ROCKAWAY TWP. - The Rockaway Township American 12-year-old Williamsport All-Star team won the home run battle but lost the war and the game in a 13-8 loss to Roxbury National that knocked RTA out of the District One Little League Baseball Tournament at Kiwanis Field in Roxbury on Sunday, July 10, 2011.
    The loss was RTA's second in three games in the double-elimination tournament. Roxbury National takes a 2-1 record into the district semifinal round.
    Both teams hit three home runs in the game with RTA driving in seven of its eight runs with the long ball while Roxbury hit two solo homers and a two-run homer to manufacture four of its 13 runs with the long ball.
    Roxbury National scored at least one run in each of the six innings of the game and finished with 12 hits. RTA kept up the pace - trailing 10-8 after four - but was stopped by Roxbury National pitching in the fifth and sixth innings.
    RT American answered Roxbury's three-run first inning with a run of its own in its half of the inning when Connor Callahan reached on a leadoff single, Brent Costantino also singledm and Justin Miller was hit with a pitch to load the bases. Jonathan Opalewski followed with a sacrifice fly to center to drive in Callahan but the rally ended right there as Roxbury got out of the inning with no further damage.
    Roxbury National got that run back in the top of the second but RT American rallied with three runs in the bottom of the inning to tie the score at 4-4.
    Andre Trujillo opened the inning with a single, Seth Berkin followed with another single and, after Berkin was replaced on the bases by pinchrunner Eric Gribbons, Costantino hit the first of RT American's three home runs - a shot over the center field fence.
    Roxbury came back with a three-run flurry in the top of the third for a 7-4 lead and RT American got a run back when Ryan Lee led off the bottom of the inning with a homer over the center field fence.
    Another three-run inning - the fourth - put Roxbury National on top 10-4 and RT American once again answered with three runs of its own in the bottom of the inning when Costantino and Opalweski singled and Travis Ardin followed with a home run over the fence in center to close the gap to two runs at 10-8.
    Roxbury National scored a single run in the fifth and added two more in the sixth for a 13-8 lead, but RT American had run out of answers and failed to score in either of its two final at-bats.    
    Roxbury's three homers came early in the game - a solo homer in the second; a leadoff homer in the third; and a two-run shot later in the third.
    Costantino led RT American's 11-hit attack by going 3-for-4 with a home run, three RBIs and two runs scored and Opalewski had the only other multi-hit day for RTA when he finished 2-for-2 with a double, RBI and a run scored.
    Callahan was 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored; Miller was 1-for-3 with a walk and stolen base; Ardin was 1-for-3 with his three-run homer and a run scored; Lee was 1-for-3 with his solo homer; Trujillo finished 1-for-3 with a stolen base and a run scored; Berkin was 1-for-3 with a run scored; and Gribbons stole two bases and scored a run.
    Callahan was the starting pitcher for RTA and worked the first four innings before Ardin came on in the fifth inning and finished up.
    RT American finished its post-season play with a 4-3 record, going 3-1 in pool play and 1-2 in bracket play.
    Allan Berkin was manager of the team and Ka-Shu Lee and Tom Miller were the coaches.

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Miller's walk-off 3-run HR keeps RTA alive in districts

     ROCKAWAY TWP. - Justin Miller hit a dramatic three-run walk-off home run to cap a four-run sixth inning to lead Rockaway Township American to an 8-7 victory over Florham Park in a District One Little League Baseball tournament game played at Emmett Field in Florham Park on Saturday, July 9, 2011.
    Miller's drive more than offset a six-run rally by Florham Park, an outburst that gave the home team a 7-4 lead.
    Andre Trujillo opened RT American's sixth with a walk, went to second a single by Connor Callahan and scored when Brent Costantino followed with a single.
    Miller then came through with his game-winning opposite-field home run over the left field fence, scoring Callahan and Costantino ahead of him.
    RT American is now 1-1 in the double-elimination bracket play portion of the tournament and faces Roxbury National in a 5 p.m. game on Sunday, July 10, at Kiwanjis Field in Roxbury. The loss eliminated Florham Park (0-2) from further play in the tournament.
    RT American took a 2-0 first-inning lead when Miller walked, stole second, and scored on a single by Jonathan Opalewski. Opalewski, who took second on the throw, was replaced on the bases by pinchrunner Jordan Cohen, who stole third and continued on home on an error on the play.
    Miller scored RT American's third run when Costantino walked in the third inning, Miller followed with a single and, after Opalewski forced Costantino at third, Ryan Lee drew a walk to load the bases. Miller then scored when Eric Gribbons dropped a suicide squeeze bunt down the third base line.
    In the fifth, RT American scored another single run when Miller led off with a double, stole third, and scored when Opalewski reached on an error.
    Miller finished the game 3-for-3 with a homer, double, one walk, three RBIs, two stolen bases and four runs scored to lead RT American's 10-hit attack.
    Callahan also had a multi-hit game, going 2-for-4 with a stolen base and a run scored.
    Costantino was 1-for-3 with a walk, RBI and a run scored; Opalewski was 1-for-3 with a walk, RBI and a run scored; Lee was 1-for-2 with a walk; Gribbons was 1-for-3 with his suicide squeeze; and Seth Berkin finished 1-for-3.
    RT American used four pitchers - three during Florham Park's six-run sixth inning - with Trujillo getting the last two outs in the top of the sixth and getting the win when RT American and Miller won the game in the bottom of the inning.
    Opalewsi was the starting pitcher and pitched five strong innings, giving up only one run on give hits and three walks while striking out five before being lifted because he reached his pitch-count limit.
    Travis Ardin and Miller followed but could get only one out while giving up a combined six runs on two hits, four walks and a hit batsman. Trujillo became the third pitcher of the inning and gave up Florham Park's eighth hit but got out of further trouble with no runs scored to set up RT American's final at-bat that was climaxed by Miller's homer.

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RT American on brink after losing 'bracket' opener

     ROCKAWAY TWP. - The Rockaway Township American 12s All-Stars, down 11-0 after the first two-and-a-half innings of play, scored in each of the final four innings but the comeback wasn't enough as Mendham held on for a 17-7 victory in a first-round game in the eight-team, double-elimination, bracket-play portion of the District One 12s Little League Baseball Tournament at Mendham's Park Avenue Field on Thursday, July 7, 2011.
    RT American will be in a must-win situation when the team travels to Florham Park for a 7 p.m. game against Florham Park on Friday, July 8 as another loss will eliminate RT American from the tourney.
    Mendham scored three runs in the first inning, six more in the second and two more in the top of the third to build its commanding 11-0 lead.    
    RT American got on the board with two runs in the bottom of the third when Connor Callahan singled, was forced at second by Eric Gribbons and, after Gribbons took second on an error, scored on Justin Miller's RBI single. Miller came around to score later in the inning when Jonathan Opalewski singled for the first of his three RBIs for the game.
    Mendham answered with a two-run rally of its own in its next at-bat, as it would for the final two innings of the game as well.
    RTA scored twice in the bottom of the fourth when Opalewski hit a two-run single after walks to Drew Frommelt, Callahan and Miller loaded the bases.
    RT American added two more runs in the fifth when Ryan Lee walked and, after being replaced on the bases by pinchrunner Jordan Cohen and Cohen moved up a base on a single by Brent Costantino, Frommelt grounded into a fielder's choice to drive in Cohen. Andre Trujillo followed with a single to drive in the second run of the inning to make it a 15-7 game going into the final inning.
    Mendham came up with its fourth straight two-run inning and RT American scored a run in its final at-bat when Miller singled, was forced at second by Opalewski and, after Opalewski stole second and third, Ryan Lee reached on an error that allowed Opalewski to score the final run of the game.
    Opalewski finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs, two stolen bases and a run scored to lead RT American's 10-hit attack. Miller also had a multi-hit game, going 2-for-3 with a walk, an RBI and one run scored.
    Callahan was 1-for-2 with two walks and a run scored; Lee was 1-for-3 with a walk; Jordan Cohen was stole a base and scored a run as a pinchrunner; Travis Ardin was 1-for-4; Costantino was 1-for-4 with as run scored; Trujillo was 1-for-3 with an RBI; and Frommelt was 0-for-1 with a walk, one RBI and a run scored.
    Callahan, Miller, Costantino and Lee pitched for RT American.

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Ardin's slam, 7 RBIs help RTA reach bracket play

     ROCKAWAY TWP. - Travis Ardin hit a bases-loaded home run and finished with seven RBIs and Justin Miller, Andre Trujillo and Ardin combined on a four-hitter when the Rockaway Township American 12s All-Star team beat Rockaway Borough, 13-3, in a District One Little League Baseball pool play game played at Harry Smith Memorial Field in  Rockaway on Monday, July 4, 2011.
    The victory left RT American 3-1 and tied for the top spot in Pool A with Morristown American and Madison at the conclusion of pool play. Morristown American won the tiebreaker for first place - a lower runs allowed per inning average than RT American and Madison since all three teams had 1-1 records against each other - and RT American won the tiebreaker for second place by virtue of beating Madison in head-to-head competition. Rockaway Township National (1-3) and Rockaway Borough (0-4) completed the five-team pool.
    RT American now moves into the second phase of the District One tourney - the eight-team, double-elimination, bracket play competition that features the 1-2 finishers in the four District One pools.
    RT American will now face Pool D winner Mendham (4-0) in a 6 p.m. game on Thursday, July 7, at Park Avenue Field in Mendham.
    Jordan Cohen's speed gave RT American a 1-0 lead in its first at-bat. Cohen led off the game by beating out a bunt for a single, stole second, continued on to third on a throwing error and continued on to score on another throwing error.
    RT American made it 2-0 when Justin Miller and Travis Ardin walked and Miller scored when Drew Frommelt reached on a throwing error.
    Ardin's grand slam highlighted a seven-run second inning for RT American. Seth Berkin walked, Trujillo reached on an error and Cohen walked to load the bases. Miller was hit with a pitch to force in Berkin and Ardin followed with his home run to right field to give RT-American a 7-0 lead.
    Ryan Lee reached on an error and was replaced on the basepaths by pinch runner Brent Costantino. Frommelt followed with a walk and, after both Costantino and Frommelt moved up a base, Berkin drove them both home with a single.
    RT-American made it 10-0 in the third inning when Cohen beat out a bunt for a single, took second on an error, stole third and, after Miller walked, scored when Ardin bounced out.
    In the fourth, Trujillo walked, Cohen singled and Miller singled to load the bases; Ardin drove in his sixth and seventh runs of the day with a single; and Costantino reaced on an error allowing Miller to score RT American's 13th and final run of the game.
    Ardin finished 2-for-3 three with his grand slam, seven RBIs and a run scored and Cohen finished 3-for-3 with a walk, two stolen bases and four runs scored.
    Berkin was 1-for-2 with two walks, two RBIs and a run scored; Trujillo was also 1-for-2 with a walk, a stolen base and two runs scored; Miller drew three walks and was hit with a pitch.
    RT American manager Alan Berkin let pitch counts dictate his use of pitchers in the game as he wanted his entire staff ready for the first eight-team, double-elimination bracket-play game.
    Miller started and went 2.1 no-hit and no-run innings, strikikng out four and walking three; Ardin worked 1.1 innings, allowing three runs (all earned) on three hits and three walks while striking out one; Trujillo got the last out on a strikeout, but not before giving up a hit and a walk.
    For Rockaway Borough, Michael Sperry and Nick Walls did the pitching; Thomas Haynes, Daymon Fleming, Alex Riz and Sperry each had one hit; and Steven Man no, Brandon Connington and Ritz scored the borough's runs.
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RT American can advance with one more 'W'

    ROCKAWAY TWP. - The Rockaway Township American 12s All-Stars will be in control of their own destiny when the District One Little League Baseball Tournament's pool play concludes on Sunday, July 3, 2011.
    All the Rockaway Township All-Stars have to do is win and they are in, advancing to the next round.
    RT-American (2-1) suffered its first loss in Pool A when it lost a 11-2 decision to unbeaten (3-0) Morristown American in a game played at Peterson Field on Friday, July 1.
    Sunday's final day finds RT-American at Rockaway Borough (0-3) for a 4 p.m. game at Harry Smith Memorial Field in the borough and Morristown American visiting Madison (2-1) for a 1 p.m. game at the Rosedale Avenue Field in Madison.
    If RT-American and Morristown American win, Morristown becomes the pool champ and RT-American is the runnerup and both teams advance into the next round of the tournament - a bracket-play, eight-team double-elimination competition between the first- and second-place finishers of all four pools that will determine the District One champion.
    If RT-American wins and Morristown loses to Madison, all three teams will be 3-1 and overall and 1-1 against each other in head-to-head competition - the first tie-break rule. The second tie-break rule then goes into effect - lowest RPI (runs allowed divided by innings in the field) - and, in this case, Morristown (0.1875) has the edge over Madison (0.7059) and RT-American (1.1765) for the top spot. Once the three-way tie is broken, RT-American would get the nod for the second spot because it  beat Madison, 5-4, earlier in pool play.
    Should RT-American and Madison both lose Sunday, RT-American is the second-place team behind Morristown American. Should RT-American and Morristown American lose, RT American is out and Madison and Morristown American finish 1-2 on top of the pool.
    As for Friday's loss to Morristown American, RT American fell into a 7-1 hole after the first two innings and never could recover.
    Morristown American took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first and RT American answered with a single run in its half of the inning when Connor Callahan and Justin Miller singled  and Jonathan Opalewski followed with a single to drive in Callahan,.
    Morristown-American added five runs to its total in the top of the seventh and scored a single run in the top of the  third for an 8-1 lead before RT American scored again.
    Brent Costantino got the rally started with a single; Miller was hit with a pitch; and Opalewski singled to load the bases. Ryan Lee followed with another single to drive in Costantino for the final RT American run of the game.
    RT-American finished with eight hits as Opalewski was 2-for-3 with an RBI; Callahan was 2-for-3 with a run scored; Miller was 2-for-2; Lee was 1-for-3 with an RBI; and Costantino was 1-for-3 with a run scored.
    Callahan and Opalewski each pitched three innings for RT-American.

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Trujillo's grand slam, 6 RBIs spark 17-5 victory

     ROCKAWAY TWP. - Andre Trujillo drove in six runs - on a bases-loaded homer and a bases-loaded double - when the Rockaway Township American 12-year-old All-Stars defeated Rockaway Township National, 17-5, in a District One Little League Baseball Tournament game held at Peterson Field on Wednesday, June 29, 2011.
    The victory gives RT-American a 2-0 record in Pool A and the Rockaway Township team will square off against another 2-0 team when it meets Morristown American in a 7 p.m. game on Friday, July 1, at Peterson Field.

    Madison (2-1), Rockaway Borough (0-2) and RT-National (0-3) complete the Pool A field. RT-American concludes pool play on Sunday, July 3, with a 4 p.m. game against Rockaway Borough at Harry K. Smith Memorial Field in the borough.
    After Sunday's play, the two teams with the best won-loss records in each of the four pools in the district tourney advance to an eight-team, double-elimination competition that will determine the District One champion.
    In Wednesday's game, however, RT-National got on the board first with a four-run flurry in the bottom of the first inning with Chris Conway, Matt Clementoni and Dylan Lesch getting three of the five team hits RT-National got in the game.
    RT-American didn't score until the third inning, when it scored six times to take the lead for good.
    Eric Gribbons and Seth Berkin walked and Drew Frommelt singled to load the bases. Connor Callahan walked to force in Gribbons with the first run; Justin Miller followed with a two-run single and, after Johnathan Opalewski walked to reload the bases, a walk to Ryan Lee forced in the fourth run; Miller scored the fifth run on a passed ball, and Seth Berkin also drew a walk with the bases loaded to force in the sixth and final run of the inning.
    RT-American opened a nine-run lead after scoring seven times in the top of the fourth inning.
    Walks to Brent Costantino, Miller, Opalewski, Lee and Travis Ardin brought in two runs; Gribbons followed with a sacrifice fly; Andre Trujillo hit a two-run double for the fourth and fifth runs of the inning; Jordan Cohen had an RBI single; and, after Callahan singled, Costantino followed with another single to drive in Cohen.
    RT-American finished its scoring for the day with a four-run fifth inning - courtesy of Trujillo. Opalewski opened the inning with a single, Lee walked and, after Ardin forced Opalewski at third, Gribbons drew a walk to load the bases.
    Trujillo followed with a home run over the center field fence to drive in Lee, Ardin and Gribbons ahead of him and give him six RBIs for the game.
    Trujillo was the only American to finish the game with two hits as he went 2-for-2 with his grand slam and double for six RBIs and scored twice.
    Callahan was 1-for-3 with a walk, RBI and a run scored; Costantino was 1-for-3 with a walk, two RBIs and a run scored; Miller was 1-for-3 with a walk, two RBIs and two runs scored; Opalewski was 1-for-2 with two walks and two runs scored; Frommelt was 1-for-2 with a run; Lee walked four times in four trips, had an RBI and scored twice; Ardin walked twice, had one RBIs and scored two runs; Berkinj had two walks and an RBI; and Cohen had a single, one RBI and scored a run.
    Ardin, the first of three RT-American pitchers, got the win, allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits and three walks while striking out one. Miller and Costantino finished up for the winners.

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RT-Americans hold off Madison rally to win, 5-4

      ROCKAWAY TWP. - Justin Miller pitched out of a sixth-inning jam to save the game for starter Connor Callahan when the Rockaway Township American 11/12s All-Star baseball team held off Madison, 5-4, in an opening day game of the District One Little League Tournament at Marcella Field here in the township on Saturday, June 25, 2011.
    RT-American took a 5-2 lead into the sixth inning when Callahan got the first two outs on a groundout and a strikeout only to give up an infield hit to the Madison No. 3 batter followed by the cleanup hitter's two-run line-drive home run to left field to put Madison within a run of tying the game. The next batter doubled and, since Callahan had reached his pitch count with that pitch, Miller was brought in to get the final out.
    Miller walked the first batter he faced on four pitches and, after both Madison runners moved up on a wild pitch that put an 0-2 count on the next Madison batter, RT-American catcher Eric Gribbons asked for time and went to the mound to talk to Miller.
    Whatever Gribbons said worked out well because the next pitch by Miller was a strike and the following pitch was hit to short for a game-ending 6-3 play, shortstop Andrew Trujillo to first baseman Ryan Lee.
    Madison took an early 2-0 lead with single runs in each of the first and second innings.
    The lead didn't last long as RT-American scored three second-inning runs to take a lead it never lost.
    Jonathan Opalewski opened the inning with a single and Lee drew a walk and was replaced by pinch-runner Jordan Cohen. Opalewski and Cohen both moved up on a wild pitch and Travis Ardin followed with a two-run single to tie the score at 2-2. Seth Berkin and Callahan followed with back-to-back singles to bring in Ardin with the third run of the inning to give RT-American a 3-2 lead.
    Rockaway Township added two insurance runs in the bottom of the fourth when Brent Costgantino walked, Miller doubled to put runners on second and third, and Opalewski followed with a two-run single.
    Opalewski led RT-Amercian's 10-hit attack by going 3-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored; Callahan helped his own cause by going 2-for-4 with an RBI; Ardin finished 1-for-3 with two RBIs; Miller was 1-for-3 with a double; Berkin finished 1-for-2 with a run scored; Andre Trujillo was 1-for-3 with a stolen base; and Cohen stole a base and scored a run.
    Callahan scattered eight hits in his 5.2 innings and gave up four (three earned) runs while striking out five and walking only two.
    RT-American squares off against RT-National on Wednesday, June 29, in a battle between Rockaway Township LL All-Star teams. The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Peterson Field-1 here in the township.

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RT American 12s to open against Madison

     ROCKAWAY TWP - The Rockaway Township American 11-12s Williamsport All-Star team opens play in the District One Baseball Tournament with a 7 p.m. game against Madison at Marcella Field here in the township on Saturday, June 25, 2011.
    The RT-Americans have been placed in Pool A of the 20-team tournament and will play the Rockaway Township National team in a 7 p.m. game at Peterson Field-1 on Wednesday, June 29 in the second of the four pool games.
    Game 3 is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday, July 1, against Morristown American at Peterson Field-1 and the final pool game has been set for 4 p.m. Sunday, July 3, against Rockaway Boro at Harry Smith Memorial Field in the borough.
    The top two teams in each of the four pools after pool-play competition is completed will then compete in an eight-team, double-elimination competition for the 11-12s District One championship.
    Alan Berkin manages the RT-American 11-12s and Ka-Shu Lee and Tom Miller the team's coaches.
    The players on the team are Travis Ardin, Seth Berkin, Connor Callahan, Jordan Cohen, Brent Costantino, Drew Frommelt, Eric Gribbons, Ryan Lee, Justin Miller, Jonathan Opalewski and Andre Trujillo.