Lightning Puts in the Work with 6-3 Victory Over Bedford Hills

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On Wednesday June 22, the Lewisboro Lightning (11u) jumped out to a 4-0 first inning lead vs the Bedford Pound Ridge Lightning,  and that had a very sedate effect on their starting pitcher. “I felt loose and comfortable,” said Christian Cisco, and he proceeded to get his team through the fourth with a one run lead. But still two innings to go, his relief took the closer role in stride. 

“There’s  a good amount of pressure. But I don’t really worry about that because I trust my team, and I trust my pitches,” said Gio Santoro. Not just words, the Bedford Hills Lightning could definitely attest after the reliever notched three strikeouts, and his defense got the other three in a 6-3 victory.

The relief pitcher wasn’t so bad helping his teammate out on the mound either. After Cisco struck out Jack Drew to open the afternoon, Bedford Hills put runners the corners with two outs, and when Brian Short dribbled a slow roller to third, it looked like the first run. Instead, Santoro one handed the play and got the out at first.

So Cisco showed his appreciation by bouncing a single up the middle, and Santoro maintained the mutual admiration by following with a walk. One out and Matvey Wulfing knew what the runner on second meant. “It sets the momentum and sets the tone,” he said after giving his team a 1-0 lead with a line drive single up the middle.

Of course, the Lightning weren’t done. Henry Parrish drove in run number two with a bloop into shallow right, and a wild pitch made it 3-0. Vincent Secchiano laying off at the plate, he made no apologies for a run scoring infield hit that made Cisco so happy.

The outburst didn’t put out Bedford Pound Ridge’s light, though. Ethan Sterling’s line drive to right drew an overthrow at first, and the visitors had a runner in scoring position to lead off the inning. He then stole third and scored on Mason Massello’s single to center.

Another walk moved along the right fielder, and a wild pitch eventually left two runners in scoring position. So momentum at stake with two outs, the pivot point left Cisco and his catcher at odds with two strikes on Jason Wagenheim. “We were talking about whether I should throw a fast ball or a curveball, and I said, ‘I want to hit my spot. So I said, ‘yo catcher, spot me on the outside corner,’” Cisco revealed.

Cisco won the conversation. Fastball, he located and got the batter looking.

Unfortunately, Lewisboro didn’t take the cue from their pitcher. They went quietly in the bottom of the second, and lightning readied to strike for BPR.

But first Emerson Payne sent the home crowd up in arms. Jack Drew blooped a ball down the left field line, and Payne got on his horse. On the gallop, he reached the ball and made a diving catch in fair territory.

Undeterred, Harry Trotta walked ,and Hudson Bruce’s hot shot down third put runners on the corners. Luke Gorman and Brian Short followed with singles, and it was a one run game.

There was also only one out. No problem. Cisco got Ethan Sterling to ground to short, and John LoPiccolo turned the double play.

Onto the bottom of the third, no response again came from the bats, and Cisco would soon have his work cut out for him. Finn McGovern reached on an overthrow to first and moved to third on Massello’s ground out to second.

Unfortunately for Bedford Hills, McGovern stayed put. Cisco got a pop to second, and then Noah Pearson came to the rescue.  On a ground ball that the pitcher got his glove on, Pearson did not idle, and his lightning pounce to nip the batter had his coach pretty revved. “Noah has a big motor and is always moving,” said James Cisco.

He helped his team follow suit in the bottom of the fourth too. Pearson’s grounder to short one hopped the first baseman, and Secchiano continued the small ball. He dropped a perfect bunt, and the errant throw put two runners in scoring position.

No need to get large, a ground ball to second got an insurance run, and there were six outs to go. Santoro now in, he opened with a pair of strikeouts, and Caiden Jones running down a fly ball to right had Cisco heaping praise on his outfield. “The boys for the last three weeks have been working on their reads and on their footwork,” the coach boasted. “They really bought into the process, so what you see now is all their work.”

More insurance on their mind, Cisco opened with a single and Wulfing closed the scoring. His single tallied the final run, and Santoro welcomed the breathing room.

The outfield was happy to help him exhale. Around a strikeout of Gorman, Secchiano gobbled up his fly ball and Pearson made a diving catch to end the game.

Left around .500 with some really tough losses, Cisco’s approach has been to just get the boys over the hump. “In my opinion, our team is built for the second half of the summer and into the playoff,” he concluded.

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