Bluedevils mainatain hold on first

The Island Now

The New Hyde Park 15U Bluedevils faced the South Shore Chiefs on Sunday in a doubleheader pitting the top two teams. 

After getting shutout in the opener, the Bluedevils erupted with a 19-10 victory in game two and extended their first place lead in the division to five points over the Chiefs. 

Michael Greene led the attack, collecting four hits, including a home run and two runs scored. Ray Close added two hits, including back-to-back home runs with Greene, Niko Rullo scored a run, Liam Gallagher had two hits and two RBIs, Kyle Cajigas, had two hits and three runs scored and an RBI, Doug Obidienzo had two hits, three runs scored and two RBIs, John Hayes had two hits, three runs scored and two RBIs, Dylan Savarese had two walks, a run scored and an RBI, Anthony Pomara had a hit and drove in one, Matt Gorman had a hit, scored a run and had two RBIs, Mike Thornton had a run scored and two RBIs and Vincent Balletta, scored and drive in one. The New Hyde Park Bluedevils’ record now stands at 16-2 and lead the division with 50 points.

Earlier in the week, the Bluedevils, coming off their first loss of the season to the Smithtown Bulls, 3-2, responded with two wins against the Bethpage Eagles in a home-and-away series this week. 

The challenge for the Bluedevils was not only the sweltering heat, but also the reality of players on vacation, football workouts and a rash of injuries and were only able to field eight players last Tuesday against the Eagles. 

Kyle Cajigas threw five strong innings, giving up six hits, three walks, five runs (three earned) while striking out four. 

The offense was led by Michael Greene, who was on base all four times and scored four runs. Trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the first, Greene walked and advanced to third on John Hayes’ single to left. Cajigas delivered the first run with a fielder’s choice and Anthony Pomara drove in Hayes with a sacrifice fly to right to tie the score at 2-2 after one inning. 

The Eagles pushed their third run across in the top of the third and the Bluedevils rallied in their half of the inning. Greene, Hayes and Cajigas walked to load the bases and after several foul balls, Pomara drew a bases-loaded walk to tie the score at three. With the bases loaded, Dylan Savarese drove a pitch into the right-center field gap to drive home all three runs and give New Hyde Park a 6-3 lead.  Raymond Close, who was also on base all four times, scored on Vincent Balletta’s RBI single in the third. Greene then followed with a two-run home run to extend the lead to 9-3. 

In the fourth, the Bluedevils continued the offensive onslaught. Doug Obidienzo, who had three hits and two runs scored, Close, Balletta, Niko Rullo and Greene all came home to extend the lead to 14-4. The Eagles pushed a run home in the top of the fifth and the Bluedevils responded with Obidienzo lead-off hit, walks to Savarese and Close and Balletta delivering the walk-off hit for the winning score of 15-5.

The following day the Bluedevils traveled out to Bethpage for the rematch and the Eagles found out that the Bluedevils were ready to play, this time with just nine players.

Dylan Savarese led off the game with a walk and promptly stole second base. John Hayes followed with a walk and after Kyle Cajigas grounded into a fielder’s choice, Liam Gallagher delivered a three-run home run deep to right field for an early 3-0 lead. Doug Obidienzo was hotter on the mound than the heat, tossing seven innings, giving up three runs (two earned), while allowing just four hits, one walk and striking out 8. Obidienzo finished the game in the seventh inning with three consecutive strikeouts. 

On offense, Hayes had two hits and two runs scored, Cajigas scored twice, Ray Close had two hits and a run scored and Eric Mihok had two hits and an RBI. Joe Elkashash played solid at first base and Vincent Balletta was on base all four times he got up. Savarese led the defense with five assists and one putout in the field. The winning score was 9-3.

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