News

Denes playing 2nd base

Another Championship Saturday was celebrated this past weekend on June 17th and a fantastic time at Merillon Park was had by all.

Starting things off were the boys and girls from our Instructional Division. 85 baseball and softball players and their families were in attendance as they watched these future Hall of Famer's do their thing. All of the teams first played a simulated game in front of the fans and showcased their skills either in the field or at bat. Once the games were over each team walked over for the trophy presentation where each and every ball player received a trophy. Tony Camilleri, Merillon Chairman was on hand to start off the presentation with some words of encouragement for these fine ball players.

Next up was the Lower Farms Division Skills competition in which each team was on hand to show off the basic skills they honed from the beginning of the season. The teams competed against each other in fielding ground balls, pop ups and then hitting and base running. We are proud to announce the winners of the Lower Farms Division Skills Competition the Padres! Padres manager Bill Donovan thanked his players for their hard work and effort all season long and also thanked his coaching staff and parents for their support. In second place were the Nationals, led by manager Tom Murphy and in third place were the Braves, managed by Judd Volk. 1st, 2nd and 3rd place skills competition medals were handed out along with participation trophies at a brief ceremony following the contest.

At this time, VP of Girls Softball, Joe Renta was displaying his talented Girls Softball Division on field #3 with a skills competition of their own. All the girls were outstanding to watch and demonstrated their ability to throw for accuracy, hit for distance and base running speed. The winners were as follows below;

Next up was the battle of the Upper Farms Division double elimination tournament. I have to say after being at quite a few of these games that these ball players did a marvelous job. Each game was close from the 1st inning on and the play was fantastic. Each team should be proud of what they accomplished this season. The final game came down to the White Sox, managed by Jack Clark and the Rockies, managed by Liam Slattery. A close ball game ensued with the lead going back and forth. The White Sox however managed to hold on for the victory and Championship. Below is a picture of the team celebrating by dousing their coach Jack Clark with bottles of water! VP of Little League Mike Luchino made a brief speech thanking everyone of the players for a fine season and to the managers for their support and outstanding coaching throughout the season. After receiving their trophies both teams gave a loud cheer for "Merillon"!

Then came the Minors Division single elimination championship game. What was really great about this game was the fact that 2 teams that were in the middle of the standings throughout the season worked hard and were able to eliminate the higher seeded teams to get to the championship game. This was a major accomplishment and should be congratulated! Both teams played super baseball in the tournament. The championship game pitted the Reds, managed by Lori Carrick against the Royals, managed by Mike Rocco. The Royals pulled out the victory and earned the right to be called the Champions of the Boys Minors Division! Way to go Royals!

Next up was the hotly contested Majors Division championship game between the Pride, managed by George Dittmeier and the Road Warriors, managed by Ray Simeoli. The Road Warriors started the year off slowly only to take first place in the division and they did the same thing in this game giving the early lead to the Pride. However, like in the standings the Road Warriors pulled it out at the end and held on for the victory. Hats off to the Road Warriors, Champions of the Boys Majors Division!

Finally came the game that everyone was waiting for, the "Coaches Game and Barbecue". If you didn't stick around for this one you missed it all. This is a time for all the coaches who are yelling to "get in front of the ball" or "only swing at strikes" to show off their diminishing skills. I know I was sore and all I did was warm up with the coaches, I didn't even play the game! I am sure there were quite of few of the coaches smelling like Ben Gay the next morning and walking with limps!

On behave of the Merillon Board of Directors I would like to take this time to thank each one of our Managers and Coaches for their hard work, dedication and everything else it takes to run a team for the League. You all did a magnificent job! We would also like to thank the boys and girls for their hard work and for giving us such a fun filled and exciting season of baseball & softball. Lastly, thanks to all the parents who attended meetings and helped out throughout the spring season. Remember it's volunteers like you that make Merillon such a super place, we thank you!

Skill	Winner	Division
Accuracy Throw	Kristen Renta	6 Year Old Division
Hit for Distance	Nicole Kuzler	6 Year Old Division
Base Running	Nicole Kuzler	6 Year Old Division
Accuracy Throw	Amanda Zeitlin	7 Year Old Division
Hit for Distance	Briana Rotondo	7 Year Old Division
Base Running	Christine Vissichelli	7 Year Old Division
Accuracy Throw	Nicole Rossello	8 Year Old Division
Hit for Distance	Josette Molina	8 Year Old Division
Base Running	Kiera Ward	8 Year Old Division