For all intents and purposes, the West New York American Little League 12-year-old All-Stars had the Section 2 championship all sewn up last Friday night. The WNY Americans held a 7-2 lead over Nutley American in the fourth inning, all set to punch West New York’s ticket to the Little League state championships for the first time since 1967.
That’s right, West New York might have been the most dominant of all Hudson County Little League All-Star teams in District 7 play, winning an astounding 19 District 7 banners over the years. But when it came to the state tournament, West New York had not been a participant since the famed West New York team won back-to-back state championships in 1966 and 1967, with the 1966 team making it all the way to Williamsport and the Little League World Series.
So there it was, the berth to the state championships in Mercerville in Hamilton Township just waiting for the locals.
Or so it seemed.
“We needed to get through just one more inning,” said WNY American manager Henry Saurborn. “Things were going so well.”
But then Mother Nature reared her head and started to set off a thunder and lightning show over the Edgewater Little League complex on River Road.
“We thought we might get the game in, but then the rains came,” Saurborn said. “I never saw anything like it. The field was totally under water.”
It meant that the game had to be suspended and resumed the next day.
On Saturday, when the game was picked up, the WNY Americans just didn’t have the same intensity that they had on Friday night.
“We got back out there and we just didn’t have it,” Saurborn said. “We weren’t sharp at all. They came out and got to us right away.”
Nutley American scored seven runs in the first inning of the resumed contest, en route to a 9-7 win.
“I didn’t think that could happen,” Saurborn said.
It meant that the kids from West New York had to gear it all up one more time on Sunday night, facing Nutley American again for the Section 2 title.
“I was a little worried by the way they responded Saturday,” Saurborn said. “I knew that Nutley would have a lot of confidence by the way they came back on us. But we were pitching our best kid [Dauri Genao], so we had faith in him.”
Saurborn said that it helped that WNY American was facing Nutley American’s ace Bill Montgomery for a second time in the tourney.
“We knew that we just had to get to him,” Saurborn said.
Sure enough, the WNY Americans put on their hitting shoes and marched to a 9-6 victory, finally earning West New York’s first trip to the New Jersey state finals in 43 years.
There had been other local teams to make it to the states over the years, like North Bergen two years ago. Roberto Clemente of Jersey City won the overall state title in 1988. A year prior, Secaucus made it to the state finals. In 1986, Hoboken was a state finalist.
But this time, the town that has dominated the local scene for many years finally got past the sectional tourney level.
Brandon Saurborn, the coach’s son, had three hits, including a homer, and two RBI in the win. Genao helped his own cause with two hits and two RBI. Gregory Cuevas had four hits and scored four runs in the win. Once again, it was a team effort.
“We also had to go to a guy, Daniel de la Rosa, who hadn’t pitched in the tournament,” the elder Saurborn said. “He pitched in the regular season, but not the tournament and he did a great job. I was a little nervous, because you never know how a kid is going to respond. But he took the ball and did a great job. They all contributed.”
Saurborn credited the efforts of assistant coaches Victor Tapia and Perry Peralta, who got the team ready.
“It was a very difficult, uphill battle,” Saurborn said. “But these kids have a lot of big-game experience. It’s a very big step to get where we are. I was hoping that we could get this far. It’s a credit to the kids.”
WNY American will now face District 16 and Section 4 champion Northfield in the first round of the state tournament. The game was slated to be played at Van Horn Park on Friday night. It is another double-elimination tourney, with the winner moving on to the Eastern Regional in Bristol, Connecticut next week.
“I think this team has what it takes,” the elder Saurborn said.
At least, they have finally reached the state championship tourney after all these years.
We’ll have more on the exploits of the WNY American All-Stars in next week’s EXTRA INNINGS….
EXTRA INNINGS focuses on the best stories that come from local baseball and softball leagues throughout the area.
If you have any noteworthy information to contribute to the EXTRA INNINGS, feel free to contact Jim Hague by voice mail at 201-798-7800, ext. 751, by general mail at 1400 Washington St., Hoboken, NJ 07030, or via e-mail at OGSMAR@aol.com.
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