Date: Fri 30-Jun-1995

Publication: Bee

Author: TOMW

Illustration: I

Quick Words:

LL-Ice-Cream

Full Text:

Ice Cream Shop Puts Cherry On Top

In one of the most parity-filled seasons in recent Newtown Little League

memory, four different teams reached this year's Majors Division playoffs with

a total of 14 victories.

But only one, Ice Cream Shop, was able to put the cherry on top.

On Wednesday night, June 28, the boys from ICS got a standout pitching effort

from John Fiscella and offensive heroics from Chris Arnold as they rallied

from a 2-0 deficit to defeat Castle Hill Cabinets 4-3 for the league title.

"It was a very-well played ball game," said ICS coach Bill Taylor. "For a

championship game it pretty much lived up to its billing."

CHC wasted no time in getting started, getting on the board in the top of the

first inning when Alec Rosen walked, moved up on a passed ball, and scored on

a single by Dave Roodhuyzen. Roodhuyzen maneuvered his way around the bases

and eventually stole home to put his team up 2-0.

In the home half, though, ICS struck right back.

Greg Taylor and Robert Weiss led off the inning with consecutive singles. The

day's big hitting star Chris Arnold, who had struck out in all three of his at

bats in the league semifinal game two nights earlier, stroked a two-run double

to the fence to tie the game.

After a rare out by cleanup man John Fiscella, Arnold was plated on an RBI

single by Dan Evans to put ICS up 3-2 after one frame.

Neither team scored in the second inning, but in the top of the third CHC drew

even when Greg Williams led off with a single, stole second base, and was

driven home on a long double by Roodhuyzen.

ICS threatened, but stranded to runners in the bottom of the third.

In the fourth, though, Fiscella took the mound and spelled out doom for the

CHC boys. The 12-year-old right hander struck out the side in the fourth and

fifth innings before his team came up and broke the tie in the bottom of the

fifth. With two outs, Weiss was hit by a pitch. Up stepped Mr Arnold.

Arnold took strike one, but on the next pitch grounded one hard down third

base line for his second double of the game. Weiss streaked around to score

what would prove to be the winning run.

That's because in the top of the sixth and final innings, Fiscella fanned the

first two hitters - making it eight-in-a-row - and got a pop up to end it.

"He was a dominant pitcher for us all year," coach Taylor said of his ace who

fanned a total of 124 batters on the season. "And he really came up big when

we needed him. They couldn't touch him."

Ice Cream Shop finished the season with an overall record of 16-5.

Semifinal Rally

Ice Cream Shop's path to the Majors Division final was not chocolate covered

with sprinkles on top.

In fact, trailing Newtown Hardware 4-0 in the bottom of the third, and

Hardware ace Timmy Gordon in control on the mound, things were starting to

appear grim.

But ICS has John Fiscella.

After Kevin Fitzgerald reached on a bunt single and Weiss was hit by a pitch,

Fiscella ripped a shot that scored both men and cut the deficit to 4-2. He

then stole second and third base without issue, and outfoxed Hardware catcher

Matt Pachniuk on a steal of home.

His team now trailing 4-3 at the half-way point, Fiscella then took the mound

and struck out the side.

In the bottom of the fifth, with the score still 4-3 in favor of Hardware,

Greg Taylor led off for ICS with a single. Weiss worked out a walk, and both

runners stole a base. After the first out was recorded, Fiscella singled both

runners home giving his team the lead. He was then driven home on a single by

his younger brother Andrew to make it 6-4.

Hardware loaded the bases on two walks an a Chris Hennessey single in the

sixth, but Fiscella, after working the count full, struck out the game's final

hitter. In the other playoff semifinal, being played on the adjacent ball

field, Castle Hill Cabinets was busy defeating My Place Pizza 5-2 to advance

to the finals as well.

Ice Cream Shop entered the playoffs with a 14-5 record while CHC, My Place,

and Hardware all went in at 14-6.

My Place defeated Hardware 11-5 in the league's consolation game.