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Tournaments  | Story  | 6/8/2018

3 more PG/EC champs crowned

Nate Schweers     
Photo: Team Elite Prime (Perfect Game)

Georgia Jackets race to victory

EMERSON, Ga. – The Georgia Jackets got out to an early lead and never looked back on Friday, beating the Hit After Hit Venom 6-3 in the 13u Perfect Game/East Cobb Invitational championship.

Tied heading into the bottom of the second inning, the Jackets were able to use two Venom errors and some timely hitting to scratch across four runs, giving them an early 5-1 lead.

The Jackets would strike again in the bottom of the third. After a leadoff single from Dylan Lonergan, tournament MVP Jackson Westmoreland was able to beat out an infield single, putting runners on the corners to start the inning. Lonergan would steal home two pitches later, and the Jackets extended their lead to 6-1.

Six runs were all the Jackets would need as starter Carson Taggart and Westmoreland were able to minimize ten Venom hits. Coach Jeff Auterson was proud of his guys, and noted the excellent pitching as a key to his team’s success.

“It was great a great job of Jackson coming in to relieve Carson Taggart. They both threw strikes and were able to keep the score where it was.”

Tournament MVP Jackson Westmoreland did it all over the course of the PG/EC Invitational, batting .438 while also driving in nine Jackets runs.

“I just went up there and tried to hit the ball as hard as I can,” said Westmoreland. “Its all about getting better this week for the next weekend, and even the next few weekends.”

The tournament’s MV-Pitcher came in the form of Hit After Hit Venom righty Alex Falsone. Falsone threw seven innings on the week, allowing just one run and striking out six. Falsone was also the Venom’s primary catcher during the tournament.


2018 13u PG East Cobb Invitational champions: Georgia Jackets 13u National



2018 13u PG East Cobb Invitational runner-up: Hit After Hit Venom



2018 13u PG East Cobb Invitational MVP: Jackson Westmoreland



2018 13u PG East Cobb Invitational MV-Pitcher: Alex Falsone

 



Team Elite holds off Elite Baseball comeback

EMERSON, Ga. – Team Elite Prime used a six-run second inning to down Elite Baseball Academy 10-6 in Friday’s championship of the 15u Perfect Game/East Cobb Invitational.

Thomas Dilandri had four runs batted in on the day, and Alex Edmondson added two of his own as the Team Elite bats were too much for a good Elite Baseball team.

After jumping out to an early 1-0 lead, Team Elite was able to put together a big inning in the bottom of the second, striking for six runs off of Elite Baseball starter Justin Richa.

Ryan Spikes lead off the inning with a double to left field, and Jeffery Waters drove him in with a single up the middle. After Carson Montgomery reached in the same way, Alex Edmondson and Mason Cooper were able to deliver back-to-back singles, extending the Team Elite lead to four. After Elite Baseball was able to retire the next two batters, Team Elite was right back to work. Thomas Dilandri launched a two-run double to left field, and Brady House followed it up with a single to give Team Elite a 7-0 lead.

House, who had a walk off single against Team Mizuno on Thursday in the quarterfinals, is still uncommitted in the class of 2021. House is an impressive middle infielder that has flashed excellent arm strength and quick hands in the past, and is ranked as the 13th-best player in the class of 2021.

“All Perfect Game tournaments are fun because I get to come down here and play with my friends,” said House. “When I go up to the plate my approach is just to put the ball in play and help the team out. No matter what the situation is, my at-bats are based on what will help the team out best.”

On a roster loaded with talent, expectations were high this week for Team Elite Prime, and they delivered.

“There is a lot of luck that kind of falls into these tournaments sometimes,” said head coach Marc Nellist. “It started yesterday with the comeback win over Team Mizuno that kind of built some character for our guys. Today the guys that were here showed up and competed and played pretty much a complete game.”

The MV-Pitcher of this year’s tournament was Ryan Spikes. Spikes, who is ranked as the 13th-best 2021 prospect in the state of Georgia, went 2-0 on the mound this week, giving up just two hits while striking out 12 batters. Spikes is a primary shortstop, but was able to throw eight shutout innings during Team Elite’s championship effort.

The tournament MVP came from Elite Baseball Training in Sebastian Cabeza.  Cabeza hit .526 during the tournament, driving in three runs while also stealing four bases.


2018 15u PG East Cobb Invitational champions: Team Elite 15u Nation



2018 15u PG East Cobb Invitational runner-up: Dulin's Dodgers 15u Prime



2018 15u PG East Cobb Invitational MVP: Sebastian Cabeza



2018 15u PG East Cobb Invitational MV-Pitcher: Ryan Spikes

 



Team Elite muscles their way to 17u championship

EMERSON, Ga. – Team Elite Prime used excellent pitching and timely hitting to down Rawlings Southeast National 8-3 in the 17u Perfect Game/East Cobb Invitational championship on Friday.

After a scoreless start to the game, Nasim Nunez delivered a one-run single in the top of the third inning to open the scoring. After a first-and-third steal of home, and a sacrifice fly from Austin Turner, Team Elite would head to the bottom half of the inning with a 3-0 lead.

After a shutdown inning from their starter in the bottom of the third, Team Elite struck again in the top of the fourth with a one run single from Clemson commit Pierce Gallo. Gallo, who is part of a Clemson class that ranks as Perfect Game’s 10th-best in 2019, stole home later in the inning to give Team Elite a commanding 5-0 lead.

Five runs was all Team Elite would need as Sean Adams and Zach McManus would come in to shut the door the rest of the way. Pitching has been a strength for this Team Elite squad throughout, and head coach Romas Hicks couldn't be prouder of the way his team’s focus all week.

“One of the things that we really put an emphasis on is that grind of staying focused from the first pitch to the last. A simple error here or there could be the difference in the game. Pitch one to pitch 100, we are focused non-stop.”

Team Elite Prime’s Zack Smith took home the MVP honors in this year’s tournament, batting .467 with three runs batted in. Smith, who is committed to playing his college ball at Mississippi, is ranked as the 21st best third baseman in the 2019 class.

The MV-Pitcher of the 17u PG/EC Invitational was Jared Szabo. Szabo threw nine strong innings for Rawlings Southeast National in the tournament, allowing just one earned run while striking out 18 batters. Szabo is committed to playing his college ball at Georgia Southern University. 


2018 17u PG East Cobb Invitational champions: Team Elite 17u Prime



2018 17u PG East Cobb Invitational runner-up: Rawlings Southeast 17u National



2018 17u PG East Cobb Invitational MVP: Zack Smith



2018 17u PG East Cobb Invitational MV-Pitcher: Jared Szabo
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