The postseason whirlwind of District 36 Little League playoff games began this past weekend with good results insofar as East Hampton’s traveling all-star boys teams were concerned.
The 9-10s, coached by Mike Hand, bageled Southampton 12-0 at the Flying Point field there behind the pitching of Kai Alversa (two innings) and Harrison Jenkins, who finished up.
Hand was not available for comment Monday, but Vinny Alversa, East Hampton High’s varsity baseball coach, whose sons, Kai and Finn, play on the team, said, when asked if anyone had a big hit, that Trevor Meehan had a two-run double, and added that Tucker Bock “caught a great game.”
The 9-10 team, which has on it five players — Kai Alversa, Jenkins, Meehan, Jackson Carney, and Bock — who were members of last year’s District 36 champions, was to have played Tuesday in Bridgehampton, and is to be home to North Shore, always a strong entry, at the Pantigo fields this evening at 5:30.
Besides the above-named, others on Hand’s roster are Miles Menu, Tiger Brew, Kieran Hildreth, Julian Marin, Luca Biondo, Dennis Ruiz, Finn Alversa, and E.J. McAuliffe. Colten Everett is an alternate.
The 11-12-year-old boys, coached by Andrew Rodriguez (who also is East Hampton High’s junior varsity coach) with Nicole Dickinson as his assistant, defeated North Shore 3-1 in an away game Saturday, a particularly big win given the fact that North Shore is a perennial favorite.
Tyler Hansen went all the way, “throwing only 65 pitches,” Dickinson said in an email. East Hampton, she said, went down 1-0 early, but the Bonackers soon tied it as the result of a home run over the left-field fence by Carter Dickinson, the catcher.
“The big inning was the fourth,” she said. “With two outs, Livs Kuplin drew a walk, Hansen singled, and Hudson Beckmann drove Kuplin and Hansen in with a triple,” treating East Hampton to a 3-1 lead, which proved to be the final score.
The 11-12s also won Monday, defeating Hampton Bays 14-0 behind the pitching of Andrew Brown and Victoreddy Diaz.
Rodriguez’s roster, besides those named above, comprises Hudson Meyer, Justin Prince, Luke Rossano, Liam Cashin, Bruno Sessler, and Leandro Abreu.
East Hampton also has 12-and-under and 11-and-under softball entries in District 36 play. The older girls, coached by Heather Payne, with Andy Baris and Liz McCarron, went up against their North Shore counterparts at East Hampton High School Sunday, losing 10-0. North Shore’s pitcher, who had good command of several pitches, was formidable. It was the first of a best-of-three championship series.
Paige Herlihy pitched for East Hampton, whose roster also includes Harper Baris, Brighton Lys, Gabrielle Payne, Dakota Quackenbush, Sophia Rodriguez, Davianna Trowbridge, Rebecca Trowbridge, Emma Wadkins, Julia Kuneth, Leah McCarron, Ruby Reiter, and Isabella Espinosa. Hailey Rigby and Lydia Rowan are alternates.
Mike Ruddy, with Damien O’Donnell and Joe Lenahan as his assistants, is coaching East Hampton’s 11-and-under softball team, which is made up of Georgia Kenny, Olivia Dodge, Lila Ruddy, Susie DiSunno, Sienna Salamy, Kerri O’Donnell, Anya Corio, Mackenzie Lenahan, Olivia Walsh, Paige Daniels, Abigail O’Sullivan, Emily Bruno, and Lily Griffin. Zion Osei is an alternate.
The 11-and-unders, having no opponents in the district or section, are to play next at the state level.
Annemarie Cangiolosi Brown, who coaches East Hampton High’s softball team, along with her cousin and coaching assistant Melanie Anderson, made sure the high school field was in tip-top condition for the Friends of Erin Diamondbacks and Harbor Bistro Braves “world series” showdown Saturday — a game won 14-13 by the Braves thanks to two fielding gems by its shortstop, Olivia Dodge, in the final inning — and for the 12-and-under District 36 game with North Shore Sunday.
Two teams coached by Brown were to have begun Brookhaven summer league play this week.