Unpage Home |
District of Columbia Main Page |
![]() Toward the past | 2007 | ![]() Toward the present |
District of Columbia Tournament
In Little League divisions other than the major baseball level, all Washington D.C. leagues compete in Maryland District 3, and advance through the Maryland tournament structure. In the major baseball division, the winner of the District 3 tournament (which encompasses only District of Columbia leagues) advances directly to the Mid-Atlantic Region tournament.
Tournament Results:
Opening Round:
Flip through the programming available on your local cable network, and you are likely to come across some of the great sporting duels of yesteryear on ESPN Classic.
But in the summer of 2007, you didn't need a television to revisit old-school matchups of the past. Northwest Washington Little League had returned to Little League Baseball's international tournament field following a four year hiatus, and like in their two most recent ventures into the tournament field, Northwest reached the District's championship game.
And like in those two recent excursions, they ran into the steamroller that is Capitol City Little League.
Capitol City claimed its 19th consecutive District of Columbia championship with a 9-3 victory over Northwest Washington at the Fort Lincoln Baseball Complex in Northeast Washington. The Chevy Chase neighborhood team advanced to the Mid-Atlantic Region tournament in Bristol, Connecticut.
Capitol City built an early lead in the championship game, scoring eight times over the first three innings before adding a final tally in the sixth. Starting pitcher Chase Plebani allowed only one hit through three innings, and reliever George Pulizzi closed out the win with three shutout innings.
The two pitchers also led Capitol City at the plate. Plebani collected a pair of hits, including a double, and drove in two runs. Pulizzi led off the game with a double, and added a sacrifice fly in the second inning before drawing intentional walks in his final two plate appearances.
Four Capitol City players returned from the prior year's District championship team, and would make their second trip to the Mid-Atlantic Region tournament. Capitol City was also well-positioned for the future with six eleven-year-olds among the team's eleven player roster.
Capitol City had defeated Northwest Washington 6-0 in the 2001 District championship game and then 8-0 in the 2002 title matchup. The perennial District champions welcomed Northwest Washington back into the tournament fold with an 11-1 win in the tournament's opening game. Capitol City pitcher Johnny Read threw the first of his two tournament no-hitters in the game, as his team recorded twelve of their fifteen outs via strikeout.
"It's a big deal to come out here and throw a no-hitter," said Capitol City manager Mike Domanski later in the tournament.
Northwest Washington kept the game close early, but Capitol City broke through with eight runs in the third inning. Pulizzi, a 4-foot, 11-inch first baseman, opened the third with a solo home run, and added a three-run shot later in the inning. Capitol City added two runs in the fourth and one in the fifth to involke the mercy rule.
Capitol City followed that win with a 13-0 win over Capital Little League. Plebani collected four hits in the game, including a pair of home runs, and drove in nine runs to pace his team's offense. Pulizzi struck out the first five batters he faced before switching positions as he reached 20 pitches for the game (under international tournament rules, rest requirements increase once a pitcher exceeds 20 pitches). Adam Zeitler relieved Pulizzi, and allowed only one hit over the remaining 3-1/3 innings.
Capitol City then moved past the Senators Little League, 10-0 in five innings, in a walk-filled win that propelled the team into the championship game. Read threw his second no-hitter of the tournament, and Capitol City's hitters capitalized on numerous walks to secure the win. Pulizzi was intentionally walked in all four plate appearances, Jake Mintz singled once and drew three walks, and Plebani also drew three walks as Capitol City positioned itself for another visit to Bristol.
Northwest Washington would be the final hurdle, as the American University Park-based league topped Capital, 12-1 in five innings, then no-hit the Senators, 6-2, to earn a rematch with Capitol City. Northwest Washington made the title game somewhat of an instant classic, becoming the first team in twelve years to score against Capitol City in the District's championship game. But Capitol City's fast start proved too much as the present-day championship game result mirrored those from the recent past.
Capitol City held its own at the Mid-Atlantic Region tournament, carrying a lead late into a pool matchup against top-seeded Maine-Endwell (New York) Little League and staying even with eventual runner-up Council Rock Northampton Little League (Richboro, Pennsylvania) for much of their encounter. The District of Columbia champions finished the region tournament with a 1-3 record.
Follow Capitol City at the Mid-Atlantic Region Tournament -- Click here to view results.
Host - Senators (Washington D.C.)
At Fort Lincoln Baseball Complex
Capitol City 11, Northwest Washington 1 (5 innings; no-hitter)
Winner's Bracket Semifinals:
Senators 6, Ward 7-6th District National 0 (forfeit)
Capitol City 13, Capital 0 (5 innings)
Elimination Bracket Quarterfinals (five teams remain):
Northwest Washington 6, Ward 7-6th District National 0 (forfeit; elim.)
Elimination Bracket Semifinals (four teams remain):
Northwest Washington 12, Capital 1 (5 innings; elim.)
Winner's Bracket Finals:
Capitol City 10, Senators 0 (5 innings; no-hitter)
Elimination Bracket Finals (three teams remain):
Northwest Washington 6, Senators 2 (no-hitter; elim.)
Championship Game:
Capitol City 9, Northwest Washington 3 (TITLE)
Summary:
Toward the past
Toward the present
The Unpage brings you unprecedented tournament coverage.
Thank-you for visiting Unpage Publications!
Contact the Unpage.
Copyright © 2008, Unpage Publications. All rights reserved.
Last revision: 05/27/2008