Undefeated Cardinals Win NEAA Playoffs

The Saint Agrippina Cardinals won the NEAA little league championship, capping off the best season of the NEAA only league.  The Cardinals won all ten regular season games and followed that up by winning all three of their playoff games.

The game started off poorly for the Cardinals, as the Tigers scored five runs in the top of the second.  Evan Frechette walked,  Philip DiBlasi was hit by a pitch and Nick Seaver walked.  After an out, a grounder up the middle was snared by the Cardinal shortshop, but when he threw the ball away, two runs scored and Tigers were on second and third.  After the second out failed to deliver a run, a grounder to short took a bad hop plating two more runs.  The next grounder also wasn’t handled cleanly allowing the fifth run to score.  Fred Moseley and JC Pezzuto shut the Tigers out over the next four innings on only two singles, both by Richard Pagliuca.  Pezzuto was especially effective, after walking the first batter he faced, he struck out the next six, on only twenty-two pitches.

The pitching gave the Cardinals a chance to get back into the game, and they did.  In the bottom of the third, Jared Repoza led off with a walk, Francesco Santaniello was hit with a pitch and both runners moved up on a wild pitch.  With one out, Pezzuto launched a double into right center scoring one run, with the other having to stop at third and then being called out for not being on the base while a discussion about interference was being held.  This could have killed the Cardinals momentum, but Owen Locke doubled in the second run and Francesca Rubino singled in the third.

The Cardinals then proceeded to storm into the lead and take a stranglehold on the game in the bottom of the fourth.  All nine Cardinals batted, seven of them scored and none of them made an out.

Oliver Franklin singled, Nolan Ward and Repoza walked.  Santaniello was again hit by a pitch and when William Marchi beat out an infield hit, the game was tied.  Pezzuto, Locke and Rubino each singled into right center, giving the Cardinals an 8-3 lead and Fred Moseley doubled in two more runs.

The Cardinal pitchers then took over and after Pezzuto struck out the last Tiger, the 13-0 St Agrippina Cardinals were league champs.

South End 10 North End 5

The visitors won the game 10-5.

The second game of the baseball classic sponsored each year by State Representative Aaron Michlewitz will be held in the South End on June 28.