Another Win for the Mapletree Road Gang

After winning their first two games over the weekend the Toms River Little League All Stars have a day off in Bristol, Connecticut today. 

Sunday they jumped out to a 6-0 lead and held on to beat Colonie, New York 6-4.  Jason Kapp’s three-run homer and the pitching of Jonathan Giordano and Nick DeRose led the winning effort although three errors allowed the New York State champs to make a game of it. Afterwards manager Pete Avallone texted me “ugly wins beat pretty losses” and he added that the team has not yet played well in the Mid-Atlantic Regional Tournament. 

Next up for the Mapletree Road Gang is a Tuesday morning game against West Salisbury, Maryland who has allowed 24 runs in losing its first two games.  A victory would clinch a spot in Friday’s semifinals and it does appear that Toms River’s main competition will be a team from Philadelphia.

It may not be hockey season but they laced up the skates Sunday night for the 17^th annual Jim Dowd Shoot for the Stars Shore All Star game at the Red Bank Armory.  Monmouth County continued its dominance of the event with a 10-6 victory as recently-graduated CBA star Brendan vanRiemsdyk scored 3 goals and became the first player to win back-to-back MVP awards. 

Headed for the University of New Hampshire, Brendan is the youngest of the hockey-playing vanRiemsdyk brothers with James playing for the NHL’s Maple Leafs and Trevor under contract to the Chicago Blackhawks.  All three have been MVP’s in the All-Star game which Dowd started in 1998 and uses as a fundraiser for worthwhile causes.  Last night’s game benefitted Hometown Heroes.

A couple of quick-hitters on a Monday morning:

• For the first time I’m starting to think that Tiger Woods days as a dominating force on the PGA Tour may be over.  As he approaches his 39^th birthday and with a bad back Woods is about to go six straight years without winning a major.  His 14^th came at the 2008 US Open and it may be his last.

• Good to see Toms River’s Todd Frazier break out of a slump with four hits and an RBI as the Reds beat Miami Sunday.  Frazier boosted his batting average to .282.