FORT MYERS, FL.-- For the previous two PG Series events, players representing Central have made their presence known far from home down in Fort Myers, Florida. However, when the PG 13U Series was underway, it looked like a new region was coming in to stake their claim. From the start, team North was a strong contender for the championship with high scoring pool play games and a dominating 9-4 semi final win. For the championship, North would face Deep South who went 3-0 through pool play and secured their spot in the championship with a 8-0 win over team Central. With such similar performances from both teams, it would come down to who could out play the other to claim the title.
Getting things off to a smooth start, Deep South pitcher Danny Machado pitched to just four batters and gave up only one hit. Machado then proved to be an asset both on the mound and at the plate as he got the bats going for Deep South in the bottom of the first.
Machado sent a line drive into center to put him on first which was followed by a fly ball to left from Sawyer Ramseyer. Machado eventually scored the first run of the game courtesy of a grounder to short off the bat of Anthony Cruz-Gonzalez.
Both teams kept the game rolling through the second inning with short plate appearances. Danny Machado kept his composure that he showed in the first as he struck out one batter and allowed no hits. For North pitcher Henry Isaac, it was three up three down with two strikeouts.
Isaac’s strength on the mound acted like a catalyst for North at the plate in the top of the third. After Machado first walked Henry Isaac, Isaac’s speed coupled with a grounder to right from Caden Workman moved him around the diamond. However, Isaac wouldn't be able to make it home as Deep South’s strength in the infield came through to back Machado and keep North scoreless through two innings.
As the game moved into the bottom of the third, Deep South was able to tack on another run to increase their lead. After Daniel Fernandez was hit by a pitch putting him at first, Jordany Gonzalez smashed a fly ball to center which slipped through the center fielders hands. This error allowed Fernandez to score with ease to bring the score to 2-0.
Deep South’s two run lead however started slipping away as the fourth inning played out. With one out on the board, Machado walked two batters in a row and runners were soon put into scoring position off a fly out to right. Bringing the two runs in was a line drive deep to right off the bat of Xavier Rivera to tie up the game at 2-2. Machado then regained control of the inning to close it out and forced North to leave runners in scoring position.
North couldn’t keep the score tied for long as a string of errors in the bottom of the fourth allowed Deep South to get into scoring position early on. Capitalizing on these errors, Anthony Cruz Gonzalez turned around a fastball sending it deep to left for an RBI to take back the lead for Deep South. Henry Isaac then ended the inning strong, striking out two batters and leaving the score at 3-2.
With each team going run for run all game, the fifth inning was no exception. North came back to the plate in the top of the fifth working hard to take back the game. To heat things up, Brett Bounds and Henry Isaac sent line drives to center and right for two singles. Following suit, Leo Korbee found an opening in left as he turned around a 67 mph fastball for an RBI to tie the game back up.
Through the bottom of fifth and through the sixth, pitcher Henry Isaac for North gave up just one hit, and struck out four batters to keep the game tied at 3-3.
Similarly in the top of the sixth, Deep South pitcher Sebastian Gonzalez saw just three batters and struck out one.
The bats didn’t stay calm for long however as North quickly gained momentum in the top of the seventh led by Luke Pappano. Pappano got on base off a grounder to third and then it was Xavier Rivera at the plate. Rivera waited for his pitch and took a 70 mph fastball deep to center for a triple to bring in Pappano.
Rivera was also quickly brought home as Tucker Wilburn then smashed a line drive to center for an RBI. To bring North to a three run lead, Landon James hit a sac fly to right giving Wilburn an opening to raise the score to 6-3.
After several runs scored, pitcher Sawyer Ramseyer of Deep South struck out the last batter to send the game into the bottom of the seventh.
Pitching through six innings already, Henry Isaac closed out the bottom of the seventh allowing one hit and striking out the last batter of the game to lock in North’s 6-3 win.
For the 13u PG Series, Xavier Rivera of North was named the Most Valuable Player going two for three and hitting the notable triple in the top of the seventh. Overall, Rivera had eight hits and twelve RBIs throughout the series.
Most Valuable Pitcher was awarded to Luke Pappano, also from North. Pappano pitched for six innings throughout the series, racking up nine Ks and topping out with an 80 FB velo.