Sports

Force's HR Sends WI Little Leaguers to District Finals

Tommy Force hit a 3-run walk-off homer to give West Islip a 4-1 win over West Babylon.

Editor's Note: The following was contributed by coach Sal Favarolo.

On Tuesday, the WI Blue baseball team defeated West Babylon 4-1 to advance to the semifinals of the District 34 Little League baseball tournament.

Tied 1-1 in the bottom of the sixth, Joe Palmieri led off with a single to left field followed with a walk by Mikey "Nails" Muller. Muller took second on defensive indifference. With runners on second and third (the winning run), Tommy Force comes to the plate.

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Coming into the game, Tommy was batting a team leading .440 average. Tommy swung and missed on the first two pitches. The 0-2 count was followed by two balls. With two and two count on hand, the winning run on 3rd, Coaches Tom (Tommy's dad), and I were re-assuring Tommy what a great hitter he was and to have confidence in his batting.

West Babylon's third pitcher of the game threw his tenth pitch and with that Tommy swung hard and big and hit the ball over the fence into left center field for a walk off 3-run homer. That was Tommy's second home run of the tournament.

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The Blue 11s are managed by Mike Ierardi and coached by AJ Buquicchio, myself and Tom Force.


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