Many kids go their whole Little League career without hitting a home run. Many ball players go their whole baseball career without hitting a grand slam. On a sweltering night at the West Utica Little League park, New Hartford's Gus Pfisterer made sure that for the rest of his life he can say he achieved both a home run and a grand slam, on the same swing!
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The twelve year old Pfisterer uncorked a grand slam home run in the top half of the first inning, capping a six run opening frame for visiting New Hartford, en route to a 13-0 victory over Westmoreland in District 10 All-Star pool play.
With the bases loaded and facing Westmoreland's Jack Acquaviva, one of the district's better hurlers, young Mr. Pfisterer deposited an (0-2) fastball over the right field fence to cap New Hartford's big first inning.
(Westmoreland ace pitcher Jack Aquaviva delivers during second inning action.)
"I was real nervous" Pfisterer said of the grand salami, adding "I went down 0-2 and just wanted to make contact, I've never hit a homer before so when I rounded first base and watched it go over the fence I was like ohhh yeahhh"!
To make tonight's ball game even more special for New Hartford, pitcher Mike Nole tossed a no-hit shutout, in a game that was shortened by the ten run mercy rule after four complete innings.
Nole had all the right stuff as the big right hander struck out 7 of the 13 batters he faced.
"I was a little nervous going out there in the fourth inning" Nole said, adding "I've come close to a no-hitter before but never had one, so this feels really great".
(New Hartford's Gus Pfisterer (8) takes off for third base during fourth inning play.)
Pfisterer, our Babe's Macaroni Grill and Bar co-player of the game, was 2 for 2 tonight with a double, a home run, a walk and two runs scored. Pfisterer, who will be a 7th grader at Perry Jr. High in the fall is a Yankee fan who loves hot dogs with mustard and likes Social Studies best in the class room.
Gus also credits his brother Max, his Father Mike and his Uncle Tom for teaching him the game of baseball.
After rolling up six runs in the top of the first on the Mr. Pfisterer blisterer and a two run offering by Brad Moore (just his 14th homer of the season) New Hartford put four more runs on the board in the top of the third on a walk by Pfisterer, followed by RBI singles by Jake Massa and Cullen Moran to make it 10-0 after just two and a half innings of play.
New Hartford plated three more runs in the top of the fourth when Jack Burns, Pfisterer and Justin Linder all scored, two of which came home on a Cullen Moran RBI double, to increase New Hartford's lead to 13-0.
Jack Acquaviva's grounder to short was mishandled by New Hartford's Jack Burns to give Westmoreland its only baserunner of the night, but Nole settled and shut down the last two Westmo batters to end this one in convincing style.
(New Hartford's Mike Nole delivers a fourth inning strike.0
Nole, the Babe's Macaroni Grill and Bar co-player of the game is a huge Yankees fan, and loves his pizza! Mike's favorite movie is Step Brothers and he believes his team will be successful in this tournament if they don't overlook any opponent. Way to go Mike!
With the victory, New Hartford improves to 3-0 in pool play, with two games remaining. Westmoreland, which had beaten West Utica and lost to Herkimer prior to tonight's contest drops to (1-2).
(Mike Nole (11) and Gus Pfisterer (8) are all smiles after pitching a no-hitter (Nole) and hitting a Grand Slam (Pfisterer) in the same game!)
Box Score
New Hartford 13 Westmoreland 0
1 2 3 4 5 6 R H E
New Hartford 6 0 4 3 x x 13 9 1
Westmoreland 0 0 0 0 x x 0 0 3
(Westmoreland left fielder Matt Calogero gives it his all trying to make a catch on a foul ball late in the ball game.)
