Colonie LL was asked to win their 3rd game in a span of just 25 hours, and all against top notch District Champion teams. Saturday it was the doubleheader wins versus Espous (D16) and Saugerties (D15) and today was a semi-final showdown versus the District 14 champs, Cohoes LL.Colonie sent out Ryan Nicholson, making his first start since April 11th as he fought through arm trouble all year long. Ryan rested himself much of the year for a moment like this…..Colonie was looking for a Ryan Nicholson performance that we’ve grown accustomed to over the last 2 years….and Ryan delivered today in a big way!!! Ryan fought off a tough first inning, where he gave up 3 hits and a run….but then Ryan put on a pitching clinic as he held the very talented Cohoes gang to no hits and no runs over the final 5 innings as Colonie came out with a hard fought 3-1 win!!Bottom of the 2nd, down 1-0, Colonie generated 2 runs from their 6 thru 9 hitters in the batting order….a common occurence on this team as all 12 kids produce…Ryan Nicholson worked an 8 pitch walk and then Andrew Holmes smacked a line drive single up the middle and suddenly there were runners on the corners with 2 outs….Andrew Patentreger then tied the game as his huge 2-out rbi single put the “Colonie Nation” in a loud mood and Holmes smartly went to third on the play from first….the very next pitch, the 2 Andrew’s perfectly executed the double steal as Holmes steals a run at home while Patentreger is playing “pickle” with Cohoes defenders until the runs scores!!”That run gave us alot of momentum as we approached their lineup for a 2nd time in the 3rd inning.” coach replied moments after the game…..The defense was sharp and crisp and made all the plays as Colonie played errorless ball for the 6th time in 8 games!! 7 different players recorded a defensive assist tonight.Colonie knew the importance of generating at least 1 insurance run before the 6th inning came as Cohoes had their “murderers row” portion of the lineup due up….and again, this team rose to the occasion….Nolan Smith hit a rocket to right field and as Cohoes attempted to throw him out at first, Nolan smartly took 2nd base when the throw went past the defender….with Smith on 2nd base, Kevin Ryan then placed a gorgeous bunt down the first base line and the throw was tossed into right field as Smith cruises in to score, putting Colonie up 3-1!!Now it’s on to the NYS Section 3 Championship game, being held Monday night in Chatham NY at 6pm. Colonie’s opponent will be Saratoga National (D11)…..Saratoga is also 3-0 in sectional play as they defeated Scotia (D12), Cohoes (D14) and then Saugerties (D15) in today’s other semi final. As always, good luck Colonie!!
This year is something new in the New York State baseball championships. Every year the state had been divided into 4 sections and then at the state tourney, the “final four” would play for it all….this year, the state is now going to be divided into 6 sections and Colonie is placed in the new Section 3. Then for the first time ever in sectional play, it was “pool play”, with 2 divisions of 3 teams….and Colonie was placed in division “B”, along with District 15 (Saugerties) and District 16 (Esopus).Today, the Colonie 12’s were asked to play both games, and 80 miles apart!! Beginning with a 2pm game down the thruway at the home of Ulster LL, versus Dsitrict 16, Esopus. Colonie pounded out 18 hits, 3 of them HR’s and scored in 5 of the 6 innings and dominated the homestanding Esopus squad, 17-4.
Colonie wasted no time as they plated 3 runs in the 1st and 2nd innings, highlighted by huge HR’s from Zach Gallagher and then Mike Mueller!! Then Colonie built the lead to 9-0 before Esopus cut the lead down to 9-4. The coaches asked the boys before the 6th inning, “let’s play this 6th inning like it’s 0-0 and get the momentum back”……boy, these kids sure know how to listen……they sent 11 batters to the plate, scoring 7 times, highlighted with a HR by Ray Osterhout!! When you have 18 hits, there are plenty of names, and we will list them all below….but with a huge game, 11 year old phenom, Kyle Ruth was 4 for 4 at the plate and had a chance for the monumental 5 for 5…..Esopus chose to intentionally walk the superstar and load the bases instead!!
Kyle Ruth 4 hits (double)
Ben Contento 1 hit
Mike Mueller 4 hits (HR, double)
Ray Osterhout 1 hit (HR)
Zach Gallagher 2 hits (HR)
Nolan Smith 1 hit
Ryan Nicholson 3 hits
Andrew Patentreger 1 hit
Kevin Ryan 1 hit
Pitching was handled by Ray Osterhout. Ray gutted out 5 strong innings, going 87 pitches and yeilding only 2 hits and stiking out 5 to earn the win. Mike Mueller (17 pitches) came in and pitched a perfect 6th inning…….and then Colonie headed back to Albany for an 8pm game versus Distrcit 15 Saugerties……
Just 4 hours after completing the final out in Ulster, Colonie was back to work as they faced the other 1-0 team in the division. Colonie scattered 12 hits, 2 of them HR’s and beat Saugerties 12-4, claiming the #1 seed in the “B” division of the pool play!!
The game actually started Friday night as Colonie began the game with 5 straight hits, highlighted by a “bomb” HR by Ben Contento as Colonie built a 3-1 lead before Mother Nature forced a suspension in the 3rd inning, to be finished Saturday evening…….Colonie picked right up where they left off as they scored in every inning, beginning with 3 runs in the 3rd, making it 6-1. After Saugerties answered with 2 runs, cutting it to 6-3…..Colonie tacked on 4 huge runs in the 4th, the 2 big hits were Ray Osterhout’s double followed by a 2nd HR of the day for Zach “The Crusher” Gallagher!!
Evan Carey 1 hit
Kevin Ryan 1 hit
Ryan Nicholson 1 hit
Andrew Patentreger 1 hit
Zach Gallagher 1 hit (HR)
Ray Osterhout 2 hits (double)
Mike Mueller 2 hits
Ben Contento 2 hits (HR)
Kyle Ruth 1 hit
Pitching was handled by Ben Contento in the first 2 innings (Friday night). Ben tossed 47 pitches, giving up only 2 hits and yeilding just the 1 run. Then on Saturday night, Colonie sent out suprise starter Kyle Ruth….as Kyle saw his first mound action of the post season and “rose to the challenge” big time!! Kyle scattered 5 hits, struck out 4 batters and gave up just 3 runs (only 1 earned) as he earned the win.
Now it’s on to the semi-finals, Sunday afternoon at Twin Town LL, with a 1pm start time. Their opponent will be the 2nd place team in division “A”, which is the 1-1 Cohoes LL (Dist 14 champs). The other semi-final contest is 2-0 Saratoga (Dist 11) versus the 1-1 Saugerties squad…that game is being played in Chatham. As always, good luck Colonie!!!
Colonie Little League’s 11 yr old all-stars pounded out 16 hits over 5 innings and defeated Auburn Little League by the score of 13-3 in the New York State Championships held in the Bronx, NY. The win is this group’s 21st straight win over a course of 2 years as they have claimed the State Championship in back to back seasons! They have become the first group ever in New York to claim back to back titles as they have re-written the history books!
Tonight’s matchup was a pitching re-match of Saturday’s opening 2-0 win by Colonie, but tonight Colonie wasn’t about to be held to 2 runs again. Colonie scored in every inning, with the 3rd inning, 7 run outburst being the ‘knock out’ blow. 9 different players accounted for the 16 hits as this team hits all the way through their lineup. The many faithful fans of the ‘Colonie Nation’ who traveled the 2 1/2 hours down the thruway to support their boys weren’t dissappointed and completed the evening with a loud version of coach’s favorite, ‘I’m fired up, you fired up!?’ chant after the ceremonies. Listed below were all those offenisive highlights:
Nick Donato 3 hits
Mike Mueller 1 hit
Cameron Apple 2 hits
Nolan Smith 3 hits
Ryan Nicholson 1 hit
Ray Osterhout 2 hits, sac fly
Andrew Holmes 2 hits
Cameron Daley 1 hit
Andrew Patentreger 1 hit
Ben Contento handled the mound duties and picked up his 2nd win in 4 days. Saturday it was Ben’s 1 hitter and tonight he tossed an equally masterful 2 hitter, striking out 5.
Colonie Little League’s success at the tournament levels has grown considerably as of late. During their 53 years of existence, Colonie’s program now boasts 8 State Championships, with 4 of those 8 coming in the last 6 years. 12’s division (1973,1980,1987,2004) 11’s division (2008) and 10’s division (1998,2003,2007).
Make sure you make your reservations for our Major banquet scheduled in September as we honor our history making boys, see you then!
The New York Yankees and Colonie Little League had similar weekends in the Bronx, as both had big wins on Saturday leading to crucial Sunday games. On Sunday, the Yanks fell behind 6-0 in the 4th and Colonie fell behind 6-0 in the 2nd, but both
After Colonie fell behind, the coaching staff asked for 2 runs in the 2nd inning, not 6, claiming that Cortlandt just needed to know the defending champs weren’t going away so easily. Colonie did just that, putting 2 runs up with hits from 4 different players. Ryan Nicholson then struck out the side in the 3rd and Colonie added 1 more run and quickly had cut the lead in half 6-3, at the midway marker. After 1 more stellar inning from Nicholson, Colonie then claimed the lead for the 1st time, exploding for 6 runs with 2 HR’s (Ben Contento and Cameron Apple) as the faithful Colonie crowd in their blue got real loud and the early deficit was a distant memory!! Colonie then put 2 more insurance runs up in the 5th as Ben Contento hit his 2nd HR of the game, a ball that was still rising as it was clearing the fence in centerfield!!
Ryan Nicholson gutted out his 5th win in the postseason (5-0) going 4 innings, striking out 7. Ray Osterhout then got 4 outs with 2 strikeouts before Nick Donato earned the save with 2 outs in 15 economical pitches.
Many offensive heroes, listed below:
Ben Contento 2 hits, 2 HR’s
Nick Donato 3 hits
Mike Mueller 3 hits
Cameron Apple 3 hits, 1 HR
Nolan Smith 1 hit
Ray Osterhout 2 hits
Zach Gallagher 1 hit
Andrew Patentreger 1 hit
Colonie’s next game is Tuesday, August 5 at 5:30pm as they will play the winner of Cortlandt American and Auburn. Come down the thruway wearing the Colonie blue and get loud for these boys, as they attempt to make history!!
Saturday afternoon in the Bronx had 2 exciting games scheduled. The Yankees were home versus the Angels…..and just down the street at Van Nest Little League, Colonie 11s were scheduled for a game versus Auburn Little League of Section 1.
Both the Yankees and Colonie won their respective games, but Colonie stole the show with an incredible 2-0 win played in just 1 hour and 8 minutes!!
It was a classic pitching duel between Auburn starter Mike Charles and Colonie’s own Ben Contento. Colonie scratched a run in the 1st inning with a Nick Donato single and then Zach Gallagher with a huge RBI single to right. Contento then put the game on his back with a masterful complete game in just 71 pitches, and giving up only 1 hit! Ben had 7 Ks and 6 groundouts back to the pitcher, accounting for 13 of the 18 outs.
The game stayed 1-0 all the way into the 6th as defense on both sides stole the show. Colonie’s Nolan Smith stole a sure double in the 4th and Kevin Ryan had a “gun down” as Auburn tried to steal 2nd base in the 3rd inning. In the 6th, Colonie’s Nick Donato gave them a humungous insurance run with a “moonshot” to right field as the fans roared in approval and a 2-0 lead!!
Now it’s on to Sunday as Colonie will play Cortlandt American Little League (Section 3) at 1:30p.m.
The Colonie 11 yr olds beat South Orangetown 3-1 to claim their 2nd straight Section 2 Championship Wednesday night at the friendly confines of Cook Park. The win now propels them to advance to and defend their New York State Championship held this weekend in the Bronx, NY.
After the opening ceremonies, which included Colonie’s Jordan Johnson throwing out the 1st pitch in honor of his ESPN highlight a week earlier, tonight’s championship game was a well played game by 2 teams as both looked very determined to claim a flag. In the end though, the defending champs found a way to get it done.
After 2 scoreless innings, we enter the top of the 3rd, as Andrew Patentreger continued his sizzling bat (.778 avg.) with a leadoff double. After 1 out, Nick Donato his a laser single and then Mike Mueller busted out the first RBI of the game with a nice line drive hit, scoring Andrew! Two pitches later Nick stole home on a pass ball and quickly Colonie claimed the 2-0 lead! South Orangetown left the bases loaded in the 3rd and Colonie kept the pressure on in the 4th as Kevin Ryan bombed a huge two out double to left field, as blazing in from 1st base, Ryan Nicholson slides in and Colonie’s went ahead 3-0! Colonie bent a little in the 5th, as the visitors scored an unearned run, but Ryan Nicholson beared down with the tying runs on 2nd and 3rd with 1 out….the next 2 batters were retired and Colonie was just 3 outs away from repeating!!
In the 6th, Ryan Nicholson had 1 batter left to pitch (due to pitch count) and the leadoff hitter hit a rocket line drive to left field as Mike Mueller made a difficult catch for a very important 1st out. Mike Mueller then entered as the pitcher, his 1st All-Star pitching appearance in 3 years….Mike calmly records a huge save as he retired his 2 hitters in order and the celebration was on!!!Ryan Nicholson earned his 4th win in the postseason as he worked 5 1/3 innings scattering 6 hits, striking out 5 and walking only 1.
Now it’s on to defend their State Championship, as Colonie is the only team to repeat in the Sectionals this year. First game is Saturday August 2nd at 12:30pm versus section 1 champ Auburn. It should be a nice weekend in the city, come down the thruway, wearing the Colonie blue and be prepared for a show!!
Colonie 11 yr olds squeezed out a hard fought 12-11 victory over Scotia Little League (Dist 12) Monday night at Indian Meadows Park in Burnt Hills, NY.
The key word of the night was “squeezed” as Colonie pitchers fought a tough battle with one of the stingiest strike zones givin to us in a long time. Colonie pitchers only gave up 8 hits and struck out 12 of the 18 outs….but the tough zone caused 11 walks and all those extra base runners gave Scotia plenty of comeback firepower.
Colonie’s bats were out in full force as they had the swagger all night long amassing 16 hits, 4 walks in just 5 offensive innings! Plenty of hits to go around as 8 different players joined the hit parade and they were:
Ben Contento 4 hits
Nick Donato 3 hits (3 run HR)
Andrew Patentreger 3 hits
Mike Mueller 2 hits
Cameron Daley 1 hit
Cameron Apple 1 hit
Zach Gallagher 1 hit
Andrew Holmes 1 hit
Pitching was manned by Ben Contento (9 outs - 6 K’s), Josh Longe (4 outs - 2 K’s), Nick Donato (2 outs - 2 K’s) and Ray Osterhout earning the big save with the tying run on 2nd base, Ray strikes out the final 2 hitters!! (3 outs - 2 K’s)
Now it’s on the Wednesday night, July 30th at Cook Park as Colonie will now be home for their second straight Section 2 Finals game. Start time is 1st pitch at 7:05pm and we will play South Orangetown(Dist 18). The winner of Wednesday’s game earns a berth in the 11 yr old New York State tournament held in the Bronx, NY this coming weekend!! As always, come out in full force and get loud for our boys!!
The Colonie 11 yr olds entered their 2nd round sectional game Saturday with a 10am scheduled start @ Saratoga National Little League…….after a 7:30am get-together and then a drive up north, Colonie found itself playing a waiting game as no umps were present to officiate the game at the scheduled time. This caused a 1 1/2 hour delay as the game didn’t actually start until 11:30am.
Colonie was caught playing their flattest game as of yet, giving away many opportunities on offense and then giving Saratoga 3 unearned runs in the 4th inning. Colonie had staked a 3-0 lead with lone runs in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th innings but Saratoga tied the game in the bottom of the 4th with the previously mentioned 3 run outburst. Colonie came in to bat in the 6th inning, after 1 out, the 2 Cameron’s (Apple and Daley) worked very important walks and then advanced to 2nd and 3rd. Andrew Patentreger then provided the game winning rbi with a single to left field as the Colonie fans exploded claiming the 4-3 lead!! Then Ben Contento came in to earn the save, working the 6th inning with 1 strikeout. Ryan Nicholson picked up his 3rd post season win as he tossed 5 gutty innings, yeilding only 3 hits and giving up no earned runs. On the offensive side, other than Patentreger’s game winning hit, the other highlight was Cameron Apple’s 1 single, 2 walks and scored 2 of the team’s 4 runs on the day!!
Colonie now advances to a sectional semi-final rematch of 1 year ago as they travel to Burnt Hills Little League, in Indian Meadows Park, for a Monday July 28th 6p.m. showdown against Scotia. As always , we hope to have a great fan turn out, good luck Colonie!!
The Colonie 11-year old All-Stars successfully defended their title in the 2008 District 13 tournament held at Cook Park. Colonie went 4-0 during the tourney with wins of 10-2, 18-0, 11-1 and then 10-5 in the Championship game versus Pine Bush American.
Colonie’s team batting average is .430 and many hits to go around…the HR’s have come plenty as well with Ben Contento (3), Nick Donato, Zach Gallagher and Mike Mueller all going yard in the series. The pitching was solid all throughout as Ryan Nicholson led the way with 2 wins and Ben Contento and Nick Donato each collecting 1 win.
The 1st sectional game will be Thursday, July 24th at District 11 (Saratoga region). When more information becomes available, it will be on CLL web site.