South Hills team plays at Cooperstown
Major league baseball players dream of the day they are inducted into the Hall of Fame at Cooperstown. Little Leaguers, however, dream of playing on the field where their heroes are enshrined.
Nearly a dozen young players from the South Hills area realized that fantasy as they successfully competed in one of the weekly tournaments held on those hallowed grounds in upstate New York.
“It was a great experience,” said Bill Lonero, who coached the squad along with Vince Ripepi. “We played against teams that fly kids in to play and we overcame and persevered.”
The Pittsburgh Stallions, as they are dubbed, are a new team that participated in the Atlantic Coast Baseball League since the beginning of April. Base on their record during the season (47-10-1), the Stallions were invited to play at Cooperstown. However, according to Lonero, the only week available traditionally is reserved for when the best teams from around the country participate.
The Stallions hung with the best. After posting a 5-1 record in pool play, the Stallions advanced to semifinals with four additional victories. They finished 9-2 overall and third among 104 teams from around the nation. The Stallions lost, 20-16, to the CBA Bulldogs National. The California club finished runner-up to Carrollton from Louisiana.
“We ran out of pitching,” Lonero said of the semifinal loss.
Nevertheless, Lonero was proud of his players, many of whom have played and practiced together since the start of the year. “They were driven to get better and they out-worked everybody,” he said.
He added that to play in the toughest week in the tournament was “amazing,” as the Stallions faced “the best talent and champions” in the country. “It’s really a remarkable Cinderella story.”
The Stallions’ power proved remarkable as they smacked 65 home runs during five days of action. In one game, Michael Beiersdorf of Mt. Lebanon drilled three round trippers in three plate appearances and Gio Lonero smacked three four-baggers in another contest. The Cecil Township resident clubbed 14 home runs in 11 games.
In addition to Beiersdorf, Paul Connolly and Matty Delvaux hailed from Lebo. Drew Ripepi, Wes Parker, Ben Castor, Teddy Platt and Luke Markowski represented Peters Township. Ty Lagoni is from Upper St. Clair while Kevin Jones resides in Brookline.
“It really was a great group of kids that bonded together. Our team has great parents and kids. We are family. Just like the Pirates,” said Lonero, recalling the 1979 World Series championship club’s theme song.
“We wanted the kids to have a great experience and they did. A dream come true for many of them,” added Lonero, who is not only a baseball fanatic but was a standout basketball player on Seton-La Salle’s state championship team in 1988. “When it was time to go home, nobody wanted to leave. It was phenomenal.”