In a Little League state championship tournament that will not soon be forgotten, it was Rolando Paulino that "let the dogs out." In an exhibition of all the essential ingredients of championship baseball - pitching, defense and clutch hitting - the Bronx team emerged from Mineola as state champions with a chance to continue their march to the Little League World Series.

Although Rolando Paulino made the tournament look easy, winning all three games they played, they did so because of hard work. For the entire month of July, the team practiced every day, twice a day on non-game days.

For the third consecutive year, the team from the Bronx can call themselves state champions. With a 5-1 win over Long Island representative Massapequa International last week, Rolando Paulino secured a spot in the mid-atlantic regionals in Bristol, Connecticut - the last stop before Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

With wins over East Greenbush and Orchard Park, Rolando Paulino immediately received a spot in the championship game, having to win only one game to secure the title. Their opponent, Massapequa, on the other hand, had a more difficult journey. Coming out of the loser's bracket, Massapequa International, propelled itself into a showdown with the Bronx team with a dramatic, bottom of the sixth victory over Orchard Park.

After the first two days of the tournament eliminated one team, East Greenbush, Massapequa International faced off against Orchard Park in a Monday evening game, with the winner going on to face Rolando Paulino.

As was a theme throughout the tournament, both teams benefited from strong pitching as Massapequa's Kenneth Doherty and Orchard Park's Justin Parish brought their best stuff.

The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the third when Massapequa finally broke through. Alexander Bujacich and Lawrence Flammia both walked and advanced on a wild pitch. A single up the middle by Michael Scudero plated the first run of the contest and Massapequa added another on a passed ball when Parish failed to cover home plate with the runner dashing home.

Orchard Park answered back though in the top of the fourth as John Rapp hit a long home run over the center field fence. Orchard Park then began to rally, loading the bases, but Doherty pitched out of trouble. The Massapequa pitcher seemed to bear down with Orchard Park runners on base. "It just makes me throw harder," Doherty said.

Both teams were kept at bay until the top of the sixth. With Orchard Park trailing 2-1 and down to their final three outs, Colin McNulty reached base on a throwing error by Doherty. A walk to Chris Pistorio put runners on first and second. With one out, Massapequa tried to turn a game-ending double play. However, the throw from second to first hit Pistorio in the arm and the tying run came around to score. With runners on first and second, Doherty pitched out of trouble again.

In the bottom of the sixth with Massapequa facing either a spot in the championship game or extra innings, the team, sporting rally caps in the dugout, went to work on scoring the winning run.

Doherty led off the inning with a hard single to right. "I knew I gave up that run in the last inning so I had to make up for it," he said.

After a walk to Sunday's hero Don Moscatelli, Daniel Robinson, a small player with a propensity for playing hard, stepped up to the plate. Robinson lined the ball to right. The ball, which would extend Massapequa's life another day, bounced in front of the rightfielder. Doherty scampered home for the winning run, giving Massapequa a 3-2 victory and a berth in the championship game. "I thought he was going to catch it," said a relieved Robinson after the biggest game of his Little League career.

"They never say die. They play 18 outs," said a proud Massapequa Manager Bob Stainkamp after the game. Stainkamp also praised his winning pitcher and the youngster who delivered Massapequa's winning hit. "Kenny [Doherty] is all heart," he said. "Dan Robinson has the best instincts of any center fielder I've ever seen. He loves to play and get dirty."

As the Orchard Park team packed up, getting ready to make the long trip back to Buffalo that would probably seem like an eternity, a somber manager, Robert Pistorio, expressed his pride at what his team accomplished. "A coach couldn't be prouder than I am of these guys. They played until the end," he said. "They wouldn't feel so bad if they didn't try so hard."

Ironically, the two teams left - Massapequa International and Rolando Paulino - were the ones who traveled the least distance to get to Mineola, the ones who didn't need lodging in order to play in the tournament.

Although Massapequa had battled all tournament-long and even put up a fight in the championship game, the boys had run into a juggernaut, a team that had only allowed only one run in 12 innings of the state tournament.

Stainkamp vowed to come out fighting against the Bronx and Massapequa did against the defending champions. Neither team could break through the first four innings. Massapequa's starter for their first game Michael Skudera returned to the mound to stifle Rolando Paulino's attack. Although pitching phenom Danny Almonte was eligible to start, the Bronx team instead started Loilly (pronounced Luigi) Vina and he was up to the task, matching outs with Skudera.

Rolando Paulino broke through in the top of the fifth and they did it in a big way. Kenny Esbinal led off the inning with a triple. Vina followed with a walk. With runners on second and third, the left-handed hitting Almonte came up to the plate. If there was ever a tournament MVP, it was Almonte. The 12-year-old from the Dominican Republic pitched a no-hitter, striking out 15 in Rolando Paulino's first game against East Greenbush. In the teams second game, he launched two home runs and in the championship game, he would also leave his mark by launching a three-run home run over the left center field fence.

Almonte would then come in to pitch the final one and two thirds innings to preserve the win. Just to illustrate just how hard the left-hander throws, when he came into the game, catcher Francisco Pena put two batting gloves on his catching hand to soften the blow of each pitch.

With Rolando Paulino in command of the game and the state championship with a 5-1 lead, Almonte struck out the final batter ending the New York State Championship Tournament, which sent Rolando Paulino to the mid-atlantic region finals.

The Bronx team celebrated their fortunes on the infield with the enthusiastic excitement of a team that witnessed its hard work pay off.

"We worked very hard," said Rolando Paulino manager Alberto Gonzalez, who noted that only the team has only three returning players from last season's championship team. "You come out positive. We knew it was going to be a tough tournament."

Since Almonte hasn't even been in the country three years, he hardly speaks any English. He's described as a quiet kid, but in this tournament his bat and arm spoke volumes. Trying to get a few words out of him is about as difficult as hitting his fastball. Yet, the youngster did say he was prouder of the three home runs he hit than the no-hitter.

"He is a good friend and an excellent player," said teammate Carlos Garcia, who is imposing himself because of his exceptional size.

Gonzalez emphasized that the competition will only get tougher, but this team, he said, is built on pitching and defense, which, he hopes, will give it a chance. "We don't have a great offense," he said. "But I'm confident in our pitching and defense."

Garcia, one of the three returning players from last year, believes this team has a better chance than last year's because of the pitching, defense and contact hitting. "With more contact, we can score more now," he said.

After the tournament ended, each of the players on the two teams received a medal. The Rolando Paulino players and coaches also accepted the 2001 state championship banner, which they paraded down the rightfield line in front of the fans that came to see them.

Although the players and the team's following may have been all smiles, one couldn't feel a touch of sadness that such a brilliantly played tournament is now history.

Perhaps Village of Mineola Mayor John P. Colbert said it best before the tournament even started when he called all four teams champions. Indeed all of the players, coaches and parents from the four teams can hold their heads up with pride for they gave us all something to remember.