Mudhens Win ELL Minor League Title

The Mudhens, under the direction of first-year manager Chuck Leo and coaches Frank Cafarella, Dennis Willcox, and Michael Bono, captured the 2011 Everett Little League Minor League championship.

The Mudhens finished the regular season with a 9-3 record and then swept all three of their games in the double elimination postseason tournament to claim the title.

The Mudhens bested the Muckdogs, 4-3, and the Storm, 9-4, before winning the championship game, 5-3, over the Rockhounds.

Alfonso Carbo and Matthew Manly pitched in the championship-clinching game. “They did a great job,” said manager Leo. “Cabo started and then Manly came in and shut them down at the end. Our catcher was Marvin Jean-Baptiste and he was very good.”

Josh Powers and Anastasia Bessler (“The best player in the league,” says Leo) led the way offensively in the final. Power was a force with a double and a two-run triple in the top of the sixth to break a 3-3 tie.

Leo was in his first year as a Little League coach. He is well known for his success as a youth football coach.

“The kids were great and the coaches helped a lot,” said Leo. “Coach Cafarella, with his batting instruction with the kids, did a great job. As the year went on, they just hit better and better. Coaches Willcox and Bono did a great job teaching the defense for the kids. Everybody pitched in and did their part and that’s how we won. We didn’t have any big superstars. It was just an all-around team effort. I’m very proud of all of these kids. They made my first year of coaching a lot of fun.”

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