The boys of summer

The East Meadow little league 10U team made a deep tournament run this summer, winning its district before coming within one game of the state tournament.

Manager Charlie Cucchiara led a successful campaign in his third year with the Mustangs, which consists of 12 nine and ten-year-old boys from the East Meadow intramural baseball program.

The team played in New York’s District 32 tournament, a seven team, double elimination competition that took place June 19 to July 3. Going into the event, the team was reasonably confident. “We knew we were a good team,” Cucchiara said. “We’ve played most of these teams in the past, so we knew we had an opportunity to win the district,” he added.

They reached the final round undefeated with a chance to clinch the tournament in one game, however they lost to Bethpage, 10-3. With both teams having lost once, a deciding game would determine the champion. East Meadow won, 7-3, thanks to Cucchiara’s son, Charlie, who threw 10 strikeouts and allowed 2 runs in 5 innings on the mound, and Chris Lydon, who chipped in at the plate with two hits and one run batted in.

Cucchiara said the team took advantage of their opportunities on offense with timely bunts and effective base running and didn’t give Bethpage a chance to come back. “Small ball helped us win, in addition to good pitching and defense,” he said.

With the win, East Meadow went on to represent its district in the sectional tournament, held July 7 to July 14. This time, the team faced five other district champions from around Long Island in pool play where each team played one another once and the top two teams advancing to the sectional final.

Facing tougher competition, the Mustangs didn’t know what to expect. “There were teams we’ve never seen before,” Cucchiara said. However, they proved to be up to the task. After pool play, the East Meadow’s record stood at 4-1, good enough to advance to the championship game.

In the final game, East Meadow met Sunrise little league, the only team to beat East Meadow in the first round, for a chance to play in the state tournament. The Mustangs battled but lost, 4-2.

The performance concluded the Mustangs’ first year in Little League, the organization that holds the famous Little League World Series each August. “The kids were very excited because this was something new for them,” Cucchiara said.

In two years, the Mustangs will play to qualify for the main event in Williamsport, Pa.