The 12u and 10u Super25 National Championships kicked off on Friday, as the first day was full of great baseball and good times.
The 10u tournament was full of high-quality baseball at Joe Gawrych field. Easton Elite and the Banditos were only two teams to come out undefeated after the first day, and both epitomized complete baseball teams in the early goings of the tournament.
The Banditos went off on offense, scoring 10 runs in a high-scoring battle against the Central PA Cougars, winning by a score of 10-8. They then mashed 7 runs off of Titans Baseball to pull out the 7-4 victory.
Easton Elite scratched and clawed their way to their first victory of the tournament, collecting just five hits in their 3-2 win over the Highlanders Red. Noah Castillo had the best day at the plate for Easton Elite, going 2-2 with a double. Jesus Villalobos and Angelo Aleman combined for a strong effort on the hill, giving up just one run apiece.
Easton Elite exploded for 11 runs in their second game, winning 11-2 against the Central PA Cougars. Easton Elite score 10 of its runs in the first three innings, setting the tone of the game early on. Lucas Mistone had 4 RBI and a home run, while Angel Perez went 3-3 with three RBI.
The 12u tournament is taking place at the Jones Center in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. Both great hitting and pitching performances highlighted the first day of pool play.
The Home Plate Schmits showed off their offensive prowess in their first two games of the tournament. They won their morning game 13-2, collecting 13 hits in the process, and then scored double-digits again in their second game with a 10-3 win over the OYO Bombers.
It was a collective effort for Home Plate’s offense, as they received production throughout their lineup. Joseph Eichelberger led the way with a huge day, going 4-6 with a triple. They also got great pitching performances from Justin Robinson and Trevor Crews, who both picked up wins.
While the Home Plate Schmits exploded offensively in both games, the other 12u team to go undefeated the first day, the East Coast Bombers, scored 17 runs in one game but received a great pitching performance in the other for a 2-0 victory.
The star of the day for the Bombers was left-hander Geoffrey Gilbert, who was also the star of the whole Super25 series. He had an amazing game against a tough EAB team, as he threw a no-hitter while striking out 16 and walking just one in 6 innings. Gilbert threw exclusively fastballs, but was touching 80 while sitting in the high-70s.
He worked ahead in the count all day, locating his unhittable fastball on both sides of the plate. “I was just throwing all four-seam fastballs, in-and-out,” Gilbert said. “I knew I had the team behind me, I had good defense behind me, I tried to pound the strike zone. My teammates have told me I’ve been throwing pretty hard, but I don’t think about that at all, I just try and pound the strike zone.” Only two balls were put in play the entire game, as it was truly a sensational performance.
Gilbert was also in the middle of the 17-run scoring barrage in the Bombers’ second game, hitting a double and a triple. The Bombers, led by Gilbert, look like a serious contender to take the 12u Super25 National Championship.
We learned a lot about the teams competing in the 10u and 12u Super25 Tournaments during the first day of pool play, but there are a lot of games left to be played. Tomorrow will be yet another day full of baseball, as pool play will continue, and teams will continue to fight for a spot in the playoffs.