Much of Fire Department's successes have come off the bat of fourth year little leaguer Brad Moore, who has launched 7 home runs out of the yard this season and is looking for even (Moore) more.

Joe Ellis took the mound for the New Hartford Fire Department while Jack Burns took the hill for Town Crier.

Nick Courto got things going with a leadoff single for the Firemen in the top half half of the second inning.
Michael Mercurio, a 9 year old speedster, was inserted to run for Courto and run he did, stealing second and third base and then alertly scoring on a passed ball to make it 1-0 red team.

Mitchell Zasa scored on a two out passed ball later in the inning to make it 2-0 Fire Department, which is the way we'd go to the home half of the second.

Jack Burns drew a lead off walk in the home half of the second and reached third after a stolen base and a fielder's choice.

With two outs, Burns alertly scampered home when Town Crier Catcher Cullen Moran threw behind the runner at first, to make it 2-1, after two complete.

The pitchers settled in and the bats went pretty silent in the third and top half of the fourth inning, before Town Crier tacked on three runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 4-2 lead.

After chasing Ellis off the mound in favor of Cullen Moran, Town Crier's George Fanelli belted a two out, two RBI double to score Burns and Jim Rockwell to make it 4-2, which is the way we'd go to the 5th.
Cullen Moran and Brad Moore started things off in the fifth for Fire Department with back to back hits and Noah German belted a two run double to tie the game at 4-4, chasing Burns off the mound in favor of Rockwell.

Doubles from Moore and Ryan Faro (his second of the game), a key sacrifice bunt from Joe Ellis and a walk to Michael Mercurio pushed another three runs across the plate to give the Firemen a 7-4 advantage.

Cullen Moran, who has only pitched two innings this season before today, pitched three near perfect innings in relief to earn the win for Fire Department.

Town Crier's bats went cold in the 5th and 6th innings, but it seemed to have more to do with Moran's location than anything else.

After the game, Ryan Faro, our Babe's Macaroni Grill player of the game, said that when he lined his two doubles today, he was just thinking "get on base", adding "hitting in front of a kid like Brad (Moore) I just try to get on base and let him drive me in."

Faro, a rabid Mets fan and especially David Wright, is the son of Angelo and Karen Faro and has been playing ball for years and years with his older Brother Chris, who is a member of the New Hartford Varsity team.

While Brad Moore didn't homer today, he did go 2 for 3 including a a single on a pitch which was supposed to be an intentional walk, but wasn't far enough outside. "I heard my coach yell if I can reach it, hit it, so I did," Moore, a big time Yankee fan, said with a chuckle. 

As for Cullen Moran, Fire Department's everyday catcher, pitching today was a thrill. It was fun. I have only pitched one other time this season so I was a little nervous at first but I was ok after a little while," he said.

Congratulations to both teams for a great game on a great day at a great complex. It sure is nice to know that baseball certainly is alive and well!

New Hartford Fire Department 7 Town Crier 4

                         1 2 3 4 5 6    Total

New Hartford        0 2 0 0 5 0      7

Town Crier           0 1 0 3 0 0      4