Union City all-stars squeeze by Prospect

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George Cambrelen came off the bench and delivered.

Cambrelen belted a two-out, pinch hit, game-tying single in the top of the sixth to lead the Union City Little League 11 and 12-year-old all-stars to a 4-3 victory over Prospect last Saturday at the Joe Joy Complex. The victory advanced Union City into the winner’s bracket of the District III Little League Tournament.

The hit capped a come-from-behind win for Union City, which trailed 3-2 entering the sixth. It all started with Andrew Rivera, who lined a one-out double to left-center.

“He comes off the bench, up there with an 0-2 count, and smacks a base hit,” UCLL manager Dennis Sigetti said of Cambrelen. “That was just a great play.”

With two outs, Dakota Sigetti kept the rally alive with a single and took second on a throw home.  With two runners in scoring position, Cambrelen struck a single off Prospect reliever Zach Crowell between third and short to plate Rivera and tie the game at three.

Sigetti scored the go-ahead run on a passed ball and gave UCLL the lead.

“That (comeback) was just incredible,” Dennis Sigetti said.

Prospect had taken the lead with two runs in the bottom of the fourth.  Mike Tuohy, who belted a solo homer to left-center in the first, singled and eventually scored on a sac fly by Will Flormann.

Later in the inning, Tyler Boisvert scored Coby Vaccarelli on an RBI-ground out.

Union City scored first in the top of the third on a Kyle Torok RBI-single that scored Evan Pelliccia, who began the rally with a two-out single and reached second on an error.

Runs were difficult to come by thanks to solid starting pitching on both sides.

Rivera struck out 10 in five and two-thirds innings, gave up three runs and recorded the win. Pelliccia came on to get the one-out save in the sixth.

“One word – fantastic,” Dennis Sigetti said of Rivera.  “He had his speed and control.  (Tuohy) had a beautiful shot, a homer, and that was really it.”

Boisvert, the Prospect starter, was equal to Rivera.  He struck out 11 in five and two-thirds and allowed three runs, but was forced to come out of the game with two outs in the sixth after hitting the maximum pitch count, 85, allowed in Little League.

“Tyler was great” said Prospect manager Larry Fitzgerald.  “We were hoping to get him through the sixth inning with 85 pitches; he just didn’t make it.”

Union City defeated Ansonia on Monday, and will face its cross-town rival Peter J. Foley Little League on Friday night at Sunnyside Field in Shelton at 5:30 p.m. Foley advanced on Monday with a 14-0 over Ansonia on Monday in Naugatuck (see story at left).

“Our kids played well, and their kids played well,” Fitzgerald said of Saturday’s game.  “They deserved to win because they got the hit when they needed it. But a 4-3 all-star game in Little League is a great game.”

Prospect is scheduled to face the Beacon Falls all-stars Wednesday in an elimination game in Beacon Falls.