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Overcast Chargers enjoy big year
Lynbrook, East Rockaway nine-and-under baseball team finishes good season
The Long Island Chargers travel baseball team, comprised of kids nine years old and younger from Lynbrook and East Rockaway, as well as surrounding Nassau County communities, went 29-3 between the spring and summer seasons including winning the Bethpage Independence Open Tournament.
The Chargers won all five of their games in the tourney and defeated Bethpage in the championship game, 3-0, behind pitcher Daniel Pepe’s no-hitter.
They followed up Aug. 11-12 by winning the championship series of the National Junior Baseball League’s National Division, two games to one over the Oceanside Mariners. The Chargers won Game 1, 8-1, and were edged in Game 2, 1-0 on a walk-off hit in the bottom of the sixth inning for Oceanside.
The decisive game, played on Sunday, Aug. 12, was very exciting as well with the Chargers rallying for a 10-9 victory. The Mariners jumped out to an early 2-0 lead. The Chargers though, came right back to take a 4-2 lead. This lead eventually grew to 6-2 before the Mariners mounted a five-run rally in the top of the fifth to take a 7-6 lead. The Chargers bounced back to tie it with a run in the bottom of the inning. Neither team scored in the sixth, which led to extra innings. In the top of the seventh the Mariners, behind some clutch hitting, pushed two runs across to take a 9-7 lead. In the bottom of the seventh and with only three outs remaining, the Chargers loaded the bases. A walk and RBI by Jacob Steinmetz made it 9-8. With one out and the bases still loaded, Tank Yaghoubi’s bloop single down the left field line scored two runs and clinched the win and the championship.
During the series, the Chargers had great pitching performances from Pepe, Aidan O’Connor, Kyle Gaertner, Steinmetz and Yaghoubi and some timely hitting from Chris Einemann (.700 and 7 RBI for the series) and Gaertner (.417 with 3 RBI and 6 runs scored for the series). The defense was tremendous turning two double plays and making various diving catches in the outfield. Credit must go to the Oceanside team as well. It had a very strong season and was tremendous throughout the playoffs as well.
The Mariners won their semifinal game 21-9 over the Long Island Tigers after trailing 9-0. The Chargers advanced past the Long Island Seminoles by a score of 5-4 after once again trailing going into their last at bat. Additional contributors were Marco Ali, Greg DeJoseph, PJ Devecchis, Mike Esposito and Nicholas Traill.
The Chargers are coached by Rob Gaertner, who is assisted by Greg DeJoseph, Anthony Esposito and Ray Yaghoubi. The coaching staff did a tremendous job teaching the boys how to play the right way and how to act on and off the field.
