Last year it was uncharted territory for the Deerfield Beach Little League Junior team that won the District 10 title to earn the right to play in the Florida State championship. Although the team came up short of the ultimate goal of winning a state championship, the feeling of holding up the banner as District 10 and Section 8 champions was a driving force to make it back to the big stage. Deerfield took the District 10 senior title with a 12-5 victory over Coral Springs American at the Deerfield Beach Middle School Athletic Complex.
The mission was accomplished this season with most of the team coming back to play in the senior division. The group of 15-and 16-year-old senior players came back bigger, stronger, faster and more determined to make it back-to-back championship seasons. The challenge of repeating as District 10 champions was anything but easy.
Playing at their home field at the Deerfield Beach Middle School Athletic Complex might have given the club a little advantage, but it was the play inside the chalk lines that would ultimately determine who would be the tournament champions.
In the opening game for Deerfield Beach, the club faced off against perennial powerhouse North Springs senior team. The contest lasted four hours, which included a little bit of everything such as lighting delays and extra innings before Deerfield could claim a 7-6 victory in 10 innings.
The loss knocked North Springs into the losers’ bracket setting up a do or die game against Coral Springs American, which they defeated earlier in the tournament 8-1. Coral Springs American was the fresher team and got started off on a strong note with solid pitching.
North Springs was a tired team after the tough loss to Deerfield Beach and came back on the baseball diamond on a hot Saturday afternoon. Coral Springs American prevailed 12-3 in 7 innings to put an end to the defending senior state champions North Springs All Star run.
In the championship District 10 finale, Coral Springs American got on the scoreboard first, but Deerfield answered right back and never looked back. Preston James got things started with a triple in the first and followed that up with three successive singles to account for an impressive four-hit game.
Nick Lash got the start on the hill and pitched three strong innings giving up two runs on four hits, striking out one batter and walking one batter. Lash earned the victory.
“This is the second District 10 tournament win for this group,” head coach James Siracusa said. “This is a great group of kids and committed families and I’m proud to be part of this team. The majority of the Deerfield team played together in the Juniors Division last season where they went 13-1, winning their district championship and finishing second overall in the state of Florida.”
Members of the Deerfield Beach senior team are Gio Caffro, Colin Calvet, Janelle Calvet, Sanders Chartier, Junior Feliciano, Lorenzo Feliciano, Melchor Feliciano, Marcus Gonzalez, Preston James, Dawson Lallance, Nicky Lash, Anthony Masiello, Dylan Radtke, Salvatore Saccente, Jason Siracusa, Keanu Siracusa, Neile Thomas and Maxwell Thomson.
In the Florida State Championship, the Deerfield Beach Little League Senior All Stars came up short in the state tournament finishing 1-2. Deerfield Beach Little League opened with a 5-1 victory over St. Cloud but fell to Hancock and eventual tournament champions Land O Lakes 3-1 in a low-scoring game that went right down to the wire.
Emmett Hall is a South Florida Community News correspondent.
