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07/27/2015 12:00 AMBy virtue of winning the District 9 championship two weeks ago, the Madison 12-U Little League team advanced to the next phase and competed the Division 3 Tournament last week. The Tigers played Waterford, Newington, and faced Waterford again, and were eliminated from the tournament by dropping a decision to Waterford in the teams’ second meeting.
Madison opened play in the Division 3 Tournament by taking a 12-11 loss to Waterford in West Hartford on July 22 in a game that featured a number of momentum changes and was exciting right to the last pitch. Waterford scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the fifth inning en route to the victory. Waterford struck first with its leadoff hitter in the bottom of the first when, with a 2-2 count, he hit a home run to right-center off of Madison starting pitcher Aiden Patrick. Waterford tacked on another in the inning to take a 2-0 lead heading to the second. The Madison offense managed to tie the score 2-2 in the top of the second with some sloppy play on defense by Waterford. Patrick led off the inning with a walk, followed by a James Arida single. They both came around to score on defensive miscues. Waterford picked up two more runs in the bottom of the inning with action from the bottom of the lineup, making the score 4-2 after two frames. In the top of the third, Madison fought back by loading the bases with hits by Anthony Depino, Nick Donofrio, and a walk by Patrick. Arida made them pay for it with a clutch grand slam home run to right-center field. Ken Nuzzi added another run with some aggressive base running to finish off the inning. Waterford answered right back in the bottom half with four runs to take back the lead at 8-7, using number of hard hits all over the diamond. Not to be outdone, the Tigers responded with four runs of their own to lead off the fourth inning. Hits by Donofrio, Nuzzi, and Depino were instrumental in giving Madison an 11-8 lead heading into the Waterford half of the inning. Waterford then pieced together four hits, including a leadoff home run off Madison reliever Jared Kuryan and, by the time the inning concluded, Waterford regained the lead, 12-11. In the last frame, Madison went down quietly facing Waterford’s ace, who retired all three hitters via strikeout, ending the game.
Madison then played District 7 winner Newington in West Hartford on July 23 and was locked in a scoreless battle heading into the third inning. Starter Colin Telford pitched two perfect frames, setting down the first six batters in order. In the end, Newington hit the ball better than the Tigers’ usually potent offense and pulled off a 5-1 win. Jack Pireaux relieved Telford in the third inning and got into some quick trouble, which brought Newington’s leadoff hitter to the plate. He made the game 3-0 with a home run to center field. Still in a close game, Madison went to Tucker Godiksen to keep the Tigers in it. With the game 3-0, Godiksen kept Newington at bay until the fifth inning, when the opposition picked up three hits and another runner reached base on a throwing error. The District 7 winners tacked on two more runs in the inning to make the game 5-0 heading into the sixth. The Tigers remained scoreless through five innings with only two hits from Telford and Chris Engelhart. Donofrio led off the sixth inning with a hard shot up the middle that hit the pitcher off the foot, but only caromed off a few steps away, so that the Newington player was able to make the out. Telford then picked up another hit and scurried home to score Madison’s lone run on some super-aggressive base running.
Madison then took on Waterford again on July 25 and took a 19-1 defeat in four innings in its final game of the Division 3 Tournament. After Madison’s Anthony Depino allowed a solo home run in the top of the first, his team tied it when Telford went deep to right-center in the bottom half. Waterford responded by scoring eight runs in the second to take a 9-1 lead and then tacked on eight more in the third. Madison was held to just two more hits the rest of the way, which came from Donofrio and Nuzzi, who also pitched in the game, as did Patrick and Ryan Stolpe.
Madison was coached this summer by Steve Godiksen, Lou Donofrio, and Jim Kuryan. Colin Davies also helped out at practices and Dina Donofrio worked diligently behind the scenes to assist the Tigers throughout their memorable postseason run.
Information courtesy of Jim Kuryan