scoreless in the bottom of the 4th inning, preserving the rain shorten 8-8 game.
Mike Troiano and Andrew Benson had RBI hits. Benson and Peterson Quissanga hit back to back doubles of the center field fence clearing the bases.
Red Sox 13-Cardinals 2
Six different pitchers took the mound for the Red Sox as they beat the Cardinals 13-2.
While pitching was the key, both Ryan Santoro and Timmy Martin made terrific defense plays preserving the Sox victory.
Ellie Gogizan had a triple and 3 RBI leading the Sox hitting attack.
Richard Perez, Michael Perez and Aaron Cronin collected hits.
Nico Gennari and J.C. Pezzutto pitched well in the late innings for the Cardinals.