Palm Beach Prime tops Elite Squad to claim MLK Freshman crown
FORT MYERS, Fla. – Elite Squad and Palm Beach Prime were the top two seeds going into the playoffs and both navigated through the playoffs to face off for the 2016 Perfect Game East MLK Championship (Freshman).
Palm Beach Prime entered the playoffs as the No. 2 seed with a 3-0 record and a plus-17 run differential. In the semifinals they won a wild affair over Team Phenom PA with a walkoff hit in a game that ended 13-12. Elite Squad came in as the No. 1 seed at plus-16 run differential and a walkoff, extra inning 4-3 win over SWFL.
A game that jumped off to a quick start, Palm Beach Prime settled in and Palm earned championship honors with a 7-4 victory.
In the top of the first Palm Beach Prime wasted no time getting the first two men on base with a pair of singles. Jack Gallagher put a ball in play and reached on an error that brought both runners around to score for a 2-0 lead.
Elite Squad promptly rallied with an Andrew Fernandez two-run double to tie the game. Fernandez came around to score on an error, which gave Elite Squad a 3-2 lead after the first.
That lead quickly evaporated. Matthew Lamberston led off the top of the second with a hard groundball base hit, but was quickly erased on a 1-6-3 double play. After a walk, Chase Romaine doubled in a run to tie the game. Another walk set up Gallagher to bring home two more runs with a single and make it 5-3 in favor of Palm Beach Prime.
Things settled down until the bottom of the fourth inning. Elite Squad made two quick outs, then after a pair of singles was in a position to rally. Palm Beach starter, Jack Gallagher, pitched out of the jam generating a groundball to the shortstop to escape the inning.
John (T.J.) Curd led off the top of the fifth with a triple and was then brought around by eventual event MVP, Orlando Sanchez. In the sixth, Palm Beach was in another position to capitalize after they loaded the bases with no outs. Curd lifted a sacrifice fly just deep enough to plate their seventh run of the game.
In the bottom of the sixth Elite Squad kept climbing back in. After Yohandy Morales was hit by a pitch and stole a base, Fernandez delivered a single to right field that plated another run, cutting the deficit to three.
With their backs against the wall Elite Squad stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the seventh. Eduardo Diaz led off with a double down the left field line. Mason Gates worked a walk to set up first and second with one out. Curd entered the game on the mound and successfully navigated out of trouble, securing the championship.
Players raced to the middle of the field to celebrate a hard fought tournament.
“We battled all day, especially after SWFL tied it up in the semifinals, just an unreal job by the team,” Head Coach Tony Badala said after the game. He was also quick to credit Assistant Coaches, Bobby Bell and Ray White. “They’re coaching the kids throughout the game, really trying to work with them and make them better.”
Overall, it was an impressive weekend for the team, including losing several players for Monday’s playoff games due to high school tryouts starting. As a whole, Palm Beach Prime hit .345 with a .518 on base percentage, 16 extra-base hits and had 46 runs scored.
Orlando Sanchez earned MVP honors for Palm Beach Prime. He posted a 5-for-11 line at the plate with one double, two RBI, five runs scored and a pair of stolen bases. On the mound, he tossed 3 2/3 shutout innings with three strikeouts.
MV-Pitcher was awarded to Elite Squad’s Santino Cervone for tossing eight shutout innings, earning two wins and striking out six batters.
2016 Perfect Game East MLK Championship (Freshman) Runner-up: Elite Squad
2016 Perfect Game East MLK Championship (Freshman) MVP: Orlando Sanchez
2016 Perfect Game East MLK Championship (Freshman) MV-Pitcher: Santino Cervone
Rebels Dominate 13u East MLK
FORT MYERS, Fla. – With a roster of only 11 players, the Rebels small-balled their way to the 13u East MLK Championship Game. All they had to do was get past a tough Chain National team in order to secure their fifth win in a two-day stretch.
Behind a series of walks and clutch hits, the Rebels did exactly that to complete the 5-0 sweep against all competition and walk away with the trophy and a 9-5 win over Chain.
In the semifinal matchups, The Rebels defeated Caps Stars with a 12-0 victory, while Chain took down the Tampa Scorpions in a 5-2 affair.
The championship game started slowly. Each team netted a baserunner in the first inning, but neither were able to advance them to second base. In the second, Chain loaded the bases and Lane Rucker delivered a two-run single to bring in the game’s first two runs.
The bottom of the second began with a Ryan Waldschmidt single who came around to score when Caden Chamberlin reached on an error. After a single by Joseph Ligon and a walk to load the bases, Sean Vitug tied the game with another walk. Michael Doyle got the ball in the air for a sacrifice fly to give the Rebels a one-run advantage after two.
In the bottom of the third, the Rebels blew the game open. Quickly loading the bases on a pair of walks and a double by Pierce Chalmers, a pair of runs raced home on a passed ball. Thomas White reached on an error plating another run to increase the Rebels’ lead to four. With the bases re-loaded on a single and another error, Doyle and Chase Yniguez each drew walks to bring in two more runs making the score 8-2.
Chain did not go down without a fight. They led off the fourth inning with three straight singles, the last of which by Daniel Smith plated their third run of the game. Jacob Rochester, the eventual event MVP, came up to the plate and delivered again, this time with a two run single making the score 8-5.
Things settled down as each pitcher got in a groove and were able to hold the offenses at bay, with the score remaining 8-5 into the bottom of the sixth. The Rebels scored an insurance run off a hit by pitch, stolen base and then a passed ball for their ninth run.
Michael Doyle, not only was a standout at the plate in the championship game but also tossed all seven innings on the mound and earned the win for his club. He struck out three batters and used a fastball that topped out at 71 and a mid-50s curveball in his outing.
The Rebels as a team outscored opponents 56-12 throughout the tournament and hit .346 with a .533 on base percentage.
As noted the MVP for the tournament was Jacob Rochester of Chain National, who hit .727 with four extra-base hits including a home run. He had five runs scored, five RBI and a pair of stolen bases.
Chase Yniguez of the Rebels earned MV-Pitcher honors with one win, four shutout innings, and a pair of strikeouts.
2016 Perfect Game 13u East MLK Champions: Rebels
2016 Perfect Game 13u East MLK Championship Runner-up: Chain National
2016 Perfect Game 13u East MLK Championship MVP: Jacob Rochester
2016 Perfect Game 13u East MLK Championship MV-Pitcher: Chase Yniguez
