The Glen Cove Comanchees U8 travel baseball team recently won the NJBL American Division Fall League Championship with a 17-6 win over the previously undefeated Connetquot Chiefs.

Manager Kevin Monahan and Coaches Glenn Rizzo and Paul Casale, Sr. practiced often with this ambitious group of young players, and their hard work paid off, taking the Chiefs out of their element the entire game.

The first inning started with a bang as Thomas Paulich and Sean Maleady led off with hits and Matthew Ziegen singled them in for a 2 - 0 lead. With bases loaded, Alex Maruca cleared the bases with a double to right center. In the third inning, with runners on second and third, Sean Hehn picked up an RBI with a hard shot to third base. Michael Capobianco then laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt for another RBI off a pitcher who had not given up a run all season.

In the fourth inning the Comanchees added two more runs when Christopher Capobianco singled up the middle with the bases loaded. That was the end for the Chiefs pitching ace, although they answered back in the bottom half of the inning with four runs to make it 10 - 5, Glen Cove.

In the sixth inning, Nicholas Jantzen led off with his first of the fall season and Kevin Monahan walked, stole second and scored just under the tag on an infield grounder.

Defensively, the Comanchees soared with Robert Rizzo making several great plays at shortstop, Peter Nikolis and John Luzynski playing strong in the outfield, and catcher Ziegen, who threw out the Chiefs' runner attempting to steal second base to end the game.

On the mound, Maleady pitched two and one-third innings, giving up no hits and just one run while logging seven strikeouts. Christopher Capobianco pitched one inning, with one strikeout and no hits. Paulich came on to shut the door on Connetquot in his best performance of the season, pitching three and one-third innings including six strikeouts, giving up no runs and no hits. Special thanks goes to Dom Grosso, who took Paulich aside to work with his motion, and what a job he has done. Also, thank you to Guiliano Capobianco, who has been the bullpen coach warming up the pitchers during the games all year long

A Fall League championship was a wonderful way to finish the 2008 baseball season. For a team that began playing together in July, the Glen Cove Comanchees have come a long way and 2009 looks very bright.