The 12 year-old Rockets, a summer tournament travel baseball club, started slowly but have won their two most recent games. The first opponent was Rockville Centre. The game was played in oppressive heat at 2:00 P.M. on Sunday, July 18, at the opponent's well-manicured field.

The visiting Rockets opened the game with immediate fireworks after lead-off hitter Kendra Bernard walked and scored on Chris Turano's RBI single. Dan Maimone scored Turano with an RBI single. Alex Boll reached on an error. Vincent Jeffrey also singled and Chris Imperiale laid down a perfect bunt for a single. Maimone and Boll scored as the Rockets batted all 9 players in the first inning for 4 runs.

In the bottom of the first, Rockets starting pitcher Brian Sonnick faced only 4 batters, striking out three. In the top of the second the Rockets' bats went right back to work, scoring 5 more runs. Bernard again led off with a walk and Turano singled. Maimone and Ryan Drago both hit RBI singles, and Imperiale drove in two runs. Rockville Centre threatened in the bottom of the second inning as the first four batters reached base safely. However, with one run in, no outs and bases loaded, Sonnick stiffened and struck out the next three batters to retire the side.

No runs were scored by either club in the third inning, with Rockets reliever Turano pitching effectively and Catcher Maimone throwing out a runner trying to steal second base. The Rockets erupted again in the top of the fourth for 5 runs, the big hit a 2 RBI double by Boll. The crowd was treated to an electrifying play by Bernard playing right field in the bottom of the fourth inning. The Rockville Centre lead-off batter hit a sharp bouncer to right field, but Bernard captured it and threw a strike to Boll at first base just beating the batter. Rockville Centre went on to score one run in that inning, but Bernard's play prevented a potential rally.

Rockets reliever Imperiale threw effectively in the last two innings, and the last big hit for the Rockets was an RBI triple by Turano in the sixth. The lopsided win was the first for the visiting Rockets, and buoyed them for their next game against the Port Washington Cardinals, played under balmy skies and the lights in Manorhaven Park on Saturday night, July 26.

The Port game was a real treat as all 13 players were present with a large contingent of parents, grandparents and siblings. Once again Sonnick started efficiently, scattering two hits and allowing only one run in three innings. The Rockets were easily retired in the first two innings, but broke out in the third. Brendan Diaz and Drago led off with singles. Mark Cornachio executed a perfect bunt which was mishandled by Port and when the dust settled Diaz and Drago had scored and Cornachio was standing on second base. Imperiale and Jeffrey followed with RBI singles, Dan Furie walked and Sonnick singled to bring up the top of the order. All 13 Rockets came to the plate that inning and 7 runs were scored. The score after three was Rockets 7, Cardinals 1.

Turano relieved in the fourth for the Rockets but did not get much help from his colleagues. The first batter reached on an infield error. The next two batters bounced out, but the Port batters kept parading onto base on a single, a walk and two more errors. With three runs in and runners on second and third, Boll finally stopped the bleeding with a fine unassisted put-out at first base on a sharply-hit grounder up the line.

The Rockets were easily retired in the top of the fifth inning, but Port put two more across in the bottom of the inning despite Sonnick's fine catch of a liner to centerfield and a dashing stop by shortstop Militana followed by a bullet throw to first to retire the side. The score after five was Rockets 7, Cardinals 6.

The Cardinals' come-back had given them momentum for their last licks, but first they had to dispose of the Rockets in the top of the sixth. Turano foiled that effort with a base hit, followed by Maimone's base hit. Brendan Wilkerson's clutch RBI single drove in Turano. Catcher Maimone reached third base following a walk by Diaz, but the catcher speed-up rule was invoked and the fleet Bernard took his place as the runner on third base. She promptly stole home on a wild pitch for another momentum-crushing insurance run.

When the Cardinals came to bat in the bottom of the sixth they found themselves three runs behind and facing the deft closer, Militana. The first batter looked at a baffling change-up for strike three, drawing "oohs" from the appreciative crowd. The next batter bounced to third where Jeffrey made a fine catch and throw to Imperiale at first for the second out. The next batter reached base, but the potential rally was snuffed when shortstop Drago made a sensational catch of a sharp grounder to his left and threw out the batter at first. The 9-6 victory was recorded as the Rockets look to avenge an earlier loss to East Williston on Wednesday night, July 29.

The Rockets are managed by Tom Maimone with the assistance of Coaches John Jeffrey and John Turano along with a host of other baseball-savvy parents. The club operates under the umbrella of the Roslyn Little League.