Pine Bush Juniors win District 19 title

By Mike Zummo
Posted 7/10/24

There could be at least two new banners going up at the Pine Bush Town Park this summer.

The first could be the District 19 Junior baseball championship banner, Pine Bush won on July 2 when they …

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Pine Bush Juniors win District 19 title

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There could be at least two new banners going up at the Pine Bush Town Park this summer.

The first could be the District 19 Junior baseball championship banner, Pine Bush won on July 2 when they beat Town of Newburgh, 5-0, to win the championship. Then they won two straight games and were scheduled to play for the Section 3 North championship on Monday at Pine Bush Town Park.

“It’s awesome to be able to do (win District 19) on our home field,” Pine Bush manager Kevin Laird said. “It means a lot.

That way all our parents are here: family and friends can all come out here. And this is the field they play on; all spring long through practice and games. It means a lot to win at home.”

It was a breezy run through the district tournament as Pine Bush has allowed only one run during their three games.

They opened the tournament with a 10-0 win over Otisville before giving up a run in their first meeting with Town of Newburgh on a solo home run by Sean Hinspeter.

This time around, Finn Gandolfini and Dylan Bekgran split the pitching duties, each allowing one hit. Gandolfini struck out five batters and Bekgran fanned six. They each walked one. Gandolfini gave up a hit to Jayden Brooks in the third inning and Bekgran gave up a single to B Farrell in the seventh inning.

“We have 100 percent amazing pitching,” Laird said. “We go deep. Pitching is one of our strongest parts.”

The offense isn’t so bad either, even if the championship game wasn’t a second 14-point victory.

It also took three innings for Pine Bush to get on the board.

T.J. Gloster and Joshua Szigethy led off with walks. Gloster stole third and then scored when Newburgh catcher Hinspeter threw the ball into left field. Gandolfini singled home Ryan Beaulieu and Trevor Fontana scored on a balk.

They added two more runs in the sixth inning when Bekgran singled home Trevor Fontana. Connor Amiel followed by singling home Gandolfini, giving Pine Bush a 5-0 lead.

“They played awesome,” Laird said. “They pulled together.

They’ve been playing great. They just find a way to pull together. Even when things are going sideways, they find a way to pull together. They don’t look at errors, and they look past it.”

Even though some of the players were different, it’s another District 19 banner for the Pine Bush juniors.

Their success continued when they beat Stony Point-New City on Friday and Saturday, 12-0.

Francois Espinosa had three hits, including a double and drove in three.

The game was suspended in the third inning with Pine Bush winning, 11-0.

Bekgran had two hits, including a double, two RBIS and three runs scored. Connor Amiel had two hits, two runs scored and a RBI. Jaden Dyer singled twice and drove in two runs.

Four Pine Bush pitchers – Gandolfini, Fontana, Beaulieu and Amiel – combined on a no-hitter.

The game was called after five innings by the 10-run rule.
They advanced to Monday’s championship game with a 5-3 win over District 20 champion Harrison.

Pine Bush took a 5-0 lead, and then hung on for victory.

Maddox Miranowicz had two hits, including a double, two RBIs and a run scored. Connor Laird had two hits and an RBI.

Vincenzo Rubino doubled twice and scored a run.
“Pine Bush has a great community, as far as Little League,” Laird said. From when they start in T-ball playing all the way through until they’re 16 and they age out, they’re here. It doesn’t matter what they’re doing in their lives. Springtime is Little league, and regardless of what’s going on, they’re here for Little League and stay with it.”