The Throggs Neck Little League team for 13- and 14-year-olds was crowned state champion for the first time in league history last month.
Led by lifelong Throggs Neck resident, Coach Anthony Raneri, the kids showed what winners are made of. Raneri, who himself played little league and has coached for a decade, said a team from Long Island always knocks them out of the playoffs.
But this summer, it was different.
“They were pretty talented,” Raneri said. “I did have expectations we’d go pretty far. Usually, we don’t get past the state tournament.”
The team ventured out to Massapequa, Long Island the week of July 10 and while there had to beat six teams. Teams could only lose one game and if they did, needed to win two consecutive games.
Throggs Neck suffered a loss but then bounced back by beating Pine Bush twice.
“It’s very hard to beat the same team twice in one day,” Raneri said.
According to Raneri, winning the state championship was a dream come true for these kids and a time they will never forget.
The team then went on to compete in the eastern regionals in DuBois, Pa. Raneri said the kids were ready to show the other states what Throggs Neck was about.
“We were confident,” he said. “We were probably the best team there. Once we won the state tournament, we felt like we could beat anybody.”
In the eastern regionals, Throggs Neck scored 15 runs in its first game, but fatigue slowly set in as it lost its last two games to DuBois 2-1.
“I was proud of them and how they went that far,” Raneri said. “I think we just ran into some really good pitching.”
Raneri thanked his coaches, Vito Messina and AJ Macli, and said he sees a bright future for the players on the diamond.
“The kids loved it every step of the way,” he said. “It brought me a lot of joy, but sadness in the end.”
