Lindy National Advances after Winning District 34 Tourney

The Lindenhurst National Little League has won the Williamsport District 34 tournament, thanks to its team of talented 13- and 14-year-old boys who play for the love of baseball and the pride of Lindy.

The team of 12 - consisting of four kids from three teams in the league - defeated teams from Half Hollow Hills and West Islip to advance on a path that could lead them on to state and nationals, according to Team Manager Michael DiGiuseppe.

In fact, tonight the team takes on Brentwood tonight in sectionals at in Dix Hills at 6 p.m.

“Now they’re going to up against other district winners from Long Island in a round robin competition with a championship game,” DiGiuseppe told Lindenhurst Patch on Tuesday.

The Team
To get to this point DiGiuseppe and the coaches, Keith Donnelly and Angelo Carbone, last month had to quickly pull together the team, which includes Angel Reyes, Joe Passabile, Joe DiGiuseppe, Chris Donnelly, Will Flohr, Erich Ruckart, Alex Mazzola, Keith Kirby, John (JM) Michael Doyle, Bronson Doherty and Zach Lieberz.

“The league hadn’t done it in about seven or eight years - the last time it did this the team had players like , who went onto to the state championship (in 2010) for the high school,” DiGiuseppe said.

This year the league had a few coaches, like DiGiuseppe, who wanted to give the kids another shot at it. And they got the blessing of Bill Atkinson, league president.

But after the league, the coaches and the parents - like Corinna Reyes, who’s been handling all of the paperwork and organizational details for the tourney - pulled it together, DiGiuseppe said the team had only one practice together before the tourney started on July 2.

Injuries also plagued the team. One kid, Sean Coughlin, sustained a head injury playing basketball, so he couldn’t play. Another kid, Tommy Olszewski, broke his leg the night before the District 34 tournament started.

“But they came down, and Tommy was cheering on his crutches,” DiGiuseppe said, who noted it’s these kids’ attitudes, love of the game and desire to play with friends and for their hometown that gave this team its heart as it won against some serious competition in the week-long district tourney.

Winning the Tourney
“They walked into the playoffs bracket after beating Half Hollow Hills and West Islip - teams that were put together especially for this tournament, and have been working all through the Winter and Spring for this,” he said.

“That’s what makes it pretty special. These kids want to be here. They love it. You’ll see these kids playing baseball at West Gates or Kienle Field with their friends. They could’ve played for a lot of other teams - the travel teams - but they wanted to play for their hometown,” said DiGiuseppe.

They’re also not intimidated by competition. In fact, in the qualifying round the team initially lost to HHH in extra innings on a balk.

“For that call to be made, and then for them to come back and win against them - when they came back they were like Mel Gibson in Braveheart,” said DiGiuseppe, who’s coached some of the boys since they were seven years old.

It’s the team’s heart, positive attitude and talent - guided by DiGiuseppe, Donnelly and Carbone and supported by parents and the community - which they’ll need tonight as they take on Brentwood.

If the team wins and wins two out of three against Massapequa (tomorrow night) and East Meadow (on Friday), then it’ll have a shot to play in Monday night’s championship game.

But for now it’s all about taking it one game at a time, DiGiuseppe said.

To root for the home team here’s the schedule this week:

• Lindy National v Brentwood, , Tuesday, July 17, 6 p.m.
• Lindy National v Massapequa, , Wednesday, July 18, 6 p.m.
• Lindy National v East Meadow, , Friday, July 20, 5:45 p.m.