Port Washington Little League wins state baseball tournament opener, St. James/Smithtown drops defensive battle
Port Washington's Mikey Catuogno, left, celebrates with Drew Theoharis after scoring in the secnd inning of the state baseball Little League tournament on Saturday, July 25, 2026, at the West Nyack Little League complex. Credit: Howard Simmons
In its first matchup of the state tournament, the Port Washington 12-and-under Little League baseball team was quick to put on a show. Port Washington defeated New Hartford, 11-0, in the first round of pool play on Saturday at Cesca Field in West Nyack.
Following a two-run first inning and a five-run frenzy in the second, Ethan Spitalnik unleashed one over the centerfield fence for a three-run home run that extended Port Washington’s lead to 10-0. Spitalnik went 2-for-2 with three RBIs and two runs scored.
Drew Theoharis, Mikey Catuogno and Carlo Cafferata combined to allow two hits with four strikeouts over four innings. The game ended after the fourth inning due to a 10-run rule.
Port Washington (1-0) plays Maine-Endwell (1-0) at 4 p.m. Sunday at Cesca Field. Already off to a strong start, manager Dave Gabriel said the goal is to keep the momentum rolling.
“We always want to bring our good pitching and good defense because that’s the identity of this team,” Gabriel said. “If we can dictate the momentum, we can dictate the game and that keeps the boys feeling good about their energy.”
The day was not so exciting for reigning state champion St. James/Smithtown, which fell, 1-0, to Twin Town later in the afternoon.
The game was a defensive showcase, with the only run scored coming in the fifth inning on a grounder to first base drove in Dillon Fazioli from third.
Matthew Viggiani earned St. James/Smithtown’s first hit with a leadoff double in the bottom of the same inning, but was stranded on third.
Andrew Barbato, Grayson Dick and Cayden Bosinius combined for six strikeouts — five belonging to Barbato — and four hits allowed. The highlight of St. James/Smithtown’s defensive unit came from a 4-6-3 double play in the second inning.
The state tournament features two four-team pools. After three rounds of pool play, the top two teams in each pool will advance to semifinal.
Manager Tom Viggiani said efficient pitching and an athletic defense are elements that will keep St. James/Smithtown in contention.
“That’s the reason we kept them to a 1-0 game,” Vigianni said. “Our pitching was solid, [Barbato] went four scoreless innings, so it’s hats off to our guys and our defense. If we carry that into tomorrow and we get a little bit more aggressive with our at bats, a little bit more aggressive with some base running, I don't think we'll have a hard time with tomorrow's game.”
St. James/Smithtown (0-1) plays Mid Island at 1 p.m. Sunday at Cesca Field.
Tess Ferguson is a reporter on Newsday's high school sports staff. She joined the team after graduating with a journalism degree from Ithaca College in 2025.
Most Popular
Top Stories
