Hopewell Athletics
Lots of Action at Kane Rd Last Night!
As the Spring Baseball Season starts to wind down the Kane Road complex was packed with spectators to watch four games all happening in unusually cold temperatures, under the lights!
Team Gigliotti 11/12’s faced off against Team Rankin on the little league field. While Team Vukovcan and Team Holsinger battled it out in the first playoff game for Coach Pitch. Both the TBall and Minors field were also in action with games.
Team Vukovcan battled early on taking the lead only to fall behind and just miss pulling it out against Holsinger. Team Vukovcan is the youngest of the Coach Pitch teams and nearly pulled off a come from behind win. Congratulations to Team Holsinger for moving on in the playoffs.
On the Little League Field it was a pitching duel between those two teams. In a very low scoring game each team through their best in a true HW vs. HW matchup.
Although team Gigliotti outhit Team Rankin 6 hits to 3, they could not put enough of those hits together to manufacture enough runs to win. The six hit were from: Rilynn Davis, Wesley Gigliotti, Conner Reed, Mason Santamaria, David Johnson and Austin Gallagher. Team Gigliotti battled all night but had some key errors that Team Rankin was able to take advantage of including miscues on the base path and defensive opportunities. While these errors cant be blamed for the loss in its entirety as Team Gigliotti has struggled this season to put together enough offense to put away opponents in multiple close scoring games. Mason Santamaria’s double and RBI in the bottom of the fourth gave Team Gigliotti a short lived lead going up 2-1. The only other production came off an RBI hit by David Johnson.
The pitching kept the game close with outstanding performances on both sides of the ball. Noah Honess lead things off for Team Gigliotti on the mound and pitched three scoreless innings, tallying up five strike outs. Rhett Rankin also put in an impressive three innings giving up five hits but minimizing the damage by spreading those hits around. Wesley Gigliotti through two innings giving up 3 runs with one strikeout. Mason Santamaria came in to close out the game for Team Gigliotti throwing 8 pitches, five of which for strikes and giving up zero earned runs. Liam Rankin was powerful on the mound gaining control of the strike zone early and mowing down the offense in two innings striking out four.
There is one more regular season game for Team Gigliotti facing off against Team Yesionek tonight at Kane Road and then we will start our coverage of the Youth Baseball playoffs.
Pictures from All Four Kane Road Games:
