NCYAA Fall Baseball Champions: Long Island Lightning-Front row-Evan Nagel, Sam Tanenbaum, Josh Bergsohn, Jared D'sa, Nick D'Angelo, Ryan Smith. Middle row-Brett Alvarez, Owen Fisher, Matt Vani, Jared Rothstein, John Malandro, Joey Guglielmo. Back row-Coaches Jim Fisher, Joe Vani and Rob Rothstein. After posting a perfect 8-0 record for the regular season and decimating the L. I. Mustangs 14-0 in the playoffs, the Long Island Lightning won the Fall 2008 U 10 NCYAA baseball chamapionship on Saturday, October 25 at Salisbury Field Park, but it did not come easy. Although the Lightning had beaten the Wildcats four times during the regular season, they showed up for the championship game seeking revenge and harboring dreams of an upset, and for five tension-filled innings it seemed as though they just might succeed. Ahead by a razor thin run after five innings, the Lightning exploded for eight runs in the top of the sixth, which left the Wildcats demoralized and unable to mount a comeback. Final score: Lightning 13, Wildcats 6. Each of the team's ten victories during the fall season can be attributed to playing "Lightning baseball," which means, according to Coaches Rothstein, Vani, and Fisher-- stealing bases, making sacrifice bunts, running squeeze plays, hitting the cut off man, advancing the base runner, and, most important, avoiding mental errors.

Coaches Fisher, Rothstein and Vani mark the end of a successful season.

Lightning Players celebrate league championship victory