By Jeff Sowa
The youth baseball action at Niagara Falls High School’s varsity softball field on Tuesday proved why a resurrection of the City Championship was long overdue.
It’s been 14 years since the champions from the city’s four 12-and-under leagues — Cayuga Babe Ruth, Hyde Park Babe Ruth, Midtown Little League and Whirlpool Little League — have squared off in a single-elimination playoff, and the level of competition found in Tuesday’s semifinal contest between the Cayuga Yankees and the Hyde Park Astros is something only the Gazette City Championship could provide.
“It’s a great opportunity for the kids — once-in-a-lifetime,” Yankee coach Bob Couldery said. “In this city, we need as much of this type of thing as we can get.
“It keeps our kids doing positive things and off the streets, so it’s a fantastic event.”
Peter Mio, publisher of the Gazette, threw out the game’s first pitch.
Couldery’s Yankees won the game, 6-3, behind a strong effort from pitchers Nicholas Forcucci and Dominic Gualano. Forcucci started the game and struck out six over three innings, allowing two runs. Gualano threw the final three innings, allowing just one hit and one unearned run.
“Team leader from day one,” Couldery said of the 12-year-old Gualano, who also had an RBI triple, doubled, walked and scored three runs. “He always gives 100 percent, plays hard and is a class-act kid.”
“Strike them out, 1-2-3” is how Gualano described his dominant approach on the mound, and he fulfilled it, picking up eight strikeouts.
The Yankees put two runs on the board in the top of the first, with Charlie Zabaldo and Gualano scoring on passed balls. Following a run from the Astros’ Paul Barker in the bottom of the first, the Yankees went up 5-1 in the third, highlighted by an RBI single off the bat of Zachary Schuster and Gualano’s run-scoring triple. Gualano also came around to score.
The Astros answered with an RBI single from Dalton Wentz in the home half of the third, but had their rally cut short by an inning-ending popout with runners on second and third. Despite the loss, Astros manager Paul Barker couldn’t be more proud of his ball club, as well as the rebirth of the City Championship.
“We have a real young team, a bunch of 10-year-olds, and I was proud of the way the kids battled,” Barker said. “We got a little taste of it now, and for the next two years we’re going to be back here and put on a better show.
“I think it’s going to be great for the kids and great for the city of Niagara Falls,” Barker added. “It gives the kids something to play for.”
Cayuga scored just one run over the final three innings — an error in the field in the sixth allowed Gualano to turn a double into the Yanks’ sixth run of the game — mainly due to the relief pitching of Hyde Park’s Dylan Cardinali. All nine outs he recorded were by strikeout, and he allowed just one hit.
“Dylan didn’t even pick up a baseball until last year, and the kid’s come a long way,” Barker said. “He’s a phenomenal player.”
The Astros plated their third and final run on an RBI single off the stick of Robert Newbury in the sixth inning. Gualano went on to strike out the final two batters and secured a spot for Cayuga in Thursday’s championship game, which is slated for a 6 p.m. start back at NFHS.
Cayuga’s opponent will be determined in today’s semifinal matchup between the Whirlpool Yankees and the Midtown Yankees. The game begins at 6 p.m. at the high school.
