Windham Middle School baseball savors amazing season

By Matt Pascarella

Windham Middle School’s baseball team had an incredible season, in which they only lost one game. Windham played their final game of the season at Gorham on Thursday, June 5. Windham held a lead for the first half of the game, but Gorham pulled ahead in the end and Windham narrowly lost 8-6 to the Rams. More importantly, this is a great group of young men who skillfully played the game and had a very strong season.

Windham eighth grader Ryan Manning bats against
Gorham during a middle school baseball game on
Thursday, June 5. PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA

“It's a team effort, and we would not have been 6-1-1 without the contributions from everyone,” said WMS baseball coach Charlie Reiniger. “We’re aggressive on the bases, everybody can hit, but everybody contributed. Our pitching was really good ... our baserunning was huge – I mean everything was absolutely outstanding; these guys were dominant all year. These guys worked so hard at practice every day, this was unbelievable; I’m so happy I took this job, a great decision for me to come to Windham for sure. I loved coaching these guys this year.”

Reiniger, a 2024 Cheverus High School graduate, was new to Windham baseball this season. He said to the parents of the players that he may have learned more from his players than they learned from him. He said that he learned it takes a community, a family, to build success. He wants to thank his assistant coaches Bryan Harvie and Ralph Gallagher for their hard work this season. He’d also like to thank the parents; whether the game was home or away the Windham section was always filled with supporters, cheering on their team.

Windham started their season with an 8-4 win against Scarborough, tied Southern Maine Catholic 6-6, got by Bonny Eagle 12-9 – in which all 12 runs were scored in the first inning. Windham creamed Lincoln 20-4 and Moore 14-2. They sent Lewiston packing 9-3 and knocked down South Portland, 10-4. Collectively, the team had 70 hits and scored 85 runs.

“I think we played as a team, we never got down on each other,” said Windham eighth grader Brady Legere. “During the season, we hit the ball well, I think that was a big factor we were always putting up runs early in the game. In the future (we can remember) that we lost one game in our whole entire eighth grade season and going up to high school, that’s a big thing to have.”

Windham eighth grader Riley Gallagher said they stayed together, even if they were down. They played good defense too, if they needed stops; they hit the ball, got runs as they needed them. Gallagher said they will be able to keep this team together as they go into high school and it feels good knowing that they’ll have a majority of this team for four more years.

As Reiniger looks ahead to next season, he has a great group of seventh graders who are talented and will spend their time growing and getting better at the game during the off season. He will miss his eighth graders but wishes them nothing but success in the future. Reiniger said that Windham varsity baseball coach Chris Doughty has a solid group of players who can contribute greatly next year. <

Windham Little League 11-12 Baseball All-Stars fight hard in district tournament

By Matt Pascarella

The Windham Little League 11-12 Baseball All-Stars opened the annual district tournament at the Westbrook Little League Complex with a close 3-2 victory over Tri Town on Friday, June 23 and then beat the Cape Elizabeth All-Stars 6-1 on Tuesday, June 27. Windham left it all on the field in a game against Cumberland North Yarmouth, but sustained its first tournament loss, 10-5, on Friday, June 30.

Windham seventh grader Dylan Emmons makes contact during
a tournament game at the Westbrook Little League Complex 
on Friday, June 30 against Cumberland North Yarmouth.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA

“We had a very ... rough and rocky start, but the kids never gave up on each other, they never gave up on the team,” said Windham 11-12 All-Stars coach Mike Manning. They continued to battle hard and that’s all you can ever really want as a coach; they don’t quit, they keep playing hard.”

A couple errors in the first inning by Windham put some Cumberland North Yarmouth runners on base and they scored three runs. However, some excellent fielding and quick feet by Windham center fielder and sixth grader Nolan Harvie had several solid fly ball catches early in the game.

Harvie said he was thinking about running hard and trying, because he knew doing so could save the game. He said he did good at the plate and made good contact.

Windham didn’t let a small lead get them down. Harvie was hit by a pitch in the first inning. Seventh grader Sullivan Nappi singled and Harvie scored. Seventh grader Joseph Small singled to right center and brought Nappi to third base. Sixth grader Robbie Sanicola reached first base and Nappi scored.

A fly ball to Harvie, a strikeout and another fly ball to Harvie sent Cumberland North Yarmouth back to the dugout in the second inning.

In the third inning, seventh grader Brady Legere walked, then stole second base. A single by Harvie brought Legere to third base and when seventh grader Ryan Manning grounded out, Legere scored. Now, the game is tied 3-3.

Unfortunately, Cumberland North Yarmouth scored six runs in the fourth inning, but Windham kept them scoreless in the fifth inning.

Windham had one last chance in the sixth inning, and they really put the effort in. Manning walked and Nappi singled. Small walked and now Manning is on third base. Manning’s hustle enabled him to score on a passed ball. Nappi also scored.

“We had a couple errors at the beginning, but we definitely pulled together,” said Nappi. “At the end, we tried to battle back. At one point we did tie the game up, but it kind of got away from us.”

Nappi said Harvie’s catches were a positive of the game, pitching went well and there were solid hits, good fielding and it was a fun game.

Windham will play again on Thursday, July 6 against a yet-to-be-determined opponent. <

Windham Little League season opener reflects community support for baseball

Dairy Queen fifth-grader Cody Ruth slides across home plate
during a Windham Little League Opening Day game against
CR Tandberg on Saturday, April 30 at Ciccerone Field at
Lowell Farm in Windham.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA 

By Matt Pascarella

It’s officially baseball season and Saturday, April 30 began with an incredible showing of support for Windham Little League with many community members and a variety of teams who came to Ciccerone Field at Lowell Farm in Windham to celebrate opening day.

First to play were Majors Division teams CR Tandberg and Dairy Queen. Both teams played well, but in the end, CR Tandberg won 15-9.

Opening Day 2022 was extra special. The 2021 Windham Little League softball state champs were honored as the entire team was called to the field and wished good luck to all players as they continue their softball careers.

A new parking lot and road for umpire parking was recently added to the area around Ciccerone Field. This road will be called “Ciccerone Way” after Bill Ciccerone who works tirelessly to make sure Windham Little League has a nice field to play on.

Ciccerone is in his 22^nd year of maintaining this field. He started when his grandson was playing and after his grandson left, Ciccerone stayed.

“My payment is seeing the kids enjoy themselves on this field, having their names announced – they love it” said Ciccerone.

Ciccerone was also presented with two bats, one signed by Windham Little League baseball and one Windham Little League softball.

“It’s one huge honor and I thank them,” he said.

In the first inning, fifth-grader Brady Legere stole his way around the diamond and put CR Tandberg on the map.

CR Tandberg’s sixth-grader Ryder Lopes singled in the second inning. After six-grader Rocco DiDonato got on base, Lopes stole home.

Lopes said they all worked really hard which contributed to the win.

CR Tandberg sixth-grader Zach Gaudet walked in the third inning. Fifth-grader Ryan Manning doubled on a fly ball to left field; Gaudet scored. After two walks, Manning scored on a wild pitch. Lopes walked and the bases are loaded.

DiDonato walked and CR Tandberg led 5-0. Third-grader Cody Devoid walked and CR Tandberg scored.

But this game was far from over.

In the third inning, Dairy Queen sixth-grader Collin Lombard walked. Fifth-grader Troy Cunningham singled. Sixth-grader Jordan Tom walked, and Dairy Queen brought in two runs.

Dairy Queen Sixth-grader Jacob Burke hit a fly ball to center field and Tom scored. Burke scored after sixth-grader Beckett Bragnon got on base. It’s now 6-4, CR Tandberg.

The fourth inning brought a couple walks for CR Tandberg and a hit by Manning to drive in a run. CR Tandberg sixth-grader Chase Gagnon singled and fifth-grader Sullivan Nappi scored. Before the end of the inning, Manning crossed home plate.

Dairy Queen was not finished. After three walks in the fourth inning, sixth-grader Nick Wilden scored on a wild pitch and third-grader Jackson Zinchuk scored on a passed ball. Cunningham singled and Lombard scored; 9-7 CR Tandberg.

The fifth inning brought several runners across the plate for CR Tandberg.

Dairy Queen kept going; Burke and Bragnon both singled. Jacob scored. Bragnon scored.

“I think it was just a team effort,” said CR Tandberg coach Mike Manning. “We had a solid pitching performance behind Gaudet today. And for the most part, the team just played together. The kids are having fun, that’s the biggest part.” <