The first ever Manatee County Cup Little League tournament is under way at G.T. Bray Park and Braden River, with the Island’s Majors squad scoring a huge upset last week in its opening game.

Organized by Little League District 26, the tournament consists of teams from Bradenton, Palmetto, East Manatee and Anna Maria Island. It is a chance for teams to face opposition they wouldn’t ordinarily play and is open to teams and players at the Minor, Major and Junior levels. Each team is guaranteed three games, with the top two teams in each pool of teams advancing to a knockout round.

The Islanders Majors team took their 3-17 record into a game against Manatee East champions Gatorade, with their 17-3 record, and pulled off a stunning upset.

Justin Gargett pitched all 6 innings and what a display he put on. In a consistent light drizzle, Gargett used his fastball and slow curve/changeup to keep the Gatorade batters off balance all night. With good focus and a seemingly tireless arm, Gargett has been a powerhouse all season and was on his game this night.

Limited to only 85 pitches per game by the rules, Gargett walked a batter with two outs and only two pitches left on his pitch count and his team in front 3-1 in the bottom of the sixth and final inning. Under the rules, a pitcher is allowed to finish out the at bat with a new batter even if he exceeds his pitch count. Gargett, who worked hard all game, had the desire and strength to face the last batter and strike him out, giving him 14 strikeouts in the game while allowing only one hit.

Max Moneuse led the Islanders with two hits, while Johnny Mattay, Max Miller and Hunter Parrish each contributed singles.

The Islanders next face Cooney’s Auto Repair in a game on Wednesday, May 28, at 8 p.m. at G.T. Bray Field #3.

Click here for a virtual tour of Island baseball

 

Flag Football continues on the soccer field in Holmes Beach and at this time of the season we are starting to see the difference that come from experienced coaches as well as players that have been here before. It is a fast paced, high-energy affair and one that has gained popularity over the years. Here’s a rundown of last week’s games.

Monday May 19
Division Two
Mr. Bones Steelers 31 - Mike Norman Realty Browns 6

The Browns lack of an offensive strategy was its undoing here against a Steelers outfit that has been round the block a few times. Josh Zawistoski top scored with two touchdowns and points also came from Blaine Jenefsky, Noah Connors and Morgan Hackworth who scored a conversion and a touchdown. Luke Shackleford did manage a touchdown for The Browns as they continue to search for that elusive first win.

Division One
AMI Video Bucs 27 - Island Animal Clinic Falcons 7

The Falcons have one win to their credit but were facing the divisions’ only unbeaten side. The Bucs have an awesome line up and Tommy Price was the main attraction with three touchdowns and a conversion. A solid game from Brandon Gengler with one touchdown and a conversion and extra points coming from Mallory Kosfeld sealed the deal. Emma Barlow scored a touchdown that Christian Hightower converted for The Falcons.

Tuesday May 20
Division Three
Ross Built Bucs 13 - LPAC 0

Coach Larry Pearson has some good young athletes in LPAC’s lineup, but they just couldn’t get it together against an unbeaten Ross Built side. It was a low scoring game with Jake and Andrew Ross posting touchdowns for The Bucs, as Parker Landsberg converted one.

Division Two
Galati Marine Chiefs 34 -Americo Title Cowboys 32

Chris Galati has to be the leagues top scorer after this ultra close contest. Galati scored all the points for The Chiefs and his two point conversion proved crucial. Coach Ben Stewart saw his Cowboys side in contention throughout and will not be disappointed with this loss due to the effort of his young players. Travis Belsito, Jake Parsons, Zach Stewart and Logan Reiber all put points on the board for Americo Title as The Chiefs sneak by in this one.

Wednesday May 21
Division Two
Americo Title Cowboys 55 - Mike Norman Realty Browns 6

Consistency was in evidence here as Luke Shackleford was the one scoring for The Browns as it finished with six points for the second time this week. The Cowboys were narrowly beaten 24 hours earlier and were rampant and hungry for a win. Denver Hardy had two offensive and one defensive touchdown, two for Jake Parsons and Logan Reiber, who also converted, and Travis Belsito had one.