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Fair East Meadow Mustangs, best in L.I.
12U team finished 4th in states
The East Meadow Mustangs 12U baseball team represented the community in the Williamsport Little League tournament from July 20 to 24, finishing in fourth place in the state.
The squad won New York’s District 32 tournament by going 6-0, including a 3-0 win over Levittown in the championship game.
After that, the team went 5-1 in sectional play, culminating with a 3-1 win over Port Washington in the championship game.
It marked the third consecutive district championship for the Mustangs, and first L.I. championship.
The dozen boys, three coaches and many parents then traveled to Cicero, in Onondaga County, winning one game and losing two.
The first game was an 8-6 loss in eight innings to Wappinger Falls. The team rebounded next game to beat Whitestown, 4-1. Charlie Cucchiara Jr. pitched a 3-hitter with 12 strikeouts, and Chris Giardino belted a 3-run home run.
They then lost another extra-innings game, this time to eventual state champion Colonie, 7-6, in eight innings. The squad had overcome a four-run deficit, trailing 6-2 in the sixth inning to come back and tie it.
According to manager Charlie Cucchiara, the Mustangs finished fourth out of 480 Little League teams in New York. “With our pitching staff, and one break in states, we could have won the state tournament,” said Cucchiara. “We were as good, if not better, than the six teams that made it that far.”
Cucchiara Jr. won the clinching district and sectional games — also leading the team in batting average — while Molina picked up two wins in sectional play.
Giardino hit three home runs in the Williamsport tournament, and totaled 13 on the season. Tyler Patterson and Sean Kennedy also came up big with clutch game-winning hits in district and sectional play, said Cucchiara.
“It is an absolutely incredible accomplishment that we won three straight district titles,” Cucchiara said. “And ended up being the best Little League team on Long Island.”
