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RYE, N.Y. Sherman Park capped a perfect run through the playoffs Saturday with a 7-5 win over Harrison in the District 20 Little League Baseball Minors Championship at Disbrow Park.
Sherman Park went 5-0 in the tournament, including two wins over Harrison.
Sherman Park advances to the Section 4 Championships scheduled to begin Tuesday and run through Monday, July 16, at Warwick Little League in Orange County. Sherman Park opens at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday against the winner of New Rochelle (District 21)-Briarcliff (District 33).
Following the game and banner presentation, the team enjoyed celebratory doughnuts. This feels great, said Joe Pennini, who belted a two-run homer in a four-run first inning. Weve been working real hard all summer for this.
Winning pitcher Domenick Fensore agreed. Running around with the banner made me really happy, said Fensore, 10, a sixth-grader to be at Westlake Middle School. If it wasnt for my team, I wouldnt have been able to hold the banner.
Fensore and his teammates, on the advice of manager John Pugni, interrupted a parent photo session to run around the field with the District 20 championship banner before settling in for more photos.
Sherman Park jumped out to a 4-0 lead after one inning. After a run-scoring single by Tommy Minafra and sacrifice fly from Sal Nardone, Pennini fell behind in the count, 0-2, before powering a shot over the wall in right center.
Once I had the two strikes on me I knew I had to protect the plate, said Pennini, 10, a fifth-grader-to-be at Columbus Elementary School. We were up 2-0, but we wanted to score more runs. I swung at a pitch that was there and I was lucky enough that it went out of the park.
Harrison rallied in the fourth, closing the gap to 7-4 on a Justin Altamuro two-run homer. However, Minafra turned a double play to snuff out the Harrison comback. In the sixth, Harrison had runners on first and second with one out when second baseman Kyle Saul went back and caught Taisei Ishibashis flare that appeared to be dropping for a hit.
Dante Girardi went 3-for-4 and scored a run for Harrison. Anthony Mastrogiacomo, Jimmy Horvath and Ishibasi each had RBI singles.
Harrison 002 210 5 10 3Sherman Park 403 00x 7 6 1
RBI H: Justin Altamuro 2, Anthony Mastrogiacomo, Jimmy Horvath, Taisei Ishibashi; SP: Joe Pennini 2, Tommy Minafra, Sal Nardone, Anthony Scaglione. HR H: Justin Altamuro; SP: Joe Pennini. WP Domenick Fensore. LP Ben Seibel.
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