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Toms River East Little League falls in extra innings in Metro Region Tournament opener

Bob Jordan, Asbury Park Press
·2 min read

BRISTOL, Connecticut - New Jersey Little League champion Toms River East fell in extra innings to open Metro Region Tournament play Saturday, with New York champion Massapequa Coast winning 6-3 at the A. Bartlett Giamatti Little League Leadership Training Center field.

In the double-elimination tournament, Toms River East faces a must-win game Sunday at 7 p.m. against the loser of Saturday night's Connecticut-Rhode Island game. The tounament winner heads to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

More:Little League Baseball 2022: Metro Region Tournament Guide, schedule, how to watch

Toms River East's postseason record dropped to 9-2 after earlier rolling through the district, section and state tournaments.

Massapequa, now 13-2, beat West Nyack Nanuet 15-5 to win the New York title.

Game action during the Toms River East vs. Massapequa Coast Little League Metro Region Tournament at the A. Bartlett Giamatti Little League Leadership Training Center in Bristol, Connecticut, Aug. 6, 2022. Toms River lost to Massapequa, 6-3.
Game action during the Toms River East vs. Massapequa Coast Little League Metro Region Tournament at the A. Bartlett Giamatti Little League Leadership Training Center in Bristol, Connecticut, Aug. 6, 2022. Toms River lost to Massapequa, 6-3.

How the runs scored

Top seventh inning (extra inning): New York scores three

Official Little League photographer Bryan Thomas arranges the Toms River East team for a team photo before the Toms River East vs. Massapequa Coast Little League Metro Region Tournament at the A. Bartlett Giamatti Little League Leadership Training Center in Bristol, Connecticut, on Aug. 6.
Official Little League photographer Bryan Thomas arranges the Toms River East team for a team photo before the Toms River East vs. Massapequa Coast Little League Metro Region Tournament at the A. Bartlett Giamatti Little League Leadership Training Center in Bristol, Connecticut, on Aug. 6.

Christian Bekiers scored the tiebreaking run on a wild pitch and Mikey Castellano cracked a two-run home run to left to put the game out of reach.

Massapequa's Mikey Castellano is mobbed at the play after his game winning home run, during the Toms River East vs. Massapequa Coast Little League Metro Region Tournament at the A. Bartlett Giamatti Little League Leadership Training Center in Bristol, Connecticut, Aug. 6, 2022. Toms River lost to Massapequa, 6-3.
Massapequa's Mikey Castellano is mobbed at the play after his game winning home run, during the Toms River East vs. Massapequa Coast Little League Metro Region Tournament at the A. Bartlett Giamatti Little League Leadership Training Center in Bristol, Connecticut, Aug. 6, 2022. Toms River lost to Massapequa, 6-3.

Bottom fourth inning: Toms River East 3, New York 3

Toms River East rallies for two runs to tie the game at 3-3. Bryce Tomitz had an RBI single and Deklin Sloan tripled in Tomitz to tie the score.

Top fourth inning: New York 3, Toms River East 1

New York's Ryan Huksloot delivers an RBI double in the top of the fourth.

Third inning: New York 2, Toms River East 1

New York got a baserunner on an error, then pushed across a go-ahead run with two hits. It's 2-1.

Toms River East ties the game 1-1 in the first inning

New York opened the game with a run in the top of the first inning but Toms River East replied with a run in the bottom of the first when Christian Mascaro singled on a ground ball to left.

Toms River's Christian Mascaro and Massapequa's Alex Pagano during the Toms River East vs. Massapequa Coast Little League Metro Region Tournament at the A. Bartlett Giamatti Little League Leadership Training Center in Bristol, Connecticut, Aug. 6, 2022. Toms River lost to Massapequa, 6-3.
Toms River's Christian Mascaro and Massapequa's Alex Pagano during the Toms River East vs. Massapequa Coast Little League Metro Region Tournament at the A. Bartlett Giamatti Little League Leadership Training Center in Bristol, Connecticut, Aug. 6, 2022. Toms River lost to Massapequa, 6-3.

Toms River East starting lineup vs. New York

No., Name, position

2 Michael Mendes

4 Tyler Todaro

8 Christian Mascaro

9 Jake Gallagher

12 Brady Gillen

17 Jayce Cappello

25 Ryan McHugh

43 Philipp LaGrossa

54 Logan Macchia P

The Toms River East team run off the field after taking their official team photo, before the Toms River East vs. Massapequa Coast Little League Metro Region Tournament at the A. Bartlett Giamatti Little League Leadership Training Center in Bristol, Connecticut, Aug. 6, 2022.
The Toms River East team run off the field after taking their official team photo, before the Toms River East vs. Massapequa Coast Little League Metro Region Tournament at the A. Bartlett Giamatti Little League Leadership Training Center in Bristol, Connecticut, Aug. 6, 2022.

Substitutes

13 Kevin O’Donnell

5 Bryce Tomitz

88 Deklin Sloan

99 Gavin Senger

More:Little League: Toms River East seeks to build on rich tradition

Staff: Manager Mike Mendes, Coaches Ed Todaro and George Gallagher.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Toms River East Little League at Metro Region loses to New York