It’s been a long time since the Newburgh Nuclears have hoisted championship gold.

That trend ended on Sunday, as the Nuclears defeated Kingston Post 150, 9-0, to win the District 9 Junior American Legion Baseball championships on Sunday at Marlboro High School.

The Nuclears, who have been dormant for several seasons, returned to the field in 2024.

“It’s been a long time,” Nuclears manager Shea Ceriello said. “We did it for (late Nuclears General Manager) Donnie (Becker).”

After winning both of their games in the three-team Round Robin on Saturday, the Nuclears faced Kingston needed just one win to clinch the district championship.

The Nuclears got on the board early when Logan Voltaire singled home Dylan Demaro.

They added three more runs in the second inning when Voltaire doubled home Chase Rounds and D.J. Aviles. Jake Cross singled home Voltaire for a 4-0 lead.

Aviles doubled home Chase Rounds in the fourth inning, and Dan Noviski singled home Cross for a 6-0 lead.

The Nuclears scored three more in the sixth inning when Forrest Mitterbauer singled home Voltaire and Noviski doubled home J.J. McCoy and Mitterbauer.

While that was going on, Caleb Swart and Rudy Cherry were holding Kingston Post scoreless. Swart threw the first two innings, allowing a first-inning single by Kaden Deibert.

Cherry relieved him in the fifth inning, for five scoreless innings with seven strikeouts.

They opened Saturday morning with a 5-3 win over the Rockland Pirates. The Nuclears scored two runs each in the first and second innings.

The Pirates got on the board first with two runs in the top of the first inning, but Cherry’s double tied the game at 2-2.

Then in the second, Aviles doubled to give the Nuclears the lead. Another run scored on an error.
Rounds threw six innings for the Nuclears, scattering three runs on five hits. He struck out five but walked six batters.

The Nuclears bats exploded in their second game of the day as they routed Kingston Post 150, 17-0, after they had beaten the Pirates in extra innings.

Aviles had two hits, including a double, scored three runs and drove in one. Voltaire scored four runs and Cherry had two hits, two runs scored and an RBI. Cross had two hit, two runs scored and four RBIs, while Mitterbauer had two hits, including a double, two runs scored and five RBIs. Noviski doubled and drove in two runs. Rounds hit a solo home run.

Gavin Rounds allowed two hits in a complete-game effort. The game was stopped after five innings by the 10-run rule.