12U Pirates warm up for Field of Screams Tournament by sweeping the Eagles in doubleheader at Lyon Park
October 5, 2023 at 1:31 a.m.
In a warmup for the first multi-team tween age group fundraising Field of Screams Tournament Saturday and Sunday (10/7/8) at Lyon Park, the Port Chester Youth Baseball League 12U Pirates ran their undefeated fall season Greater Hudson Valley Baseball League record to an undefeated 6-0 with a doubleheader sweep of the Eastchester Eagles last Sunday (10/1).
It was the Pirates’ latest positive step forward in their march towards an upcoming end-of-summer tournament against some of the nation's best age-group teams during a stay-and-play week at Upstate Cooperstown, hallowed home of the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame.
Fundraising goal
Playing in that kind of tournament costs money, lots of it, around $20,000 for room, board and tourney expenses for the team and its coaches, a minimum of $1,500 per week for each of the players and their coaches.
The Field of Screams Tournament is the Pirates’ latest fundraising attempt at defraying that cost.
Proceeds from most of the concessions and raffle proceeds from the Lyon Park tourney will go towards the Cooperstown cost as well as the Breast Cancer Research Foundation with the Pirates further participating in October Breast Cancer Awareness Month by wearing some form of pink on their uniforms.
Six participating teams
So will players from the other six teams participating in the Field of Screams showcase: The 11 and 12U Port Chester Clippers and 12U teams including the Port Chester Bombers, Stamford Warriors, Tuckahoe TYA and the Larchmont Little League. Pool play will start with games scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. and conclude by 5 p.m. Saturday. The knockout round Sunday will start at 9 a.m. with the championship game scheduled to begin at 3 p.m.
Because the recent torrential rains and inclement weather canceled so many GHVBL games, the teams are anxious to get back into action and play for a worthy cause.
The Pirates step up
The Pirates showed they hadn't lost a step due to the canceled games by coming on strong in beating the Eagles 11-1 and 4-3 in their recent home doubleheader.
In the opening game, the Malhotra brothers helped the Pirates dominate the Eagles with Aaron pitching a one hitter, striking out nine batters while walking five and leading the team with two runs batted in while bro Alex also had multiple base hits. The Pirates showed patience at the plate, their plate discipline resulting in eight walks that contributed to their stealing eight bases.
Deep team roster
The nightcap was a lot closer with Eastchester scoring three runs off pitcher Jack Louis who kept the Pirates in the game by scattering four hits over three innings while striking out seven batters and walking three. Fabio Garcia Jr. got the save by allowing just one hit in two innings while striking out two batters and walking one. Michael Vernace and Ross Kantor got the clutch hits that got the Pirates back in the game with the team running wild on the basepaths, their eight stolen bases helping them steal the game.
Other clutch contributions came from Louis Rytelewski, Braden Squillace, Wesley Loizeaux, Tyler Varbero and Juan Garcia.
"It was good to see the boys play so well in sweeping the doubleheader after having so many games canceled due to the rains and inclement weather," said Fabio Garcia, one of the coaches along with Steve Rytelewski, George Varbero and John Louis.
How to contribute
He explained that the Pirates have set up a GoFundMe page https://gofund.me/a082506a to help defray the Cooperstown Tournament cost for the week's play at the end of August 2024 with monthly payments coming to $3,960 per month and an initial $1,000 down payment to reserve a spot already made. Five more monthly installments are due on the 15th of November, January, February, March and April. Any leftover funds will go towards entering the Pirates to play in the Cal Ripken National Tournament in Myrtle Beach, S.C., later in the summer.
"It's a great way for the Pirates to end their careers before they age out of Little League play once they enter their teens," Garcia said. "The kids have worked hard and deserve a chance to show what they can do at Cooperstown. And we would appreciate all the help we can get from a supportive Port Chester community."
Further information: [email protected].
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