Vikings baseball earns third place at Cooperstown

The HB Vikings, a 12-and-Under local youth baseball travel team, captured third place last weekend at the Cooperstown All-Star Village tournament in the Hall of Fame’s home in New York.

The Vikings competed with 21 other teams from throughout the nation at the All-Star Village complex for the division title. The event is an open tournament that promotes youth baseball and Cooperstown, Vikings Coach David D’Alessandro said.

The Vikings went 6-0 in pool play and went on to post two victories in their first two playoff games. Those two wins put the Vikings in a semifinal showdown against south Orange County power, the Saddleback Coyotes.

The Vikings took an early, 2-0 lead, but the Coyotes stormed back to score the next seven runs en route to a 7-2 victory.

Saddleback went on to claim the division championship.

In the weeklong tournament, the Vikings outscored their opponents, 98-29, and hit 28 home runs.

“It was a long and grueling week for the players, coaches and myself but one that will always be cherished,” Vikings Coach David D’Alessandro said. “It was more than a baseball tournament, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

Prior to arriving in Cooperstown, the Vikings entourage visited New York and took in a Yankees game.

It was a highlight day for 12-year-old Frankie Padulo, a devout Yankees fan, who watched his favorite team beat the Kansas City Royals, 7-1, at famed Yankee Stadium.

“It was great to see them win my very first time at a Yankees home game,” Padulo said. “The entire trip was a lot of fun. I had a great time being with my teammates 24/7. We got to visit the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum and saw a lot of old memorabilia. It was a great experience.”

D’Alessandro said that during the team’s stay, Barry Bonds hit record-setting home run No. 756 and Alex Rodriguez hit No. 500, and that items from both those games were being delivered to Cooperstown.

Beginning in September, the team will move up to the 13-age group division. Open team tryouts will be at the end of August. Those interested in trying out for the team can contact D’Alessandro at barbizonla.barbizon @verizon.net. For more information about the team, visit https://www.eteamz.active.com/HBVikings.