Putnam Valley Miners Earn No.1 Seed in GHVBL 10U A-Division
Examiner Sports Editor@Directrays
A couple of hard-nosed 10U Greater Hudson Valley Baseball League teams got after each other last week when the host Putnam Valley Miners (11-4) avenged a previous loss to the mighty New Castle Mustangs (13-6) by posting a 5-2 victory at Rotary Field.
The future appears bright in both neighborhoods as the two A-League teams — PV and New Castle — looked to secure the No.1 and No.3 seeds, respectively, in the upcoming GHVBL playoffs, which are slated to begin this week and conclude on August 23rd.
Braden McCarty, Chris Constantino, Logan Moriarty, Nicholas Martinelli and Jack Marinelli each knocked in a run for the Miners, who got a solid starting effort from P Roman Catalano (6 Ks over three frames). The Miners followed up that win with a 14-8 triumph over the Beacon Bulldogs. Nick DelFico and Moriarty both doubled, singled and scored two runs for the winners.
“I couldn’t be more proud of these kids, the parents and the coaches,” Manager Billy Benedetto exclaimed. “This is unreal!”
The Yorktown Huskers 8U team has torn up the A-Division, going 12-3-1 to lock down the No.1 seed. They are the team to beat.
The Yorktown Heat are 11-6 in the 9U A-Division and stand a good chance to advance deep into the playoffs after an 8-1 win over Somers Red Storm (9-8-1) last Thursday. Nick Marcello and Cameron Carrillo each drove home two runs for the winners. Franke Pirrone (2 runs) and Logan Kaplan each had two hits and an RBI for the Heat, who saw pitchers JoJo Valle, Pirrone and Kyle Nelson combine on a gem.
“The team has been improving over the course of the season,” Yorktown Coach Caroleo said. “Our hitting has been strong this year. It is a great group of boys who work hard and are happy to be out on the field playing this year.”
The Corltandt Americans (11-8) and New Castle Labradors (9-2) are right on their tails in the A-Division. The 9U B-Division features Somers, Putnam Valley Miners (9-4), Shrub Oak Storm (8-8) and the Cortland Nationals (8-4).
The 10U divisions are closely contested and the Armonk Bobcats (10-7), Ossining Pride (8-3), Briarcliff Bears (11-6) and Carmel Cubs (11-1) are right in the mix of the B-Division.
The 11U divisions are crazy, with nearly 50 teams challenging for titles. In the A-Division, the Brewster Crush Orange (8-6-1) and Yorktown Crusaders (6-5) are legit. The B-Division sees three Dutchess County teams among the top five, but the Mahopac Wolves (13-2) are solid contenders as a potential No.2 seed. The Somers Red Storm (14-6) and Putnam Valley Pride Blue (10-3) should not be slept on.
The Yorktown Lightning (10-4) lead the 12U A-Division while the Briarcliff Bears (12-2) and East Coast Mavs (12-1) are battling for second place in the B-Division.
The 13U B-Division has seen both the Patterson Pirates (13-2) and Putnam Valley Wild (11-3) putting forth sensational efforts, with 9er Baseball checking in at 10-9.
The Cortlandt Nationals (7-3-1) have had a steady season in the 14U A-Division while the Hit-&-Run Academy of White Plains is 5-0-1. The Somers Red Storm (11-3), Hit-&-Run (8-3-1), Brewster Brigade (9-3) and Bedford Hills (8-7) are soaring up the B-Division rankings.
The Patterson Pirates (7-2) are making strong move in the 15U B-Division. The Yorktown Rebels (11-0) have yet to be beaten in the 16U A-Division and appear poised to make a deep playoff run while Mahopac (7-4-1) has been a steady contender in the B-Division.
Ray has 33 years experience covering and photographing local sports in Westchester and Putnam counties, including everything from Little League/Travel Baseball to varsity high school prep sports and collegiate coverage. He has been a sports editor at Examiner Media since its inception in 2007.
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