A’s heading back to Town Hall after championship

By Pete Fontaine
Posted 8/17/17

It might not be the White House and it’s certainly not the World Series, however, the Countyview Landscaping-sponsor Athletics are going back to the Johnston Town Hall.

That’s the honor that …

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A’s heading back to Town Hall after championship

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It might not be the White House and it’s certainly not the World Series, however, the Countyview Landscaping-sponsor Athletics are going back to the Johnston Town Hall.

That’s the honor that Manager Mike Perez’s pack earned a year ago – and will soon repeat – after staking claim to the Johnston Little League’s Town Championship by way of sweeping the annual post-season playoffs in three straight.

Although the date hasn’t been set for the A’s players and coaching staff to make a second straight visit to Mayor Joseph Polisena inside his Executive Town Hall Chamber, A’s Coach Eddie Pannone Jr. said “everyone had a super special time last year and the Mayor really rolled out the red carpet for this championship team.”

There was even a special flag raising ceremony at Town Hall, just like the one the A’s will enjoy once the 2017 banner is made and presented.

The A’s not only won the regular season and playoff series to win the 2017 Johnston Little League crown, the Countyview Landscaping lads took home the same titles in 2016.

This time around, the A’s combined the power pitching of Joey Vento, Jonah Pecchio and Stephen D’Arienzo to post a 3-0 record and sweep of the excitement-filled 2017 playoffs.

In Game One, Pecchia picked up the win as the A’s defeated the Phillies, 13-1 then went on to defeat the always-tough Orioles, 12-2, before beating the O’s for a second straight time, 6-3, in the Town Championship contest.

Meanwhile, Vento picked up back-to-back pitching wins with an awesome assist from reliever D’Arienzo.

Pitching, though, wasn’t the A’s only arsenal. Kids like Hudson Carvalho and Pecchia saw to that. Hudson, in fact, belted two grand slams out of Kennedy Memorial Field inside Johnston War Memorial Park while Pecchia added another run-producing blast.

“This was a great way to close out our super season,” Pannone Jr. said of the unbeaten post-season run. “We played 18 regular season games and won 15 and our kids led the league in giving up only 54 runs all season long.”

In the playoffs, Perez’s pack outscored its opponents, 31-6.

The exciting season, which featured the A’s posting a total of 21 victories, ended against the Orioles when Nick D’Aquila hauled in a fly ball in center field with the O’s having the game-tying run at the plate.

Members of the A’s who all had a hand in the championship season run are: Nomar Campbell, third base; Stephen D’Arienzo, first base/pitch; Nick D’Aquila, outfield; Christian Mattson, outfield; Joey Vento, pitcher/shortstop; Nicholas Villani, outfield; Joseph Pecchia, pitcher/catcher; Hudson Carvalho, shortstop/pitcher/catcher; Jackson Villani, outfield; Christopher Geraghty, second base; and Jason Schino, outfield.

The A’s, as noted, were managed by Mike Perez and coached by Eddie Pannone Jr., Edie Pannone III and Anthony Pannone.

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