Windham 9-10 baseball All-Stars rally falls short in district final

Windham 9-10 baseball All-Star Jackson Zinchuk prepares
to throw to first base during a District 6 tournament game
against Gray New Gloucester at Ciccerone Field at
Lowell Farm in Windham on Wednesday, July 6. 
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA 

By Matt Pascarella 

The Windham Little League baseball 9-10-year-old All-Stars trailed 4-1 against Gray New-Gloucester as they headed into the top of the sixth and final inning on Wednesday, July 6 at Ciccerone Field at Lowell Farm in Windham during the All-Star tournament. They rallied and tied the game 4-4 before falling in the bottom of the sixth inning. GNG advanced with a 5-4 victory.

“Windham knew they had the confidence and skills to battle back,” said Windham Little League 9-10-year-old All-Star baseball coach Adam Kalakowsky. “It came down to the last play, it was tough; we were in it the whole time. It was one of those games where it could have gone either way and unfortunately it went their way.”

Kalakowsky said Windham’s pitching was strong throughout the game. Windham had a sporadic start with the bats but got it going in the last inning and the defense held GNG in check in much of the game.

“You just got to play your hardest and do your best,” said Windham fourth-grade pitcher Robbie Sanicola. He struck out five, walked one and scored a run himself against GNG. 

Sanicola said hitting in the final inning went well and the team really ramped up the intensity to tie the game. Once they started getting runs, they got fired up, he said.

Looking back on the season, Sanicola said while it may have had a rocky start, once Windham came together, their goal was to make it as far as they could.

GNG scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning in the district final.

In the top of the second inning, Windham fourth-grader Joseph Small reached first on an error and third-grader Cody Devoid was hit by a pitch. Windham third-grader Maxwell Inzerillo then singled and Small scored.

In the sixth inning, Windham third-grader Colton Kalakowsky was hit by a pitch, and Sanicola doubled. After Colton Kalakowsky scored on a passed ball, Small tripled, scoring Sanicola. Small scored on a passed ball to tie the game.

“When I hit, I don’t have anything on my mind, I just focus on ... making contact,” said Small.

He said that Windham definitely did well batting and pitching. They need to focus a bit more next year on fielding the ball. Small said everything about this tournament was fun and that he loves baseball.

Windham fourth-grader Nolan Harvie pitched the last inning and struck out one, walked one and that walk stole his way around the bases, for a very close finish at home, where he was ultimately ruled as safe by the umpire.

Coach Kalakowsky said every single one of these kids brings something different to the table and as long as they keep working hard, they’ll continue to succeed. <