FPLL Major Yankees

Solid defense, strong pitching, and timely offense led the Yankees to a 5-0 win over the Nationals Saturday afternoon. Danny DeSmit struck out ten and gave up three weak singles while Ryan Dixon came in to record a strikeout to end the game.

On offense, the Bombers got all the runs they needed in the first inning when Jack Broach worked a full-count walk then came around to score on three passed balls.

The winners added four insurance runs in the fourth inning on three hits. Devon Donis beat out a single to open the frame before Danny DeSmit singled. Matthew Baswell walked on four pitches to load the bases. Danny scored when he faked a steal of home, drawing a throw to third base that eluded the third baseman.

Joe Morrison hit a chopper towards shortstop scoring Devon and loading the bases again. Danny scored when he faked a steal of home, drawing a throw to third base that eluded the third baseman.

With two strikes on Charlie Doyle, Matthew took third on a passed ball then scored when the throw went into left field. Joe came flying around the bases and, when the left fielder was slow to pick up the ball, scored from first base without a play.

Matthew stopped a Nationals threat in the second inning when he threw out a runner attempting to steal second base as the batter struck out. Charlie, Devon, and Ryan all had fine plays in the field.

In the fifth inning, Alex Croswhite lifted a soft liner nabbed by the shortstop; Alex Duvall almost beat out a grounder to second base, and Antonio Howard raced to first to beat the throw on a ground ball to the infield. Jack then walked to put runners on first and second before the Yankees were retired.

The Yankees pounded out 12 hits and Devon Donis and Ryan Dixon combined for a three-hitter in a 9-3 triumph over the Tigers Wednesday at Fleet Park.

 Dixon also starred at the plate, leading the Bombers' attack with three sharp hits and scoring three runs.

The victors wasted no time getting on the board in the first inning. Jack Broach raked a full-count double before Dixon singled to plate him. Devon Donis ripped a hit to score Dixon.

After Danny DeSmit and Charlie Doyle made outs, Matthew Baswell walked. Joe Morrison bounced a single up the middle to score Donis.

Donis surrendered a home run to John Rogan in the bottom of the first to tie the score at three, but he came back strong to record a strikeout and an easy grounder to first base. From there, it was clear sailing for the Yankees' pitchers. Donis struck out seven while Dixon, the closer, notched two strikeouts.

The tie didn't last long. The Yankees came back to score three times with two outs in the second inning. Broach drilled a triple then scored on Dixon's single. Donis singled again and, when the ball got past the left fielder, he and Dixon scored, putting the visitors on top 6-3.

In the fourth inning, the Yankees added three insurance runs. Again, Broach and Dixon were the catalysts with two outs. Broach walked before Dixon drilled another single. Donis reached on an error. Then DeSmit slashed a gapper that eluded the outfield to score the runners. He was out at home after running through a stop sign at third base.

Donis walked just two and was relieved by Dixon with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Dixon struck out a batter, then closed the game in the sixth, shutting down the top of the Tigers' order with a ground ball to shortstop, a strikeout, and a fly ball corralled by Antonio Howard in center field.

Danny DeSmit struck out ten and yielded only three hits and the Yankees played flawless defense in a thrilling 2-1 win over the Royals Sunday at Fleet Park. Jack Broach raced home from third base on a wild pitch in the third inning with the go-ahead run. Devon Donis caught a soft liner at shortstop to start a double play to end the game in the sixth.

 DeSmit walked only three and yielded to Ryan Dixon, who recorded the final two outs.

The Royals threatened in the first with a double and a ground out to first, but DeSmit got a strikeout before Joe Morrison caught a towering pop to end the inning.

 The Yanks struck in the bottom of the inning when Ryan Dixon singled and went to second on a wild pitch. He scored on DeSmit's two-strike single to center.

With two out in the third inning, Broach legged out an infield single, then took second on a wild pitch before Ryan Dixon walked. Broach reached third on another wild pitch before scoring on a pitch that escaped the Royals' catcher. His slide just beat the tag of the Royals' pitcher.

On defense, Antonio Howard made a game-saving play in the fourth when a ground single to center got through the center fielder and he backed up the play from right, holding the runner at first base to open the inning. One of several opposing coaches who was watching later called it the play of the game. "You tell right fielders to back up the center fielder, but you never see it on something like that, a ground ball single," he noted.

 DeSmit then settled down and recorded two strikeouts and a short fly behind first base that Ryan Dixon snagged with a diving catch.

 DeSmit struck out the first batter in the top of the sixth, but had to be removed because of pitch count rules. Dixon relieved and surrendered a lazy fly single to center before getting two strikes on the next batter, who lifted a soft liner to Donis at short. He gloved it and fired across the diamond to Broach for the game-ending double play.

Afterward, the umpires remarked that it was one of the best-played Little League game they'd seen in a long way, on a par even with some high school games. Zach Milligan, DeSmit's counterpart for the Royals, also struck out ten and surrendered only three hits. Neither side committed an error.

  The Yankees erupted for four runs in six line-drive hits to the outfield in the fifth inning Saturday against the Mets to overcome a two-run deficit and go on to win 6-4.

The Bombers bats came alive in the frame with every player going to the plate. Antonio Howard worked a walk to open the inning before Jack Broach lashed the first pitch through the shortstop hole into leftfield. Ryan Dixon smashed a double to left to tie the game. Then Devon Donis delivered a ringing laser shot to leftfield to score Ryan. After a ground out by Danny DeSmit, Charlie Doyle slashed a ball into right center for a single scoring Donis. Matthew Baswell cracked a liner to left, putting runners at first and second. Then Joe Morrison smoked a liner past the first baseman down the right field line to load the bases. Antonio struck out to end the threat, but the Yankees were in command.

Single runs in the second and third innings set the table. Danny DeSmit singled, advanced to second on Matthew Baswell's walk and then scored on passed balls in the second inning. In the third inning, Antonio Howard walked, raced to second on Jack Broach's sacrifice bunt, then scored on wild pitches.

 Danny DeSmit set down the Mets in order in the top of the sixth to give the Yanks the win. Jack Broach started on the mound and pitched a strong first inning. He gave way to Ryan Dixon on the second. Dixon worked out of a jam and recorded three strikeouts over three innings. Danny DeSmit came on to pitch in the fifth inning and shut down the Mets, yielding only one base runner.

DeSmit made two key plays at second base with runners in scoring position to keep the Yanks within striking distance before their big inning. 

The Yankees pounded out seven hits and rode a combined no-hitter by Danny DeSmit and Devon Donis to a 4-1 triumph over the Nationals in the 2010 season opener at Fleet Park.

Charlie Doyle and Devon Donis each had two hits for the victors. DeSmit fanned seven in four innings while Donis closed down the win with four  strikeouts in two innings. 

Jack Broach got the Yanks on top in the first inning by legging out an infield single and advancing to second base on Ryan Dixon's sacrifice bunt. Donis roped a single to right center to plate Broach. 

The Yankees loaded the bases in the second inning on walks to Matthew Baswell, Dakota Somes, and Antonio Howard, but were unable to score.

 They broke open the game with two tallies in the fourth inning. Donis singled and DeSmit walked. Then Doyle ripped a double with Donis out at the plate. DeSmit scored on a passed ball before Baswell and Somes walked to load the bases. Then Joe Morrison lashed a two-out single to left field to score Doyle.

 The Yankees added an insurance run in the sixth inning when DeSmit smoked a one-out double to left. Doyle singled for his second RBI of the game.

 Antonio Howard made three key plays in the field, racing in to grab a fly ball to center in the first inning, then calmly gloving two ground balls at second base in the fifth inning.