By Tim Parry

For the first time in 19 years, a team from Connecticut is heading to the Little League World Series.

Shelton National came from behind today and defeated Manchester North, the New Hampshire representative, 2-1 to capture the New England Championship, and an automatic berth in Williamsport.

Trailing 1-0 with one out in the top of the sixth inning, Shelton National’s Tyler Tice clubbed a home run over the center field fence to tie the game. Following a Robert Moretti ground out, Marcelo Ursini lined a laser over the left field fence that proved to be the game-winner.

Moretti struck out 10 New Hampshire batters in five and a third innings work. Eddie Kochiss came on with one out in the sixth to pick up the save.

Whether it was with Manchester North runners on first and third with two out in the bottom of the sixth, or Shelton National trailing 1-0 with the game on the line, Shelton National manager Ed Szymansky said he and his team had faith.

“We always have the feeling inside that as long as there’s time left, we have a chance to win the game,” Szymansky said.

Manchester North took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when catcher Nick Markis roped a home run over the left field fence.

Shelton almost broke through in the fourth inning. With none out and Tice on second and Moretti on first, Manchester North pitcher Carmen Giampetruzzi fanned Ursini and Kochiss, and got pinch hitter Hunter Boles to ground out to second.

When asked during the post game press conference what he expected when his team headed back to Shelton tonight, Szymansky said he wasn’t sure. Then he had a surprise for his team, which had assembled behind him.

“We’re going right to Williamsport,” Szymansky announced.

The game was played in front of an announced crowd of 7,982, which filled the bleachers and surrounded Breen Field at the A. Bartlett Giametti complex in Bristol.

Shelton National went 6-0 in the tournament. For box scores and more, click here.

The Shelton National League had its toughest game of the New England Regional yesterday, and defeated Rhode Island 4-0 in Bristol.

Marcello Ursini went two for two, including a two-run homer, to pace the Shelton National bats. Matt Batten added a solo shot for Shelton National.

Shelton National got a five-inning, one-hit performance on the mound from Robert Moretti, who struck out eight batters and walked one. Tyler Tice threw a scoreless sixth to earn the save.

The Shelton National Little League has now gone two games in the regional tournament without getting out of the fourth inning.

That’s because Shelton keeps evoking the mercy rule. The latest one came tonight, with a 10-0 win over Williston, VT, at A. Bartlett Giametti complex in Bristol.

Eddie Kochiss pitched a one-hitter, walked two, and struck out 10 in four innings of work. Kockiss, Robert Moretti, and Tyler Tice each hit homers for Shelton National.

Shelton National plays Rhode Island at 8 p.m. Monday, then, in a game that will be televised on MSG, plays Massachusetts at 5 p.m. Wednesday.

By Tim Parry

How long has it been since a Connecticut team reached the Little League World Series? It was 1989, and the star of that Trumbull team, Chris Drury, is now a grizzled veteran in the National Hockey League.

But if the Shelton National Little League 12-year-olds keep playing the way they are, there’s a good chance that 19-year streak will be snapped.

In its opening game Friday in the Eastern Regionals, Shelton National defeated Maine state champion Camden Rockport 12-1 in a mercy-rule game that ended in the bottom of the fourth inning.

It’s the seventh time in 13 tournament games that Shelton National has topped the 10-run mark.

But if Shelton National is going to keep on trucking through the tournament and get a chance to play August 9 for a shot at a trip to Williamsport, it’s going to have to keep playing as a team.

“The top picks up the bottom, the bottom picks up the top. One for all and all for one, one through 12 [players on the roster],” Shelton National manager Ed Szymansky said. “We won’t pick any one kid out. Today it was [Jake Szymansky’s] day in the sun, now it’s back to work.”

But keep in mind these 12-year-old kids are only human. They did struggle coming out of the gate against the Maine batters, though it was ever so slightly. Maine loaded the bases in the top of the first before Shelton National pitcher Rob Moretti got a pair of strikeouts to end the inning.

“I told the kids they were going to be a little nervous at first. Once they’d get the mistakes out of the way, we’d come back and play Shelton baseball.”

Moretti (eight strikeouts in three innings) and Eddie Kochiss (three strikeouts in one inning) dominated on the mound for Shelton National, and the team’s bats were just as impressive. Jake Szymansky and Kochiss both homered, and Szymansky, Tyler Tyce, and Chris Berritto each drove in two runs.

Moretti, Kochiss, Szymansky, and Matt Batten had two hits each to lead the Shelton National attack.

So after the kids take Saturday off and go to Lake Compounce, how does Shelton National prepare for its game Sunday against Williston, Vermont?

They’ll just stick to the basics.

“All they have to do is play fundamental baseball, that’s what wins baseball games,” Ed Szymansky said. “Catch, throw, and hit, everything comes after that. It’s so repetitious it’s like a second nature to these kids.”

Jamie D’Antona has made his major league debut. On July 22, pinch-hitting for Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Chad Qualls, the former Trumbull High star singled off Kevin Hart of the Chicago Cubs.

The Diamondbacks plan to use D’Antona as a pinch-hitter for the remainder of this season. To make room on the 40-man roster, Arizona moved fan-favorite Eric Byrnes from the 15-day to the 60-day disabled list.

So why the promotion in his sixth professional season? Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin told MLB.com that D’Antona’s dominant performance with the AAA Tucson Sidewinders warranted a chance at the big leagues.

In his second year with the Sidewinders D’Antona, 26, was leading the club in batting average (.367), hits (126), on-base percentage (.407), slugging percentage (.612), and doubles (31) at the time of his call up.

D’Antona recently represented the Diamondbacks organization at both the Futures Game in Yankee Stadium and the Triple-A All-Star game in Louisville, KY. D’Antona won the Triple-A Home Run Derby and delivered the go ahead RBI in the Pacific Coast League’s 6-5 victory over the International League in the Triple-A All-Star Game.

“There’s a guy that deserves a shot at the big leagues,” Melvin told MLB.com. “You look at his Triple-A numbers and they’re off the charts. Through hard work and great performance, he deserves a shot at the big league level.”

Danbury Westerners shortstop Mike Olt may be having the best week ever.

Olt was named the New England Collegiate Baseball League’s co-player of the week, and celebrated by winning the league’s Home Run Derby with 11 blasts.

Olt, a freshman at UConn, is doing everything he can to get the Westerners in the playoff picture. His week consisted of a .429 average with 12 hits including 2 doubles, 3 home runs and 13 RBIs. He also had a stolen base.

And in the NECBL All-Star Game at Torrington on Sunday, he also hit a 2-run homer in the game that lifted the South to a 5-2 win.

This summer, Olt posts a .294 batting average in a team-high 31 games played. He currently leads the Westerners with 126 at-bats, 27 runs scored, 37 hits, eight doubles, six homeruns and 30 RBIs. Entering his sophomore year at UConn, Olt has led the Westerners with a .516 slugging percentage and a .348 on-base percentage, while also picking up 41 putouts and 78 assists.

The Danbury Westerners will take on the Dominican All-Stars in a 5 p.m. game Sunday at Rogers Park.

The Dominican National Team is made up of current college athletes, MLB players, MLB drafted athletes and currently active Dominican players. The Dominican National Team has members of the NY Yankees, Seattle Mariners and Cleveland Indians organizations on their roster. The manager of the team is former major leaguer, Dave Valdez (LA Dodgers / Seattle Mariners).

“It is thrilling to see such great players right here in Danbury,” Westerners general manager Terry Whalen said in a press release.

The Bridgeport Bluefish have placed seven players on the Liberty Division 2008 All-Star team, including three starters.

First baseman Jesse Hoorelbeke, outfielder Branden Florence and infielder Luis Lopez will all be in the starting lineup. Infielder Henry Mateo and outfielder Ryan Bear are reserves for the team while starting pitchers Eric DuBose and Barry Hertzler will both represent the Bluefish.

Hoorelbeke (.254, 15 HRs, 56 RBIs), the 2007 A.L. Co-Player of the Year, made the post-season All-Star team last year and now will be playing in his first mid-season contest. He currently shares the league lead in home runs with Ray Navarrete of Long Island and his RBI total ranks second in the league.

Florence (.328, 4 HRs, 30 RBIs) finished out the first half ranked ninth in the league in hitting. He suffered through some injuries the first couple of weeks of the season but became a staple in the Bluefish outfield once he returned to health with a consistently high level of play. His 12-game hit-streak in May currently stands as the second-longest Bluefish streak of the year.

Lopez (.361, 4 HRs, 48 RBIs) was one of the best hitters throughout the entire first half of the season. He currently ranks fourth in the league in batting (second among active players) with many stints in the top spot. His 91 hits lead the league and his 19 doubles and .454 on-base percentage both rank second. On the defensive side of things his .978 fielding percentage is best amongst everyday third basemen.

Mateo (.315, 2 HRs, 26 RBIs) has solidified the top of the lineup to give hitters behind him like Lopez and Hoorelbeke plenty of RBI opportunities. His 20 doubles and 59 runs scored are both league highs. He also has 27-multi hit performances on the year and a 13-game hitting streak, both team highs.

Bear (.320, 6 HRs, 34 RBIs) has been one of the more versatile yet consistent hitters on the Bluefish in the first half. He has made starts at six different spots in the batting order and played all outfield and corner infield positions defensively. His 77 hits are third highest on the team and his 45 runs rank second.

DuBose (4-2, 3.38 ERA, 77.1 IP) has given nothing but consistency to the Bluefish starting rotation. The southpaw has made ten quality starts in his 13 trips to the hill (12 starts). His ERA ranks third in the league (second among active pitchers) and his .242 opponent batting average is best among Tommy John’s starters.

Hertzler (3-5, 4.63 ERA, 81.2 IP) has made things easy on the Bluefish bullpen all year. The Central Connecticut State alum has pitched at least into the eighth inning in six of his 13 starts. He ranked among the league leaders in ERA for the majority of the first half.

The Atlantic League All-Star Game will be played at Commerce Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater, NJ on Wednesday, July 16.

The Bridgeport Regional Business Council named the Bridgeport Bluefish as the 2008 BRBC Business of the Year. Through the BRBC’s partnership with Lamar Outdoor Advertising, the Bluefish receive one year of outdoor advertising.

According to a press release, the Bridgeport Bluefish make every effort to hire locally, purchase goods and services in the region and partner with schools and non-profits to help them in their fundraising or program efforts. Managers, coaches and players read at local libraries, visit hospitals, and attend neighborhood events and parades.

In 2007, the Bluefish enrolled over 27,000 children in its reading program. The team’s fundraising program has raised well over $1,000,000 for regional non-profit agencies, school programs, religious institutions and athletic organizations.

“We are very pleased to have won this award because it shows our commitment to ongoing, outstanding effort in the community,” said Bluefish general manager Todd Marlin said in a statement. “Our community involvement is something we take pride in and I know that we will continue to reach out in our Bridgeport community and the greater Bridgeport region.”

In 2008, the Bluefish have already enrolled thousands of children in this year’s reading program. The team’s fundraising program has raised almost $85,000 over the first month of the season and has quadrupled the amount of community appearances as they work to become an even larger part of the community.

“The Bridgeport region has many businesses that contribute endless hours of community service to our region,” Mary-Jane Foster, CEO of the Bluefish said. “We are proud to be one of the many businesses that give back to the community and especially proud to have been chosen as the recipient of this award because it is a reflection of our mission. “

By Tim Parry
It wasn’t that much of a surprise that Matt Iannazzo turned down the Norwalk High School quarterback job to pitch this fall for the Bayside Yankees baseball team. And once he secured a Division I baseball scholarship, he was able to return to the gridiron and help the Bears have one of its best records in recent memories.

Iannazzo turned down scholarship offers from Quinnipiac and Fordham, and will pitch starting this fall for the University of Pittsburgh.

“Both those schools wanted me to pitch and hit, but Pitt was offering me a chance to concentrate on pitching,” Iannazzo said last month after pitching a 5-2 win over Darien. “It’s such a different atmosphere and a different program that I was going to capitalize on that opportunity.”

Though Iannazzo stands just 5-foot-9, Pittsburgh head coach Joe Jordano thinks the lefty is the real deal.

“After pitching against some of the best hitters in the country last summer, Matt will be ready to step in and pitch right away for us,” Jordano said when Iannazzo signed his letter of intent in November. “We expect Matt’s competitiveness and the fact that he has three above average pitches to help him become a consistent winner at the collegiate level.”

His high school coach, Angelo Bruno, agrees.

“He’s a competitor, he’ll battle you right to the end,” Bruno said. “What makes him so successful is that he gets the most out of his ability. He loves to play the game and you need that passion to get to the next level.”

For Bayside last summer, Iannazzo was 4-2 in 10 starts and had a 2.57 ERA. He struck out 55 and walked 21 in 51.2 innings.