Huge fifth inning hands CR Tandberg a 10-run Little League win

Fifth grader Mason Rulman of CR Tandberg bats
during a Windham Little League game against
Westbrook 2 played at Ciccarone Field at
Lowell Farm in Windham on Monday, May 10.
CR Tandberg defeated Westbrook 2, 11-1.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA 

By Matt Pascarella

Windham Little League’s majors division squad CR Tandberg flexed some muscle and racked up a 10-run victory over visiting Westbrook 2 at Ciccarone Field at Lowell Farm in Windham on Monday, May 10.

The teams were tied for the first four innings, and in the fifth inning CR Tandberg kept the bats swinging and the hits coming to beat Westbrook 2, 11-1.

In the top of the first inning, CR Tandberg fourth grader Joey Small made two stellar catches to get Westbrook’s first two outs of the game. Fifth grader Zach Gaudet did a great job on the mound for CR Tandberg for over three innings.

In the third inning, Westbrook scored. In the bottom of the fourth inning, fifth grader Boston Krainis singled, fifth graders Aiden Rinaldi and Mason Rulman each singled. Krainis made it home to tie the game at one.

CR Tandberg’s pitching and defense made it really hard for Westbrook to make it around the diamond.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, it was a slugfest for CR Tandberg. After Small walked, sixth grader Matt Cole singled. Sixth grader Blake Webster walked and now the bases are loaded. Small stole home. Krainis walked and a runner came in, 3-1 CR Tandberg. Gaudet crushed the ball way into the outfield for a double and drove in two runs.

“I really like that I hit a double (that far),” said Gaudet. “It was a good feeling, when I first hit it; it was a pretty nice double. It would have bounced and hit the warning track probably.”

After Rinaldi walked, the bases are loaded again. Rulman sent the ball into the outfield and drove in two more runs. Sixth grader Gage Chicoine got on base. Fifth grader Lincoln Rulman singled and drove in two runs. Cole singled and drove in two runs and CR Tandberg got the win.

“The kids are really coming together well as a team,” said coach Tim Gaudet. “It’s a new team so it’s taken them a few games to come together; I think once they find that out they’re really going to play hard. We have a really good set of kids here ... they came together in the fifth inning and played well.” <