KTBA teams continue winning ways on the diamonds

June 25, 2013 · 0 Comments

By Wayne Rudnitski

It was a light week of baseball action but a successful one nonetheless for King Township teams as they garnered 3 wins against a single loss. With school winding down and the summer weather beginning to heat up, the coaches will have their hands full to keep the players sharp and focused. The temptation of some to seek out freezies or the ice cream truck may prove too strong this week given the high heat and humidity that is expected. And with the Blue jays finding the winner’s circle more often than not lately, it is looking like an exciting summer of baseball fun in store at all levels!

Mosquito

The Armstrong Petroleum King Cobras continued to show its determination in 2 games last week. They wound up on the short end of a 15-4 score to the Vaughan Preform on June 18. The team played hard in an exciting game against a strong opponent.   Offensively the team went down swinging with RBIs by Gregory Aloia, Claudio Cericola and Oliver Mahan.
However, despite fleet feet on the base paths and base steals, the team left too many players on base and couldn’t catch up.    Massimo Amantea showed off his pitching skills shutting out the opponents in the 4th inning.
On June 21, Armstrong Petroleum faced Vaughan Sports International in its first mid-season tournament game, winning 6–1.   Solid base hits accompanied by a career-first RBI by Paolo Venuti and double RBI hits by both Oliver Mahan and Vince Marra helped bring the team to victory. After some base thefts and some amazing base hits Joseph Jones came home to score his first run of the season.
Cooper Mull showed off his talent in the outfield with a great catch and quick throw to Marra to get the out at 1st base.    Marra didn’t stop here he snagged a grounder to retire another runner at 1st base, followed by a great inning as back catcher.
Adam Khan and Massimo Amantea continued to dominate at pitching and with a quick arm and ability to read the batters they held back the opponents and did not allow any runs in the 1st and 4th inning. The team showed incredible spirit with lots of cheers for “Red Cobras.” The team continues to play additional tournament games all weekend – stay tuned for the results.
The June 18 Armstrong Petroleum Player of the Game was Massimo Amantea and the June 21 Armstrong Petroleum Player of the Game was Vince Marra.

Peewee

The Grignano Racco Chartered Accountants King Cobra peewee team travelled to Vaughan on June 17 to face Vaughan Boston Pizza and came home with a 14-10 win.
The top of the first inning started slow at the plate for the Cobras, but in the bottom starting pitcher Ben Brown shut out the Vikings with an amazing three-up, three-down performance. In the second inning, the Grignano Racco team found their batting groove and scored 5 runs. Daniel Grignano, Marshall Moore, Brown, Luca Panziera and Nick Galifi all crossed the dish on doubles by Moore, Panziera and Nicholas Petrungaro and on singles by Galifi and Logan Hall. Panziera then hit the hill for Grignano Racco and started with a punchout. Brown made a diving circus catch in centre field for the 2nd out, and Panziera closed out the inning with a throw to Grignano on first base. The Cobras limited the opponent to 3 runs this inning with their sharp defensive play.
The Grignano Racco squad continued to rally at the plate in the third inning and rang up 4 more runs.

Julian Siracusa, Ryan Sutherland-Pace, Grignano and Moore scored on singles by Moore and Brown and with aggressive base running. In the bottom of the third, Sutherland-Pace took to the mound and limited the opponent to 1 run with a whiff and a run-down and tag on a runner trying to steal home. Galifi also nailed an out this inning with a great defensive play at first.
In the fourth inning Petrungaro, Tristan Vosylius, and Daniil Bacalear loaded up the bags with keen eyes, and scored with their wheels. Grignano blasted a gapper and brought Siracusa and Sutherland-Pace across the dish. Although the Vikings managed to score 5 runs in the final inning, it was too late, the Cobras had sealed their win!
Player of the game honours goes to Daniel Grignano for going 3-for-3 at the plate with a double, 2 RBIs, and 2 runs scored.

Bantam

On June 17, the Husky King Cobras travelled to Vaughan Sports Village to play Vaughan Heaven’s. Husky played shorthanded the entire game as they could only assemble seven players but the Cobras unwavering determination also proved to be their biggest strength toward victory.
Jr. Ritter skillfully pitched three solid innings and only allowed two runs. The first inning saw the resolute Cobras score a remarkable five runs as Scott Cameron, Ethan Cooney, Micheal DiCarlo, Ritter, Leighton Costanzo and Thomas Galt all reached base setting the bar high for Heaven’s Delight to follow.
In the second inning Husky scored four more runs as the team batted through the order. An additional three runs were scored by the good guys in the third and fourth innings. Zachery Long pitched a triumphant shut out inning in the fourth and the Cobras emerged victorious by a final 12-2 tally.
Special mention goes to Costanzo who was a perfect 3 for 3 at the plate and a walk. Player of the game honours goes to Ritter for his celebrated three runs scored and his outstanding pitching performance. Another great game King Cobras.

Player of the Week

The KTBA Cobra Player of the Week honour goes to Vince Marra of the Armstrong Petroleum King Cobras peewee team. Marra was a force to be reckoned with both at the plate delivering run scoring hits and helping to anchor the victory with his play behind the plate from the back catcher position.