Special to the Transcript
The 2022 Winthrop Little League baseball season concluded last week with the A Division Cubs winning the League Championship.
The Cubs defeated the Twins, Mariners and Cardinals to take home the title in the WLL double elimination tournament.
The mighty Cardinals finished the season as the number 1 seed but were shocked by a much-improved Mariners team in the first round. Meanwhile, the Cubs squeaked by a powerful Twins team 2-1 thanks to a masterful pitching performance by Braedon Lounsbury.
The 12-year-old all-star pitched a complete game with 13 strike outs and scattered 4 hits. One of those hits was a home run blast by the Twins’ Luke Griffin in the top of the 6th that proved to be the only run allowed. Two batters later, Lounsbury’s last strike out sent the Cubs into the winner’s bracket.
The Mariners were up next. All Star Clark McHugh turned in a stellar pitching performance of his own for the Cubs’ dub. McHugh pitched four and two-thirds innings, striking out 11 with zero walks in a big-time playoff pitching debut.
The offense was ignited by Mikey Noonan who crushed a 1st inning inside the park Grand Slam to stake the Cubs to a 4-0 lead. But the gritty Mariners refused to go quietly. Led by the versatile Stephen Barron and hard-hitting shortstop Braylen Ancillo, the Mariners cut the lead to 4-3. Some clutch defense by second baseman Camden Lounsbury stymied the Mariners rally. And first inning hero Mikey Noonan took the mound to close the door on this nail-biter by recording the last 4 outs, sealing the deal on the 5-4 win. Noonan’s impressive stat line: 1-2 at the plate with a Grand Slam, 1 run scored, 4 RBIs and a 31 pitch Save. Wow!
The Cardinals rebounded to shut out the Mariners 7-0 in a pitcher’s duel that was closer than the final score indicates. The Cardinals scored 5 runs in the bottom of the 5th led by slugger Danny Connolly who smashed a 2-run home run. Connolly led the league in homers this season with 3. Speedy leadoff man and pitcher Jimmy Delaney spun a 2-hitter into the 6th inning to notch the win. Mariners’ star lefty Ethan Staff tossed a gem but the Cards depth including catcher JJ Melchionda and 3rd baseman/pitcher Jace Pereira was just too much.
The Championship match up was now set. The Cardinals would have to win 2 games vs the Cubs to win the trophy – the Cubs, from the winner’s bracket, needed to win one. But the Cards had swept the season series, winning all 3 games, 15 – 1, 7-4 and 10 – 5.
On May 1, Winthrop Little League dedicated the 2022 season to Kelly Lounsbury who passed away in January. Kelly was a baseball mom and a former member of the WLL Board of Directors.
Each Little League baseball player’s uniform was adorned with a ribbon for ovarian cancer awareness with Kelly’s initials: K.L. #11.
On May 1 at the WLL Opening Ceremony, Kelly’s three baseball boys threw out ceremonial first pitches to open the little league season in her honor.
So the Cubs, featuring Braedon Lounsbury at catcher, Camden at 2nd base, dad Geoff in the dugout with B Division star and Special Assistant Logan Lounsbury, took the field as heavy underdogs against the Cardinals. The talented Cards were poised to beat the Cubs again.
But not this time. The Cubs were fired up.
It was Dom Farrell’s turn to be the star pitcher. The first year player pitched 3 and two-thirds innings surrendering just 4 hits with 7 strike outs. Farrell welcomed the challenge of pitching in his first playoff game and rose to the occasion. The Cardinals’ all stars Dante Pellecchia and multi-talented Carmen DiPrisco each hit inside the park home runs but it wasn’t enough. Joe Marx, another first year WLL player, scored a run and snagged 2 RBIs to lead the way offensively for the Cubs.
The 17 runs by the Cubs were the most scored all season and too much for the Cardinals to overcome. The Cubs are the 2022 Winthrop Little League A Division Champs!
Congratulations to the Cubs: Liam Gallagher, Dom Farrell, Camden Lounsbury, Braedon Lounsbury, Clark McHugh, Michael Noonan, Joe Marx, R.J. Baez, Lucciano Talluto, Tommy Zaffini, Ryan Buchman and Declan Cassidy. Coaches Greg Cassidy, Greg Buchman, Geoff Lounsbury. Special Assistant Logan Lounsbury
Thanks to Winthrop Little League Board of Directors, all volunteer coaches and parents for a wonderful season!