The Lions, with Bernie Good and Brian Good doing the bulk of the pitching, turned the spotlight on Tony Azzolini as they defeated Pasquin Motors 2-0 and clinched the American League pennant in Rutherford Little League.
Azzolini pitched a near-perfect game as he retired the last 15 men in a row. Chris Petermann had the lone Pasquin hit. Azzolini was backed by a tremendous defense.
Louie Ferullo at third base and Dave Plarre at shortstop turned in some fine plays as the Lions upped their record to 11-1 after a 1-13 record in 1970.
The Lions have played good baseball all year long. With Billy Zika and Shawn Mahoney sharing first base and Brian Good and Mike Williams playing second base. They combine with Plarre and Ferullo for one of the best infields in the league.
The catching was shared by Bernie Good and Corey Nydegger, both of whom did a capable job.
The outfield was manned by Steve McAuley, Jimmy Lafaso (who is the team’s leading hitter with a .500 average), Joe DeCandia, Jimmy McGuire, with his clutch plays, and Tony Azzolini who held down centerfield.
The Lions’ only 9-year old, Walter Gonzales has played a little outfield but has moved in to do a commendable job at second base. Look for Walter in the next few years to do a fine job.
The pitching was in excellent hands. Both Bernie and Brian Good have 5 wins and no losses with E.R.A’s under 1.50. Tony Azzolini was called on for spot duty and saved his best game for when it was needed most.
The Lions feel that they can go on and win the Town Series. The boys believe in themselves and the coaching staff feels that this is the first pennant of at least 2 in a row.