seahorse
08-12-01, 06:58 PM
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/12/sports/baseball/12LITT.html
August 12, 2001
Bronx Team Reaches Regional Final
By JACK CAVANAUGH
BRISTOL, Conn., Aug. 11 — Prospects appeared dim for
the Rolando Paulino All-Stars from the Bronx entering
tonight's game against Easton, Md., in the Little League Eastern
Regional tournament. The All-Stars had lost two straight games,
including one to Easton, had scored only four runs in those
games and were the fourth and last seeded team in the
mid-Atlantic division of the playoffs. Easton, which had won all
four games in the round robin, was the top-seeded team.
But the Bronx team, which for years has played more in lots than
on legitimate diamonds, is accustomed to adversity. And it
overcame it with a flourish today, scoring nine runs in the first
inning and adding two more in the sixth and final inning to
crush Easton, 11-0, and advance to the regional final Tuesday. A
victory against State College, Pa., would make the Paulino
All-Stars the first New York City team outside of Staten Island to
make it to the World Series in Williamsport, Pa.
In last year's mid-Atlantic final, Paulino came within a victory of
reaching Williamsport, losing to Goffstown, N.H., 1-0.
State College, the No. 2-seeded team, advanced earlier today by
defeating Randolph, N.J., 3-0.
In the New England final Monday night, South Burlington, Vt.,
will play Lincoln, R.I. South Burlington, seeded fourth, upset
previously unbeaten and top-seeded Wallingford, Conn., 3-0.
Earlier, Lincoln beat Pittsfield, Mass., 5-4.
The Rolando Paulino All-Stars had 10 of the first 11 batters reach
base on eight hits, one walk, three errors by Easton and two wild
pitches. One of those hits was a home run by Loilly Vinas, who
started the game at second base but then pitched the last five
innings, yielding only one hit, striking out six and giving up
only one walk, to the first batter he faced.,
Vinas was following a tough act, since the Bronx team's starting
pitcher, Danny Almonte, had struck out the side in the first
inning. Obviously convinced that his team's 9-0 lead would be
sufficient, the New York manager, Alberto Gonzalez, moved
Almonte to center field and brought in Vinas. That way Almonte
would be eligible to pitch in Tuesday's final since, under Little
League rules, a pitcher can appear in his team's next game if he
has pitched no more than an inning in a previous appearance.
With more than 150 of their fans cheering and dancing behind
their dugout, the Paulino All-Stars started out with a fury. After
Vinas reached on an error by the Easton second baseman, 8 of
the next 10 batters hit safely, including Vinas, who homered over
the left-field fence in his second at-bat in the inning.
Vinas was superb on the mound, retiring 15 of the 17 batters he
faced over the last five innings and striking out the side in the
fourth. The Paulino All-Stars added two more runs in the sixth
when Hector Rodriguez and Carlos Garcia singled and,
following a passed ball, scored on a double by Santos Sierra to
make it 11-0.
Despite his team's impressive performance, Gonzalez refused to
talk to reporters after the game and also refused to permit any of
his players to do so, as is the custom with the winning team in a
Little League regional tournament.
August 12, 2001
Bronx Team Reaches Regional Final
By JACK CAVANAUGH
BRISTOL, Conn., Aug. 11 — Prospects appeared dim for
the Rolando Paulino All-Stars from the Bronx entering
tonight's game against Easton, Md., in the Little League Eastern
Regional tournament. The All-Stars had lost two straight games,
including one to Easton, had scored only four runs in those
games and were the fourth and last seeded team in the
mid-Atlantic division of the playoffs. Easton, which had won all
four games in the round robin, was the top-seeded team.
But the Bronx team, which for years has played more in lots than
on legitimate diamonds, is accustomed to adversity. And it
overcame it with a flourish today, scoring nine runs in the first
inning and adding two more in the sixth and final inning to
crush Easton, 11-0, and advance to the regional final Tuesday. A
victory against State College, Pa., would make the Paulino
All-Stars the first New York City team outside of Staten Island to
make it to the World Series in Williamsport, Pa.
In last year's mid-Atlantic final, Paulino came within a victory of
reaching Williamsport, losing to Goffstown, N.H., 1-0.
State College, the No. 2-seeded team, advanced earlier today by
defeating Randolph, N.J., 3-0.
In the New England final Monday night, South Burlington, Vt.,
will play Lincoln, R.I. South Burlington, seeded fourth, upset
previously unbeaten and top-seeded Wallingford, Conn., 3-0.
Earlier, Lincoln beat Pittsfield, Mass., 5-4.
The Rolando Paulino All-Stars had 10 of the first 11 batters reach
base on eight hits, one walk, three errors by Easton and two wild
pitches. One of those hits was a home run by Loilly Vinas, who
started the game at second base but then pitched the last five
innings, yielding only one hit, striking out six and giving up
only one walk, to the first batter he faced.,
Vinas was following a tough act, since the Bronx team's starting
pitcher, Danny Almonte, had struck out the side in the first
inning. Obviously convinced that his team's 9-0 lead would be
sufficient, the New York manager, Alberto Gonzalez, moved
Almonte to center field and brought in Vinas. That way Almonte
would be eligible to pitch in Tuesday's final since, under Little
League rules, a pitcher can appear in his team's next game if he
has pitched no more than an inning in a previous appearance.
With more than 150 of their fans cheering and dancing behind
their dugout, the Paulino All-Stars started out with a fury. After
Vinas reached on an error by the Easton second baseman, 8 of
the next 10 batters hit safely, including Vinas, who homered over
the left-field fence in his second at-bat in the inning.
Vinas was superb on the mound, retiring 15 of the 17 batters he
faced over the last five innings and striking out the side in the
fourth. The Paulino All-Stars added two more runs in the sixth
when Hector Rodriguez and Carlos Garcia singled and,
following a passed ball, scored on a double by Santos Sierra to
make it 11-0.
Despite his team's impressive performance, Gonzalez refused to
talk to reporters after the game and also refused to permit any of
his players to do so, as is the custom with the winning team in a
Little League regional tournament.