THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, April 19, 2024 Page 11 Play Ball! A 12-year-old little leaguer helped his dad get the pitcher’s mound at Elks Field in shape for Opening Day By Mark E. Vogler D evin Voong won’t get to walk in the parade or enjoy the rest of this year’s Opening Day festivities for the Saugus Little League, which is set to officially begin its 2024 season tomorrow (Saturday, April 20). The 12-year-old, who pitches, catches and plays third base for Saugus Black, along with the rest of his teammates and other players, will miss the fun because they will be playing ball tomorrow. But Devin will still be able to say he played a key role in helping to make Opening Day a success. He volunteered two hours of his time last Saturday helping his dad, Yat Voong, get the pitcher’s mound in shape at the newly renovated Elks Field – which will host this year’s Opening Day ceremonies. “The pitching rubber is bigger than I expected,” Devin said, as he cradled the white hard rubber slab in his arms. “It’s 46 feet from the pitching rubber to the back of home plate,” said Devlin, who helped his dad measure the difference. The boy noted that it would involve a little math to prepare the pitcher’s mound. “I love math. It’s one of my favorite subjects,” said Devin, who is a straight A student in the sixth grade at the Saugus Middle-High School. Saugus Little League Baseball and Saugus Softball Little OPENING DAY | FROM PAGE 10 first lacrosse for girls against Lynnfield at Lynnfield High School. “They’ve never played before,” Cassio said. “It’s a great learning opportunity.” The Fighting Flamingos lost 6-1 during their first contested game on Sunday. Samantha Serra scored the first ever goal for the Fighting Flamingos program, according to Scarpuccio. On the boys’ end, Saugus Middle School sixth grader/ defense Lukas Sullivan, 11, said it was very fun playing. They won 13-7 against Danvers Youth Lacrosse Falcons. “We had good defense by Billy Lauziere and well-rounded offense by Assistant Captain Gavin Diozzi,” Sullivan DIGGING THE DITCH: Yat Voong (right) gets ready to break ground on the pitcher’s mound before setting the pitching rubber. (Saugus Advocate photo by Mark E. Vogler) PICKING THE RIGHT SPOT: Devin Voong lines up the new rubber strip after measuring the distance from the rubber to the back of home plate. (Saugus Advocate photo by Mark E. Vogler) Tomorrow’s parade route (Graphic Courtesy to The Saugus Advocate) League are gearing up for a historic Opening Day: For the first time in recent memory, the two leagues will be joining in a parade, which will begin at 9 a.m. from a staging area at the old Oaklandvale Elementary School at 266 Main St. Because parking is extremely limited at Oaklandvale School (266 Main St.), there will be a rolling drop-off from 8:15 to 3 p.m. at the school. The parade route, which is new from the one used in recent years, will proceed west down Main Street to the newly renovated Elks Field, adjacent to the Saugus-Everett Elks Lodge #642 at 413 Main St. A rain-out date has been set said. Sullivan said they hope to kick off a strong season. Approximately 75 boys and 25 girls play in the league. Belmonte STEAM Academy fourth grader Declan Lacey, 10, who is a goalie, said he feels lucky. They won 7-4 against the Danvers Youth Lacrosse Falcons. “I ran up the field and gave them a good pass,” Lacey said. “I saved a few shots.” On the same team, Belmonte STEAM Academy fourth grader Cadin Arsenault, 10, who is a midfielder, said he gained three goals, which were passed by Lacey. Arsenault gave direction to the other players. “We’ll have a bigger crowd, now that the girls are here,” Arsenault said. “I’m excited to play alongside my friends.” Fighting Flamingos, which are 10 to 14U — Shown front row, from left to right, are: Julianna Cascio, Keira Mannetta, Bianca Catanzariti, Giulianna Frost, Helene Breton, Alanha Sullivan, Francesca Angelakis-Martinez and Aubrey McKay. Shown back row, from left to right, are: Assistant Coach Cheryl Carucci, Emily Brandenbury, Bella Cafazzo, Mahati Rangasamy, Hailey Cassinell, Viona Chanthra, Emma Rossetti, Taren Thoeun, Samantha Serra, Summer O’Brien, Amelia Westerfield, Isabella Condreanu, Mikaela Harumi Trombella Barbosa, Assistant Coach Gabby Cvijic and Assistant Coach Nicole Cvijic. Not pictured: Head Coach Justin Scarpuccio, Lamia Selman, Naethra Sharat, Samantha Williams, Mia Powers and Natalia Norkum. for Sunday, April 21. Yat Voong, the umpire-inchief for the Saugus Little League, is also an assistant coach for the Saugus Blacks. He said he had never installed a pitching rubber before. But he added that he learned how the pros do it by watching a video. He also has mechanical skills that come in handy. “I’ve done my research on YouTube,” Yat said. “And we save some money by doing this. When you pay somebody to do it, you have to work according to their schedule or wait for them to become available. So, we’re better off learning how to do it and doing it ourselves,” he said. MOUND MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: Yat Voong and his son, Devin, congratulate themselves for a baseball job well done. (Saugus Advocate photo by Mark E. Vogler) In this case, the afternoon turned out to be a bonding experience for father and son. Yat Vong owns Budget Floors in Saugus. The 43-yearold Everett native is a member of the Everett High School Class of 2000. His parents imPLANTING THE RUBBER: Yat Voong presses down on the rubber strip to make sure it’s level. (Saugus Advocate photo by Mark E. Vogler) migrated to the U.S. from China in 1986. He and his wife Anna live in East Saugus. They have an eight-year-old daughter, Avery, who is an Honor student at the Belmonte STEAM Academy. She excels in gymnastics and dance.
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