by Trevor Dugan
The East Coast Chargers earn the victory over the Massapequa Cyclones Gold to sweep their doubleheader
FINAL: Chargers 12 – Cyclones 6 pic.twitter.com/jTrJRNsthA
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) September 21, 2025
Plainedge Park played host to a 10u doubleheader Sunday morning between the East Coast Chargers and the Massapequa Cyclones Gold.
The Chargers earned a run rule victory in the first game, winning by a score of 14-2. Their offense was firing on all cylinders as they scored over 10 runs in both games of the doubleheader.
The second game seemed like it may be heading towards another run rule victory as the Chargers scored four runs in the top of the first. SP Steven Burns drove in the first two runs of the game with an RBI single to center field, then came around to score on a passed ball to make it 3-0. One more run would score on a passed ball in the first to give the Chargers an early lead.
The Cyclones didn’t waste any time answering in the bottom of the first. Their first run scored on an error, then Matthew Ianfolla came to bat with a runner on first. He ripped a ball down the left field line and sent the left fielder scrambling after it. Since there is no outfield fence at Plainedge Park, the ball rolled on the turf to the very edge of the property. Ianfolla sprinted around the bases and slid into home for an inside-the-park home run to cut the Chargers’ lead to 4-3 heading into the second inning.
After seeing their lead trimmed down so quickly the Chargers added another run in the top of the second. A walk, stolen base and passed ball allowed a runner to reach third with one out, and he was able to score when the Cyclones’ catcher made an errant throw back to the pitcher. Cyclones SP Kyle Sventoritis avoided further damage, but the Chargers took a 5-3 lead into the bottom of the second.
Axcess spoke to Neil Nisson and Steven Burns of the East Coast Chargers following their victory at Plainedge Park @EcybTournaments pic.twitter.com/beaCLZenNf
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) September 21, 2025
After pitching out of trouble in the top of the frame, Sventoritis led off the bottom of the second with a triple. He was driven in from third right away on a sac fly by Logan Austin, bringing things back to within one run. Chargers SP Burns struck out the next batter and then forced a popout to end the inning.
Aidan Schmerwitz entered in relief for the Cyclones with his team chasing one run in the top of the third. The righty pitched well out of the bullpen, tossing a 1-2-3 inning and getting his offense right back to work.
The Cyclones were able to tie the game up at five runs apiece in the bottom of the third. An infield single got the inning started and put the tying run on base right away. The runner was able to steal second base, then advance to third on a passed ball. Following a popout, Jack Pieper came to the plate for the Cyclones and came through with an RBI groundout. Chargers SP Burns did not allow any more runs in the inning, but it was a brand new ballgame heading into the fourth.
The fourth inning was the only frame in this 10u matchup that did not see any runners cross the plate. Schmerwitz picked up where he left off and pitched his second consecutive 1-2-3 inning for the Cyclones in the top of the fourth. In the bottom half of the inning, Frankie Koklanos entered to pitch for the Chargers.
The Cyclones put runners on first and third with a single and a walk, threatening to break the tie and take their first lead of the game. However, the Chargers executed a perfect first and third play as both runners took off. The second baseman cut off the throw from the Chargers catcher and nailed the runner attempting to score from third base to preserve the tie. Koklanos got the final two outs to finish off the scoreless fourth inning.
The top of the fifth is when the Chargers’ offense exploded and jumped out to a big lead. Two walks and a HBP loaded the bases to start the inning. Then, two passed balls allowed two runs to score and put the Chargers ahead 7-5. Now leading, Steven Burns came to the plate and delivered his second two-run single of the day, bringing his RBI total to four.
Three more runs would come across in the inning, two more on passed balls and one scoring on an RBI groundout by Cameron Zaman. By the end of the long half inning the Chargers led 12-5, and due to the time limit the Cyclones would only get one more chance to even things up in the bottom of the fifth.
Unfortunately for the Cyclones, the seven runs they needed did not materialize. They were able to score one more run in the bottom half of the frame, but Koklanos got the final batter to ground out and secured a 12-6 victory for the Chargers.
It was a successful day for the East Coast Chargers as they swept their doubleheader and scored a combined total of 26 runs. Head Coach Neil Nisson spoke to Axcess about what he thinks led his team to such success.
“We have a strong emphasis on defense. It starts with defense, limiting runs and being aggressive at the plate.” Nisson told Axcess. “Be aggressive, have a good swing, think gap to gap, and everything else will handle itself.”
“The Fall is really about development, I want us to play a better game than we played the game before,” he added. “I feel good about where we are, we got some more work to do on a few things, but so far so good.”
The East Coast Chargers moved their record to 2-0 to begin their Fall season, while the Massapequa Cyclones Gold fell to 2-3.
