CARY, N.C. – The Future Elite rallied for three runs in the top of the sixth to cap a come-from-behind, 6-5 victory over the New Level Nationals in the 10U Futures Invitational Bronze Medal Game at Thomas Brooks Park in Cary, North Carolina.

Comebacks were the story of the day for The Future Elite. After immediately falling into a 3-0 hole in the first, the bronze medalists came back to tie it in the third. Then, finding itself trailing again down to their final three outs, The Future Elite put together a three-run sixth before retiring the side in order to secure its first bronze medal in program history.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• After a pair of walks put two runners on with two outs in the bottom of the first, New Level’s Kellen McConaghy smoked an inside-the-park homer to the fence in right-center field to put his team in front 3-0.
• The Future Elite immediately responded after falling into an early deficit on back-to-back RBI doubles by Jacob Delgado and Justin Cozier to trim the deficit to one in the second.
• Despite The Future Elite loading the bases and threatening to tie the game later in the second, New Level starter Silas Wright coaxed two pop outs to first base to keep his team in front 3-2.
• The Future Elite’s Andres Rodriguez scored on an error to tie the game at three in the top of the third.
• New Level retook the lead in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI single by Wright and a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch to gain a 5-3 advantage.
• Two consecutive walks put the tying runs on base for The Future Elite in the final inning. Both of those runners would eventually come around to score on an error, knotting the game at five.
• After a sacrifice bunt put the go-ahead run on third with two outs, Aiden Nieto smoked a single back up the middle to plate the eventual-winning run and put The Future Elite in the lead at 6-5.
• Felix Esqueda returned to the mound for the bottom of the sixth and retired the side in order to clinch the bronze medal for The Future Elite.

NOTABLE STATS

• Andrew Mercedes led The Future Elite with a 2-for-2 game, also drawing a walk.
• Esqueda delivered two no-hit innings of relief to earn the win, walking a pair and striking out one.
• The New Level Nationals’ McConaghy had a two-hit day and drove in a game-high three RBIs.
• Maximo Morales Monroy collected a hit for the New Level Nationals, giving him a team-high six hits in tournament play.
• The bronze medal is the first-ever medal in tournament history for The Future Elite, which only won one game in the 2022 tournament.