The Majors AA Naperville Little League championship features a clash of the top two teams in the division this season. The Angeli’s Southside Sluggers are a tight-knit group entering the title game with a record of 14-4, thanks to players like defensive stalwart Joey Panozzo and strong hitters like Mason Minger and Everett Roth, as well as a strong stable of pitchers.
The Sluggers will have a tough task against the top seed, sno problems, who also features a 14-4 record. The Blizzards have plenty of championship experience after making the title game last season behind outstanding pitching and defense, with kids like Franco Osorio, Harrison Papp, and Reed McNees playing key roles in the outfield.
Pitching and defense set the tone for both teams
Connor Goolsby is up for Angeli’s with two outs in the top of the first, and he charges a single into right field for the first hit of the game.
But starting pitcher Brooks McKenna recovers and ends the threat with a nice breaking ball to put Angeli’s away in the top of the first. Catcher Camden Collins and his teammates are fired up after McKenna’s second strikeout.
After McKenna draws a leadoff walk in the bottom of the first, Angeli’s pitcher Brayden Collander gets a pair of strikeouts and snags a hard line drive off the bat of sno problems slugger Benny Greiner to end the frame.
In the top of the second, Jack Farrell slaps a single the other way down the line in right to give the visitors a leadoff hit.
The Blizzard escape an early jam
After Farrell steals second, Gavin Rausch hits a slow roller towards third. Logan Intoccia picks up the ball and makes a heads-up play as he looks to third, where Farrell is in a rundown. Ethan Collins comes over from second and runs Farrell back towards third, before throwing to Jack Walsh, who tags him out. A well-executed pickle by the sno problems defense.
Collander is up next, and he slices the ball the other way, but Patrick Wolski makes a fantastic pick at first and throws to Jack Walsh to force Rausch at second. Sno problems keeps the game scoreless with strong glove work.
Intoccia is at the plate in the bottom of the second looking to spark the offense. He drives the ball hard into right, but Cavan Haap is there to make the catch, showing that the Southside Sluggers can flash the leather as well.
The catch would prove to be important right away as the next batter is Patrick Wolski, and he smashes a double to center, just out of the reach of Jack Liszka. The home team has its first hit of the game.
Up next is Asher Volin, who is playing in his fourth city championship game. He sends a single into right and heads to second base as Angeli’s throws the relay home to hold Wolski at third.
But the big righty, Collander, comes through with back-to-back strikeouts to strand a pair and keep the game scoreless after two.
The Southside Sluggers strike first
In the top of the third, Jack Liszka gets the Sluggers going with a leadoff walk.
Up next is Jaxson Albright, and he drives one to deep left. Reed McNees gets a glove on it, but can’t haul in the running grab. Liszka hustles around the bases and comes home for the first run of the game as Albright motors into second. 1-0 Angeli’s.
Looking to keep the damage to a minimum, McKenna gets a pop-up on the infield, and Alex Lipkowitz makes the grab to end the top of the third.
After Collander strikes out the side in the bottom half, Angeli’s looks to add to its lead with Connor Goolsby dropping a single into short right field to lead things off.
Up next is Everett Rhyne, who gets sawed off, but the ball gets eaten up by the infield grass and Rhyne hustles for first for an infield single to put two on with nobody out.
Jack Farrell grounds a ball towards third, where Benny Greiner scoops it up and wins the race to third for the force out.
It’s deja vu with Gavin Rausch up next and lining one to Greiner at third, who once again touches the bag for the out.
A wild play gives Angeli’s another run
After a wild pitch, McKenna is one out away from escaping the jam. With Brayden Collander at the plate, Camden Collins catches the inside pitch and stares down Farrell, who is sneaking towards the plate from third. Collins throws down, and Farrell is caught in another pickle.
Greiner then throws back to McKenna, who is now covering home. McKenna races down the line and tags Farrell for the third out, or so he thinks. The umpire then rules that there was some kind of defensive interference and Farrell is awarded home plate. Angeli’s gets its second run of the game in an unusual way as sno problems comes back onto the field.
After Collander draws a walk, McKenna gets Mason Minger to ground out to Asher Volin at second to end the top of the fourth with the Southside Sluggers leading 2-0.
With one out in the bottom half, Jack Walsh chops a grounder up the middle. Everett Roth dives, but the ball glances off the tip of his glove and into center for a single.
Cam Collins is up next, and he fouls a ball towards the stands, but Jack Farrell races over from first base and makes a spectacular catch against the fence. What a play for the second out.
Benny Greiner then draws a walk to put the tying run on base for sno problems.
Collander once again digs deep and makes a big pitch, getting Logan Intoccia swinging to end the fourth with Angeli’s still in front 2-0.
After a leadoff single from Jack Liszka, Angeli’s gets another runner aboard with Logan Spitler sending a grounder that takes a tough hop into left field for another hit.
Sno problems continues to make plays in the field
New pitcher Patrick Wolski gets a grounder back to the mound, and he throws it to McKenna at second for the out. Cavan Haap beats the throw to first to keep the inning alive.
After a walk from Everett Roth loads the bases, Joey Panozzo looks to add to the lead with a liner to the left side, but Jack Walsh makes a nice play at third to get the force out at the bag for the third out.
Everett Rhyne is in for the final two innings of relief for Angeli’s, but with one away, Asher Volin draws a walk to bring the tying run to the plate.
The pitching for Angeli’s remains strong as Rhyne strikes out the next two batters to send the game to the sixth.
Connor Goolsby looks for his third hit of the game, but Alex Lipkowitz makes a nice catch in right field for the out.
More good defense from sno problems. Rhyne rips a liner to short, but Brooks McKenna has it played perfectly for the second out.
Jack Farrell then steps up and hits a grounder to short; McKenna throws over to Cam Collins at first, who holds the bag to end the frame. Sno problems has one final chance to even the score.
Ethan Collins is at the plate with one away in the bottom of the sixth. He hits a chopper to Gavin Rausch at short, who makes the throw to first just in time for out number two.
Angeli’s takes home the Majors AA championship
Harrison Papp is the final chance for sno problems, and he works the count full. Everett Rhyne catches the corner for a called strike three to end the ball game! Angeli’s wins the Majors AA Naperville Little League Championship 2-0 over sno problems after a thrilling battle on the diamond. A great season from both teams comes to a close.
Angeli’s head coach Alan Panozzo, a former Naperville Little Leaguer himself, wins his first championship in his eighth season of coaching.
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