Lincoln Little League Wins First RI Title Since 2013

Tucker Choiniere needed only 59 pitches and 65 minutes to bring a championship back to Lincoln Little League after 12 years of waiting.

The 12-year-old pitcher dominated on the mound while Hugo Fiero drove in the winning run in the fifth inning, securing a 2-1 victory over Barrington on August 1 at Varrato Field in Cranston. Lincoln will now represent Rhode Island at the Metro Regional tournament in Bristol, Connecticut.

"I play hockey, and hockey is not a slow game," Choiniere said after the win. "I've always just been fast and had a pace."

Lincoln struck first when Jackson Lockhart singled and scored on a passed ball in the opening inning. Barrington tied it in the second, but that's all the offense they could muster against Choiniere's efficient pitching.

The deciding run came when Milo Sheridan bounced a leadoff single up the middle in the fifth inning, advanced on an infield out and wild pitch, then scored on Fiero's sharp grounder to first. Barrington pitcher Andrew Knychalski struck out 12 batters in a strong performance, but Lincoln's defense played error-free baseball behind Choiniere.

Sheridan, named Most Valuable Player of the championship, praised his pitcher's approach. "He has them making contact," Sheridan said. "We've worked so hard to make it seem so easy when the ball gets hit."

The Ripple Effect

The victory carries special meaning for manager Kevin Greene, whose late stepfather Randy Hien coached Lincoln to eight championships and two World Series appearances starting in 1999. Greene watched from the bleachers as a 6-year-old during that first championship run.

"I sat up in the stands and said, 'I want to do this someday,'" Greene recalled. "I didn't know the next year my mom was going to marry the coach."

Now with a few gray flecks in his beard, Greene returns to Bristol with his own team. "I told these kids before the first game that I love this game again because of them," he said.

Lincoln joins a strong recent tradition from their district, becoming the fourth District 4 champion in five years to claim the state crown. The team faces New York champion Port Washington on August 8 at 4 p.m. in their regional opener.

For a program that once ruled Rhode Island Little League baseball, the dynasty is showing signs of life again.