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Tournaments  | Story  | 6/16/2021

Florida Select Champs Crowned Tuesday

Sam Warren     
Photo: Gamblers Elite 2023 (Perfect Game)
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The Gamblers Elite took home the 2021 PG 16u Florida Select Championship title Tuesday afternoon, defeating the Midland Swarm Southeast Gold, 10-1, in eight innings. However, the final score does not reflect the game’s competitiveness, as the two squads were deadlocked in a 1-1 tie through seven innings, sending the championship game to extras, where the Gamblers’ offense exploded for nine runs in the eighth and final frame.
 
In their first Perfect Game event of the summer, no one could stop the Gamblers, as the team went a perfect 7-0 through pool and bracket play, posting a remarkable +57 run differential throughout the tournament. Gamblers head coach Miguel Marrero says that early success in PG events is beneficial for the team’s performance moving forward.
 
“It’s great for the kids,” Marrero said. “It’s the first time playing together for some of these guys, so it’s nice to get a win and get us going for a good summer ahead of us. We’ve got more Perfect Game events lined up, so it’s nice to win the first one.”
 
The Gambler title hopes dimmed as the game began, as the Midland offense started hot in the bottom of the first. Isaiah Myles began the inning by drawing a seven-pitch leadoff walk, then promptly stole second and third base within four pitches. Scout Simpson then drove Myles home with an infield single to shortstop, plating the game’s first run.
 
After both offenses went silent in the second, the Gamblers’ offense woke up to begin the third as Adriel Vega Santiago shot a double into left field. Christopher Perez lined a ball to the same spot two pitches later, driving home Santiago with an RBI single and tying the game at one.
 
As the bottom of the third began, both squads’ bats went stagnant. The teams combined for nine baserunners through the next four and a half innings, and neither offense could muster a single run. 
 
The lack of production was partly due to dominant performances on the mound from both sides’ arms. Gamblers starting pitcher Pablo Torres struck out six through five innings of work, allowing the one run and only two hits. Luis Gomez then came on in relief, tossing three shutout innings and allowing only one hit. For Midland, starting pitcher Clark Lincoln flustered Gambler hitters, allowing just one run in seven innings, fanning four in the process. 
 
Going into extras, Marrero knew that his team’s potent offense had to break the stalemate at some point.
 
“It was just a matter of time,” Marrero said. “We were taking good swings, making good contact. We just had to push through.”
 
The Gambler offense did more than push through in the eighth. After Charlee Soto reached on an error and Charles Batista drove a single to left field, Zaid Diaz loaded the bases with a walk. Torres then stepped up to the plate, pounding a ground ball to shortstop that was thrown home but unable to catch a speedy Soto at the plate, giving the Gamblers their first lead of the game. Two pitches later, Allen Hernandez busted the game open, poking a two-RBI double to right field. The Gamblers only continued to pour it on, as RBI singles from Yahil Melendez and Soto, an RBI double from Batista, a sacrifice fly from Santiago and some opportune baserunning boosted the squad to a 10-1 lead. While Soto is proud of the offensive outburst, he believes his team’s performance on the mound put their bats in a situation to succeed.
 
“Our pitching really helped us stay in that game,” Soto said. “Our hitting helped us out in the end, and everyone did their job to finish.”
 
On top of his solid performance, Soto received MVP honors for the tournament. The 2023 infielder went 11-for-20 from the plate over the weekend while scoring 11 runs, stealing nine bags and plating five runners. In terms of his impressive play, Soto remained humble.
 
“My teammates helped me throughout the weekend,” Soto said. “Without them, I wouldn’t have been as successful.”
 
Despite the losing effort, Myles earned the MV-Pitcher award for the tournament. In Midland’s semifinal matchup, the 2022 grad tossed a complete-game shutout, striking out five batters over seven innings to propel his squad into the championship game.
 
After enduring eight grueling innings, Marrero believes his squad’s camaraderie was key in getting his team a victory and will continue to be a factor in their success down the line.
 
“We’re a very tight-knit group,” Marrero said. “We’ve got a big roster with a lot of kids, but we stick together. We got guys doing all kinds of things for us, and all our players will do anything it takes to win.”
 




2021 PG 18u Florida Select Championship

In a close pitcher’s duel, East Coast Baseball took an early lead and never let go of it Tuesday morning, blanking the JSB Tigers 2-0 in the title game and earning a 2021 PG 18u Florida Select Championship win.
 
To lead off the game, Bryan Matthews drew a hard-earned walk in the top of the first inning. After stealing second and third, Matthews scored on a Thomas Martinez RBI single to left field, giving East Coast the first run of the game. After falling quiet for the next two innings, the East Coast bats took advantage of another leadoff walk, as Guillermo Del Calvo plated William Cruz in the fourth on a groundout to second base. Despite adding five more baserunners, the East Coast offense failed to convert on the rest of their opportunities through the last innings.
 
East Coast pitcher Alex Christmas, however, didn’t need much support. Tossing seven shutout innings, Christmas threw a complete-game shutout for East Coast, striking out seven and allowing just one hit. After closing out the final frame, Christmas earned tournament MV-Pitcher honors for his dominant performance on Tuesday.
 
Matthews received the MVP award for the tournament as well. The 2021 shortstop went 6-for-11 at the plate with five RBI, nine runs and six stolen bags alongside his pivotal championship performance.
 


2021 PG 17u Florida Select Championship

In an offensive battle, an explosive five-run third inning for SWFL 2022 Nation proved to be enough for the 2021 PG 17u Florida Select Championship, as they defeated Siege 2022 Scout Team, 8-4, in the title bout.
 
In the bottom of the first, SWFL outfielder Luke Pike smacked a single to center field to become the game’s first baserunner. After stealing second and advancing to third on a wild pitch, Pike scored on a William Wiltshire ground out to second. SWFL couldn’t capitalize on opportunities in the second, but a Pike RBI single quickly jumpstarted what came to be the winning rally of the championship. After Aiden Nolasco walked, Wiltshire grabbed an RBI single for himself. Four pitches later, with the bases loaded, Jonathon Negron drove a three-RBI double to right field to clear them all, giving SWFL a 6-0 lead.
 
After a series of defensive mishaps allowed Siege to mount a three-run comeback, Nolan Shamoun answered back to begin the fourth with a triple. After Logan Waldschmidt walked, a string of wild pitches allowed both SWFL runners to score, making the score 8-3. While Siege continued to fight, putting up a run in the sixth, it was not enough, as Jake D’Altrui shut down the Siege bats to close out the game in the seventh.
 
Negron took home the MVP award for his impressive performance throughout the tournament. The 2022 catcher went 6-for-14 on the weekend while racking up 13 RBI and five runs.
 
After a dominant performance in their semifinal game, Siege’s Drake Flowers nabbed the MV-Pitcher award for the tournament. The Florida State commit tossed a complete game shutout against Figs Baseball Prospects 2022 Tuesday morning, striking out 11 through six innings and giving up just three hits.
 


2021 PG 15u Florida Select Championship

A four-run second inning allowed the South Florida Giants to edge out SWFL 2024 Nation for the 2021 PG 15u Florida Select Championship, beating them 4-2 in the title game.
 
After a Kyle Latham walk and singles from Jack Grasso and Tj Gramesty, the Giants’ Anthony Mestre came to the plate with the bases loaded in the bottom of the second. Grasso quickly scored on a passed ball, and Mestre lined an infield single to score Latham two pitches later. Cooper Pitman then added on, driving a sacrifice fly to left to score Gramesty. Andrew Todd then allowed Mestre to make it full circle with an RBI single of his own, giving the Giants an early 4-0 lead.
 
SWFL fired back in the fourth as Peyton Hale and Anthony Pimentel got aboard with a single and a double, respectively. Mason Blackburn then shot a misplayed ball to shortstop, allowing Hale and Pimentel to score, closing the Giant lead to two runs.
 
Despite the retort, Giant pitcher Alejandro Ortiz was unfazed on the mound. The 2024 pitcher tossed a complete game for the Giants, allowing just three hits while striking out seven. To close out the seventh inning, Ortiz induced a double play, taking the title for the Giants.
 
Todd received MVP honors for the tournament after his impressive weekend at the dish. The 2024 outfielder was 7-for-16 at the plate, driving home five runs throughout the tournament.
 
Johnny Montgomery added hardware for the Giants, taking home the MV-Pitcher award for the tournament. Montgomery through nine innings over two games on the weekend, striking out 10 while allowing just five hits.
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