Lou Gehrig Blue travel team wins tournaments

The Lou Gehrig Blue 10-year-old travel team ended the year with tournament victories. Members of the team, pictured from left, are; first row - Chris Horton, Derek Penman, Dean Penman, Patrick Haynes, John Tirone; second row - Nick Bucello, Nick Ames, John Becht, Matt Lesinski, Casey Charlton and Noah Whalen.

The Lou Gehrig Blue 10-year-old travel team ended a great season with two tournament championships.

Lou Gehrig Blue won the Lew-Port tournament by defeating Mel Ott and won the Clarence Tournament by defeating the Clarence 10-year-old Red Team in hard-fought battles.

Power hitting was led by Matt Lesinski and Casey Charlton. Strong pitching by Noah Whalen, Patrick Haynes and Dean Penman helped lead the teams through the tournament, while catcher Nick Ames was solid behind the plate. The speed of John Tirone and Matt Noe put pressure on the opposing teams as they lit up the base paths during each tourney.

John Becht was an anchor in the outfield, with diving catches in both tournaments to make key outs. Chris Horton showed solid defense with critical catches in the outfield and third base. Robby Zabel's battles at the plate kept the team's scoring drives alive as well as Nick Bucello's ability to drive the ball. Noah Whalen anchored the team, not only with his pitching ability but also with key defense at shortstop with several outstanding catches.