By Andrew Hackmack
Catcher Paul Grubb walks and is sacrificed to second by Shane Bornstein. Joey Christopher strides to home plate and smacks a ground ball to the opposing second basemen. Before the dusts settles, the ball squeaks through into the outfield, and Grubb touches home plate. The game is over, and with a final score of 12-11, Merrick claims victory over the Manhasset team.
For the first time in the 51-year history of the Merrick-North Merrick Little League, one of the organization's teams is declared Long Island Little League Champions on Tuesday, July 30!
"I didn't think I was going to get home because it was a ground ball," said Paul Grubb after the game. When he saw the third-base coach waving his arms and jumping up and down, however, he ran straight for home.
Play began 6 p.m. in the sunlight at Hickey Field in Rockville Centre. By the time twilight arrived, the boys were running across the field in celebration, before accepting their trophies and championship banner.
The Merrick-North Merrick squad then moved on to the New York State Little League Championship in Staten Island over this past weekend. In the state finals, the Merrick-North Merrick squad intially lost to Brewster, 6-3. The team then went on to topple Colonie, 9-8, and then Jamesville-DeWitt, 4-3.
The Merrick-North Merrick team was poised to play in the State Championship game on Tuesday, Aug. 6 in the evening after press time.
The team comprised 9- and 10-year-olds from the Merrick-North Merrick Little League who were recommended by their coaches based on their season performance. In total, 13 children represented the league, which went 6-1 in division play before moving on to, and winning, the Long Island Championship.
"These kids work very hard," said Howard Kass, the team manager. "They practice in the heat. They're a great group of kids."
In the Long Island Championship, Kass watched his team jump to a 3-0 lead in the first inning, but suddenly the squad found itself down 10-3 after the third inning.
The left-field bleachers were full of Merrick-North Merrick supporters, chanting, "Here we go Merrick, here we go!" One parent clapped his hands and shouted "chip away!" And that's exactly what the Merrick-North Merrick boys of summer did, chip away at the deficit until they tied Manhasset going into their last at-bat.
"It was the best thing that ever happened," said Ryan Kass, the manager's son and starting pitcher. "It was so exciting. We started a rally and started to come back."
First basemen Joseph Safford said, "We made it this far. That huge comeback changed the whole game."
League President Charlie Winterfeldt said the entire Merrick-North Merrick community rallied behind these boys. "I'm very proud of the boys for capturing the Long Island Championship," Winterfeldt said. "Their dedication at practice was proven on the field. They have a never-say-die attitude." He also praised the work of the manager and coaches in preparing the team for the big game.
Kevin Goumas, who relieved Ryan Kass and pitched over three innings for the team, was all smiles after picking up his championship trophy.
"I felt excellent because it was the first time done in Merrick history," he said about winning the championship. Of his pitching performance, he said, "I wasn't tired. I strike out guys, and I'm good at it."
Paul Christopher, a coach and father of Joey who knocked the winning run in, summed up the evening's sense of excitement well when he said, "That was the best Little League game I've seen in my life."
Joey Christopher offered this reminder of the team's philosophy behind winning: "If you have heart, you can go all the way."
And that's precisely what Merrick-North Merrick did.
Merrick Little League Champions, the team
1. Michael Mascaro
2. Kevin Goumas
3. Ryan Kass
4. Brian Mauro
5. Joe Safford
6. Paul Grubb
7. Shane Bornstein
8. Joey Christopher
9. Jake Meier
10. Zachary Fox
11. Daniel Bornstein
12. Richie Frank
13. Ross Weitzman
