15-Nationals

The Sports Page Rockets won the 18AA Upper Division Championship of the NABA's Hall of Fame Wood Bat Tournament in Cooperstown Tuesday, July 3, defeating the Tarrytown Lookouts of the NABA Westchester-Rockland league 10-4 in the title game at historic Doubleday Field. Earlier in the day, the Rockets blanked a previously unbeaten Connecticut Storm team 11-0 in the 18AA semifinals, played at Veterans Memorial Park in Little Falls, about an hour away from Cooperstown. In the championship game, the Rockets rallied from early 2-0 and 4-2 deficits, took a 5-4 lead on Phil Levri's RBI single, stretched it to 7-4, then Brian Fitzsimmons put the game out of reach with a booming 3-run homer in the bottom of the 8th inning. It was his third hit of the game and it carried an estimated 425 feet. Earlier he had an RBI double and a single. He also did a great job in relief of starter Mike Smollon, going 3 2/3 innings of one-hit, shutout baseball, fanning seven. Mike Conant had a triple, double and single and drove in a run. Billy Brescia had three hits, one of them a double, and Joe Young came up big with two doubles and a single, with an RBI. Phil Levri's RBI single in the 7th drove in the run that gave the Rockets a lead they would never relinquish. Dave Machado had a pair of hits and Brandon Gallo one. The defensive play of the game was made by Chris Brescia, chasing down a sure extra base hit with an over the head catch in deep left center field. He also raced in to score a crucial run from first base on a double by Conant. ROAD TO THE TITLE ROCKETS 13 MIDDLESEX (NJ)BEARS The Rockets established their credentials early, beating the top seeded team in their pool, the Middlesex (NJ)Bears 13-3 behind the pitching of Mike Conant and the hitting of Phil Levri. Levri ripped a two run homer and drove in another run with a sacrifice fly. Romy Ones had three hits, Billy Brescia two, including a two-run single. Joe Young and Brandon Gallo each singled twice, each one driving in a run to account for four runs. Dave Machado had two hits, Conant a double and single, Chris Brescia had one hit and Brian Fitzsimmons hit a long sacrifice fly to the base of the right field fence. SUSQUEHANNA SAMARI 10 ROCKETS 6 The Rockets' only loss of the tournament came at Doubleday Field in their second game on Saturday, when they were defeated by a very impressive Samari squad from Lancaster, PA. Starter Ricardo Castillo didn't pitch badly, but didn't get the top notch defense the Rockets turned in during the opener. Leadoff hitter Machado had a double, single and RBI, and scored four times. Billy Brescia and Fitzsimmons both had two singles, two RBIs, while Levri, Mike Conant and Chris Atkins had one hit apiece. The Pennsylvanians were dazzling on defense, reeling off three double plays and making two diving catches in the outfield. ROCKETS 14 PLEASANTVILLE (NY) RED SOX 4 With all four teams in their pool showing 1-1 records after day one, the Rockets faced a "must" win if they were to make the semifinals. Veteran Mike Smollon was terrific on the hill, pitching shutout baseball for four innings while the Rockets built up a 6-0 lead. He was helped by some tremendous infield defense, particularly at shortstop where Ones roamed the middle infield like a mine sweeper. Then an electrical storm hit the Little Falls area, causing a three-hour rain delay. When play resumed, it was as though nothing happened. Smollon continued his steady pitching and the hitting got even better. Ones drove in five runs with a 2-run homer, two run double and RBI single. Levri drilled a solo homer four singles (5 for 5 with an RBI). Fitzsimmons socked a solo homer, RBI double and single, Conant contributed a 2-run triple, and RBI double, Billy Brescia had a double and single, Machado an , Chris Atkins a single and Roy Nino chipped in with an RBI. ROCKETS 11 CONNECTICUT STORM 0 (SEMIFINAL) Due to Sunday's rains, the Rockets' semifinal game had to be put off until Tuesday morning, same day as the championship and in Little Falls, a one hour's drive. The team responded by blanking the tournament's only unbeaten team to that point (3-0), and the "B" pool winner---the Storm. Conant was brilliant in fashioning a three-hitter and the team powered his strong mound effort by supplying a 12-hit offense. Conant helped his own cause with three hits and four RBIs. Billy Brescia had three hits and an RBI, Ones two and an RBI, Young two hits, Levri an RBI double, Fitzsimmons a run producing single and Gallo a single. Conant fanned ten batters to send the Rockets to the final.