Sports
By Don Lyons - June 28, 2007
To the victors belong the spoils. Photo by Ralph Stewart
Bay State Champions
Coming off an undefeated season in the South Coast Soccer League, the optimistic MV United Under-18 soccer team arrived at Amherst, Friday, and began tournament play the same afternoon versus Douglas County. M.V. goalie Nico Cuba kept the ball out of the Vineyard net while Ben Post and Antulio Neto were scoring for the Islanders, a 2-0 win.
Saturday morning the Vineyarders took on Braintree and played to a tough 1-1 tie. The only Vineyard goal was a great header by Zach Sylvia, assisted by Ryan Dwane.
Because of the tie a win was required against Gateway, a team vying for the same semi-final spot. Nico Cuba came up with another shutout and M.V. won, 2-0, on goals by Adiles Goncalves and Antulio Neto.
As one of the final four (of 144 teams), the Islanders faced Dracut at 10 am, Sunday. Adiles Concalves scored four times as the Islanders dominated play from the outset.
Bedecked with their medals, the State Champions pose for a formal portrait at Amherst. Photo by Yolanda Tucker
Sunday afternoon, in 95-degree heat, a tired M.V. team faced Braintree again, the team that had held them to a 1-1 tie the day before.
The first half was scoreless. After a five-minute break, play resumed. With 20 minutes remaining on the clock, a strike by Adiles Goncalves deflected off a Braintree defender feeding the ball to Antulio Neto who sent it over the head of the Braintree goalie into the top left corner of the net - the game's only goal, and securing the championship for the Islanders.
This was the first Martha's Vineyard soccer team to win a state championship.
Coach Phil Dwane, understandably proud of his team, expressed gratitude to the Friends of Vineyard Soccer for its part in developing Island talent and thanks to those who helped transport the team to Amherst: Matt Poole, Mark Taylor, Joseph Capobianco, Yolanda Tucker, Michael Post, and John Schwegen.
Little League Minors
Paul Jeffers-Mayhew singled with the bases loaded in the Jays seven-run fifth. Jeff Cimeno followed with a base-clearing triple. Photos by Ralph Stewart
Blue Jays pitcher Nainoa Cooperrider held the Twins to one run in five innings striking out eight batters. The Jays exploded for seven runs in the 5th and held on to win, 10-2.
In the top of the first inning, the Jays posted two runs.
Jeff Cimeno led off with a walk. The next two batters Nainoa Cooperrider and Zach Danz, were hit by pitched balls and the bases were loaded. Tucker McNeely took the mound and got Elijah LaRue to hit into a fielders choice, 6-4, but two runs came across the plate. Gabe Bergeron was hit by a pitched ball, the third hit batter of the inning. Aaron Lowe's pop fly went for a hit. Liam Craffey took a third strike. Akzel Cooperrider grounded out to first unassisted.
The Twins got one back in the bottom of the first. McNeely reached with an infield hit, went to second on a passed ball and stole third. Cyrus Breese fanned, Oscar Fournier grounded out to first driving in McNeely. Mason Jeffers lined out to short.
Winning pitcher Nainoa Cooperrider held the Twins to one run in five innings of work.
The Jays went in order in the second. So did the Twins.
Paul Jeffers-Mayhew reached in the third, but McNeely struck out Davies, Cimeno, and A. Cooperrider.
In the Twins half, Nick Vukota singled, but Bresnick and Maciel fanned and Donnelly grounded out.
The Jays added a run in the fourth. LaRue walked, stole second, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on Aaron Lowe's bouncer to third.
In the fourth, Nathaniel Backus singled, took second when the ball was bobbled but was thrown out trying to reach third, McNeely and Breese went down on strikes.
Silas Berlin began the seven-run fifth with an infield single. The next two batters walked, filling the bases. Jeffers-Mayhew drove in one with a hit to right. Cimeno tripled driving in three. A. Cooperrider and Danz walked reloading the bases. LaRue's Texas Leaguer drove in three, raising the ante to 10-1
After Austin Fournier went down on strikes, the Twins Mason Jeffers singled and went to second on an overthrow. Andrew Fournier bounced back to the pitcher, Jeffers taking third, but died there when the next batter took a third strike,
The Jays went quietly, 1-2-3 in the top of the sixth.
In the Twins half, Jeffers looked at a third strike. Bresnick walked and stole second and eventually scored the game's final run, driven in by Tim Maciel.
It took a great throw and a quick tag to prevent Cub Vincent Carlomagno from scoring in the fourth.
Cubs reign
In a well-played pitchers duel, the Cubs defeated the A's, 1-0, to claim the Vineyard Little League majors championship, Saturday, at Veira Park in Oak Bluffs.
First inning: The Cubs scored the game's only run in the top of the first. Tyson Araujo led off with a double lining the ball into left field. Alec Tattersall drew a base on balls. Jack Roberts flied out to deep right field, both runners tagged and moved up. Chris Mayhew walked, loading the bases. Kyle Stobie reached on an infield hit, Araujo scoring. Ryan Gosson hit into a fielder's choice, pitcher to catcher forcing Tattersall. Andrew Jacobs-Walsh struck out to end the inning.
In the bottom of the first, the A's went down 1-2-3. Nick Nelson flied out to right, Colin Cameron struck out swinging. Mike Mussell grounded out to second.
Second inning: Brian Hurley walked. Vincent Carlomagno reached on an error at short. Araujo, up for a second time, grounded back to the pitcher. Tattersall walked again. Roberts popped out. Mayhew grounded out to first.
In the A's half, Eli Berlow doubled, but he was stranded as Harrry West, Joe Wannamaker, and Sam Entner all fanned.
Third inning: Cubs up. Stobie grounded out 1-3, and Gosson 6-3, and Jacobs-Walsh went down swinging.
For the A's, Oliver Filley fanned as did Mike Bizzarro. Zack Wannamaker hit back to the pitcher.
Fourth inning: Carlomagno singled, Araujo was called out on strikes, Tattersall popped to second. Roberts drove the ball to the fence in left field and, in the play of the game, Mike Mussell threw a strike to catcher Nick Nelson, nailing Carlomagno at the plate.
For the A's, Nelson and Cameron bounced back to the pitcher. Mussell reached. Berlow was out 1-3.
West led off the fifth, drawing a base on balls. Joe Wannamaker popped to first. Zack Wannamaker and Filley struck out.
Fifth inning: Roberts and Stobie singled. Jacobs -Walsh struck out. Hurley hit into a fielder's choice, pitcher to third. Carlomagno grounded out to second.
Sixth inning. Filley took the mound. Araujo reached on an error at third. Tattersall flied out to right field. Roberts hit into a 6-4 fielder's choice. Mayhew took a called third strike.
With Tattersall pitching, Sean McAndrews struck out as did Nick Nelson. Colin Cameron grounded out 5-3 to end the game.
Cubs 1, Athletics 0.
Paul Vertefeuille, 43, was first to complete the first running of the Summer Solstice 10K.
The first Solstice 10K
Paul Vertefeuille, 43, of Oak Bluffs won the first running of the Offshore Ale Summer Solstice 10K, Thursday, covering the distance in 40:19.50, three minutes ahead of the second finisher, David Diriwachter, 38. According to Paul, it was his first race win since high school.
Kathryn Barrow, 30, was third and the first woman to complete the run at 41:32.62. Fourth across the line was 42-year-old Garry Metters of Vineyard Haven in 41:37.10, a half-minute better than Daniel Vaughan, 32. Bonnie Kingsbury, 28, was sixth at 43:11.99. The rest of the top ten were (7) Katrina Delgadillo, 26 (8) Leonard Verville, 43 (9) Jim Austin, 64 and (10) Mollie Susla, 15.
Thirty Islanders made the run, a benefit for the YMCA building fund. Also benefiting, the O.B. Firefighters.
