New Hyde Park Girls Little League Roundup: 2013 Williamsport Tournament

The following article was posted by Geoffrey Walter. It was written by TJ Jones.

2013 Little League Williamsport Tournament; New Hyde Park Little League 9/10 Girls All-Star Softball Team

After a good year for the New Hyde Park Little League and the girls softball program two girls teams were selected to compete in the Little League Williamsport Tournament. The 11/12 year old division (Major's) placed second in the NY District 29 Williamsport Tournament and a big congratulations goes to them and their manager Kevin Mikowski.

Eleven of the 12 girls on the major's division team will be returning for the 2014 season. We look forward to seeing them return and meeting their goals for the 2014 Little League Williamsport Tournament. Updates for this team were posted in previous editions.

New Hyde Park Little League Girls 9/10 (Minors) Division entered its All-Star team into the 2013 Williamsport Tournament as well. On June 26 New Hyde Park drew Garden City South for its first game of the tournament, played at Whalen Field in Malverne. Although it was a close game, New Hyde Park fell to Garden City South 11-7. The game was 7-6 in the top of the sixth inning when J. Piotrowski (GCS) hit a grand slam to take the lead 11-6 and New Hyde Park could only come back with their bats to score one run making the final score 11-7. Megan Bleeker pitched two innings with three K's followed by Claire Mikowski who racked up 8 K's. Paige Jones went 2-3 with a single and a triple, two runs scored, and three RBI's while Katie Hopkins had 4 walks and two runs scored.

New Hyde Park's second game was on Jun 28 verses Malverne at Rath/Pistillo Fields in Franklin Square. New Hyde Park started the game off with three singles and scored twice. Malverne was allowed only two hits and three runs the entire day while Megan Bleeker (New Hyde Park) again racked up 13 K's and allowed only three runs and C. Mikowski closed with eight pitches to retire three batters. P. Jones again had a single and double with two runs scored and one RBI while Mikowski had a double and 2 runs scored. Katie Hopkins had two singles and a double and three RBI's  and Ashley Rullo had two singles and a double and scored one run. New Hyde Park ousted Malverne 8-3 and advance to the quarterfinals to face off again against Garden City South. The winner of this game would face Franklin Square in the semi-finals and have the chance to advance to the NY Section V Williamsport Tournament and claim the NY District 29 Championship.

New Hyde Park's third game vs. Garden City South was on July 2. This was a back and forth battle all day. The first inning ended 2-2 then in the third Garden City South went up by three to make it 5-2. In the third inning New Hyde Park ran through its lineup plus two more batters to take a 7-5 lead and hold Garden City South to no runs and only four batters with a total of seven K's at this point in the game. During the fourth and fifth innings Garden City South scored one run each to tie the game 7-7. It went to the bottom of the sixth inning 7-7 tie with Garden City South's number 5 hitter (Arianna Millan) at the plate, bases loaded and a 0-1 count with one out. Then the sky turned a deep dark grey as the clouds pushed lower and came at us faster and faster, with rain beginning to fall heavilly. The game was postponed until 4:30 p.m. the next day.

When we returned the next day, play picked up where it had left off, bases loaded, one out, 0-1 count to Arianna Millan, the No. 5 batter in their order, Claire Mikowski Pitching for New Hyde Park. With the count full Mikowski through change-up to strike out Millan. Now, two outs & bases loaded. We faced their #6 hitter (Morales) who had two strikeouts and a walk in her previous at bats. New Hyde Park moved its infield up next to the pitcher and the outfield to the infield positions. With our defense equally spread among the infield of course the count goes full (3 balls & 2 Strikes) bases loaded, game tied 7-7. Then Morales (GCS) swings hard and makes contact with Mikowski's fastball. The ball hit on a line drive just squeaking between our pitcher, shortstop and center fielder getting a base hit and allowing the winning run to score from second, giving Garden City South the 8-7 win and who would proceed to the semifinals against Franklin Square.

New Hyde Park was awarded third in the NY District 29 Williamsport Tournament.

Congratulations to Garden City South who eventually won the NY District 29 championship and proceeded to compete in the NY Section V Williamsport tournament.

The most recent update available was that Garden City South was 2-1 in the NY Section V Tournament play, defeating all their opponents by scores of 8-1, 13-1, 9-1 and lost one game by a score of 4-5.

New Hyde Park was just that close, but now they can't wait until 2014 with nine of the 13 girls returning to the team for the 2014 New Hyde Park 9-10 girls season.

Congratulations to the New Hyde Park LL 9/10 All-Star Team for representing New Hyde Park, New Hyde Park Little League and competing in the Little League International Williamsport Tournament.

Good Luck to Katie Hopkins, Marisa Ogden, Megan Bleeker, & Maria Lodato who will be moving up to the Major League Softball program in 2014. The 2013 9/10 team consists of; Manager Bino Rullo; Coaches: TJ Jones, Mauren Ogden, George Hopkins and Jason Torres.

A special thanks to Monique Roberge for her insight, assistance & volunteering her time, the entire team of girls looks up to you, Monique.

Team Members:  Ashley Rullo, Paige Jones, Marisa Ogden, Katie Hopkins, Isabella Torres, Claire Mikowski, Julia Kurzrock, Emily Locker, Sophia Giamarino, Sophia Kasimatis, Erin Batting, Maria Lodato, & Megan Bleeker.

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