The first day of the 16U was packed with action. Let's take a closer look at some of the tightest games and how they played out.
Aces National 2, Top Tier Select 1
Top Tier Select struck first in the bottom of the second inning, seeing Kaden Waechter make his way to second base on an infield error, later crossing the plate on a fly out. The next few innings were controlled by Aces’ Parker Granse and Top Tier’s Sam Swank on the mound as both combined for 11 strikeouts through five frames. With the Aces down 1-0 heading into the top of the sixth, Trevor Condon smacked a double to left field to tie the game 1-1. Condon advanced to third on a wild pitch in the next at-bat and Coleman Borthwick took advantage, slashing a single to gain the Aces first lead of the day, 2-1. Jackson Gilbert made an appearance on the mound in the seventh inning for the Aces, clinching the win after recording two strikeouts and forcing a ground out on the final play to finalize a 2-1 victory.
TPA Nationals 2, MBA Scout Team Murphy 1
The TPA Nationals and MBA Scout Team Murphy both put on a show, extending play into an eighth inning after a hard-fought seven innings. The Nationals led off the game with back-to-back singles, followed by a Nathan Mizelle RBI-single which drove their first run home. MBA Scout answered in the bottom of the first with a run of their own courtesy of a Brady Harris single to right field, evening the score at 1-1. Both defenses held strong throughout the rest of the game, pushing the contest into an extra inning. In the top of the eighth, the Nationals snuck one home after Sawyer Cannon was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, moving the score to 2-1. With a win in sight, Samuel Snyder finished off the MBA offense, forcing two outs while tallying a strikeout in the final frame.
EBC Wright 4, Knights Knation 0
Behind dominant pitching efforts, EBC Wright was able to down Knights Knation 4-0.. Both teams were held scoreless through four innings, creating an opportunity for each side to garner their first leads in the contest. It wasn’t until the third inning that EBC broke the seal, rallying to go on a three-run scoring outburst which was capped off on a bases-loaded walk. EBC added another run in the top of the sixth via a Tommy Baker single to right field, taking the score to 4-0. While the EBC offense went to work, it was Cayden Prestage holding things down on the mound. Prestage registered seven strikeouts in six innings of work, keeping the Knights off of the scoreboard. EBC’s Caden Kern came on in relief to complete the 4-0 win, registering two strikeouts in his appearance.
USA Prime National 2, East Cobb Astros 0
The USA Prime duo of Drew Oerther and Tensley combined for 12 punchouts in their squad’s 2-0 win over the East Cobb Astros. In a game that saw zero runners cross the plate in the first seven innings, it was evident that the decision would come down to wire. In the top of the eighth, Chandler Hart reached on an infield error, pushing two runners across in the process and taking the score to 2-0 in favor of USA Prime. With pressure rising, Oerther kept his cool on the mound, forcing two outs and securing the win with his sixth strikeout of the contest.
Alpha Prime 5, Power Baseball 4
In a back-and-forth matchup, Alpha Prime’s performance in the clutch pushed them past Power Baseball, 5-4. Power Baseball was the first team to find home, going on a three-run rally in the bottom of the third frame. In response, Alpha Prime posted two runs in the top of the fourth, scoring Marcus Gries on a ground out to cap the inning, 3-2 in favor of Power Baseball. In an attempt to keep their lead, Power Baseball smacked on another run courtesy of a Louis Hernandez double, increasing their lead to two. Alpha Prime responded by evening the game in the top of the fifth 4-4 via a balk. With the score tied, the two squads duked it out until the seventh inning when Warren Gravely hit an RBI-single, giving Alpha Prime its first lead of the day. Graham Schlicht secured the win on the bump, forcing a ground out and tallying two strikeouts in the final inning of action.
SmarTense the Show 3, South Charlotte Panthers 1
SmarTense snuck by the South Charlotte Panthers, behind Corwin Allard and Jaden Grose pitching on the mound. The SmarTense put the first runs on the board in the first two innings thanks to a defensive indifference and Justin Lopez shot to center field respectively. In the bottom of the fourth frame, the Panthers answered back, sneaking a run home on a wild pitch, taking the score to 2-1. SmarTense added one more run in the fifth via a Troy Southisene single, increasing the lead to two. The deficit proved too much to overcome for the Panthers, allowing for SmarTense to jump out to a 2-0 start at the tournament.
Legacy Baseball Group 5, TPA Nationals 3
Legacy Baseball Group went on an early three-run rally in the bottom of the first, edging out the TPA Nationals 5-3. In the third, James Tronstein took matters into his own hands and cranked a homer over the left field wall, extending the lead to four for his squad. The Nationals registered their first run of the game in the top of the fifth on an error, but was quickly followed by another Legacy Baseball run. Knowing they needed to get on the board again, the Nationals responded with two runs of their own in the sixth frame, cutting the lead to two. The Legacy Group held strong on defense in the top of the seventh to secure the 5-3 victory.
