Final: Next Level 4, Cangelosi Sparks 2
WP: Ryan Martin pic.twitter.com/oZMbw6KlOK— Axcess Baseball (@axcessbaseball) October 6, 2017
Strong pitching, great defense and a red-hot bat of Aidan Larkin (Chaminade 2019) was the key to a pair of victories today for Next Level Baseball.
Game One
Pat Cullinan got the start, but struggled with his command and was lifted with the game tied 1-1 with bases loaded and one out in the third inning.
William Kennedy (Smithtown East 2019) came on in relief and put out the fire in a big way. He fanned the cleanup batter and induced an infield pop out from the following hitter.
Next Level wasted no time taking the lead in the top of the fourth when Kennedy walked and stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Larkin hit a sac fly to medium-range center field to score Kennedy to give them a 2-1 lead.
Kennedy was lights-out from that point on. He struck out two in the fourth inning, one in the fifth inning and two in the sixth inning, while is offense was held at bay.
In the top of the seventh, he allowed a leadoff walk but induced a fielder’s choice and infield pop out before the next batter ripped one back towards the middle but he made a game-ending snag.
“I believe in myself and was just trying to keep the ball down and get a groundball,” said the LHP.
Game 2:
Roman Dorosh got the start and he was throwing hard, working in the mid 80s with his heater in front of coaches from Pittsburgh, Stony Brook, ECU and Dartmouth. He allowed a run on a wild pitch in the first inning, but settled down after that.
Next Level answered right back when leadoff batter Matt Pelcher (Calhoun 2020) started things off with a single and came around to score on a ground out.
Aidan Larkin gave them the lead in the third with an RBI infield single and he advanced to second when the ball got away from the first baseman.
In the top of the fourth, a questionable balk called on Dorosh, followed by an RBI single tied the game at 2-2.
Larkin does it again ! Two-run single gives Next Level a 4-2 lead in the fifth pic.twitter.com/V63ThwbkJY
— Axcess Baseball (@axcessbaseball) October 6, 2017
Larkin stayed red-hot with a bases loaded two-run single down the left field line to give Next Level a 4-2 lead.
Ryan Martin came on in relief, and he pitched exceptionally well. He fired three shutout innings to earn the victory and seal the deal on the second win of the day for Next Level.
Tomorrow we will have coverage of Motus Baseball vs. Ontario Terriers at 10:15am.
