Jupiter, Fla. - Gamblers Elite 15U 5, 5 Star National Weaver 2
Defense ruled in the first semifinal game of the 2019 15U National Team Championships in Florida on Wednesday as No. 4 Gamblers Elite 15U pushed past No. 8 5 Star National Weaver 5-2.
5 Star National scored the opening run of the game came in the top of the fifth inning after Hayden Cockman (1-for-3) hit a two-out double to score Jayden Long.
The Gamblers responded quickly, scoring four runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 4-1 lead. After two singles and a 5 Star National error loaded the bases for the Gamblers, Jacob Hardy (2-for-3) and Dylan Reinhardt (1-for-3) scored a passed ball and second 5 Star National error. Another passed ball and a single from Juan de la Cruz (2-for-4) brought Patrick Gillen (0-for-1) and Christopher Diaz (0-for-2) home to put the Gamblers up.
Both teams added a run in the sixth inning, as Terrell Milliner (1-for-3) scored on a double from Langston Lewis for 5 Star National, before Hardy added the final run for the Gamblers.
Diaz (1-0) got the win for Gamblers Elite after throwing four scoreless innings and allowing just one hit on the mound. Christopher Smalley (0-2) took the loss for 5 Star National Weaver after allowing four runs on three hits and one strikeout during his four innings.
Gamblers Elite advances to 6-0 and will face Team Elite in the finals later on Wednesday, June 19.
Team Elite 11, BL101 Real Ballers 2022 National 2
No. 11 Team Elite started hot in their 11-2 semifinal win versus No. 10 BL101 Real Ballers 2022 National on Wednesday morning at the National Team Championships in Florida.
With four runs on the board by the fourth inning, Team Elite didn't show any signs of slowing down. They went on to score four more in the sixth inning and three in the seventh.
Kaden Martin (3-for-3), Tayshaun Walton (0-for-2) and Cannon Whatley (0-for-1) led Team Elite, scoring two runs each. The rest of the 11 runs came from Nico Senese (2-for-3), Nolan Schubart (2-for-4), Bryson Eldridge (1-for-4), Justin Smith (1-for-3) and Logan Bogue (1-for-2), all with one apiece. Alvin Keels (1-for-1) and Senese both tallied three RBIs with Martin right behind with two.
BL101 Real Ballers 2022 National scored two runs of their own, one in both the bottom of the fifth and sixth innings. Both runs came off of groundouts, one from Antonio DiGrigoli (0-for-3) to score Aaron Posey (0-for-3) and one from Jared Munoz (0-for-3) to bring Sal Stewart (2-for-2) home.
Team Elite's Hiro Wyatt (1-0) earned the win, throwing for two runs on two hits and striking six batters out in 5.2 innings. Giovanni Colasante (1-1) was tagged with the loss for the four runs on six hits with four strikeouts during four innings of play.
Team Elite goes on to play Gamblers Elite for the 2019 15U National Team Championships title.