2,074 MLB PLAYERS | 14,476 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Create Account
Sign in Create Account
Tournaments  | Story  | 7/6/2022

Top Tier Starts 16u BCS With Run-Rule Win

Riley Sheppard     
Photo: Rivers Kurland (Perfect Game)
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Just two days ago, Top Tier Roos American 2024 fell just short of a championship game at the PG National Elite Championship in Hoover, Ala.

Fast forward 48 hours later, and they’re now in Fort Myers and off to a hot start in the BCS 16u National Championship.



“We just walked off the field Sunday and now we're right back at it,” Head Coach Andy Fleischasker said postgame. “It’s great to be back in our home state after we'd been up in Georgia and then Alabama first two, so it's great to be home.”

That home state comfort was shown in the team's first game of the BCS National Championship, taking down RBC Manati 12-0 in just four innings.

Left-hander and top-150 2025 prospect Rivers Kurland tossed a perfect game over his four innings, striking out eight in just 48 pitches.

“He threw great, mixed all his pitches, had complete command of his curveball, so it was a tremendous outing from him,” Fleischasker said postgame. “He was a bulldog on the mound, he does what he does. That’s Rivers Kurland for you.”

The bulk of Top Tier’s runs came in the bottom of the third, which saw 10 runs come across and 13 players at-bat.

Dariel Pirela led off the inning with a single, and made his way around the bases after a double from Kurland advanced him to third and an error brought him home.

Andrew Tess and Wyatt Ewanowski both drove in multiple RBI in the inning with extra bases.

Tess sent a triple out to center field to bring in Mitchell Rodriguez and Zach Lester, while Ewanowski rewarded Tess' triple with a double to bring him and Rocco Demarinis in two batters later.

Needing just one run to meet the run-rule, Jamarques Benton led off the fourth with a walk and made his way home just two batters later.

With a long way to go in the tournament, Top Tier realizes how beneficial shortened games like this one are when it gets later into the week.

“We've been playing great defense and pitching really well, for us if we can shorten some games like we did this game it really helps in this deep playoff format,” Fleischasker said postgame. “That's the key, if you run out of pitching in the quarterfinals, you're in trouble. So for us, that was a great start for us to shorten this first game.”
PG Special Events
Travel, Lodging, Entertainment
PG Partners
Recommended
About Perfect Game :: Contact us :: Terms of Use :: Privacy Policy :: Testimonials :: Job Opportunities
Copyright 1994-2024 by Perfect Game. All rights reserved. No portion of this information may be reprinted or reproduced without the written consent of Perfect Game.