Next Level gets on the board first on an RBI single by Aidan Larkin pic.twitter.com/yVA7qqSTFU
— Axcess Baseball (@axcessbaseball) October 13, 2017
by Hailey Julian
Tonight kicked off the 11th annual Antonia Agostinelli Memorial Tournament at Baseball Heaven. Next Level Baseball 2019 took on Motus Academy in a match up of two star-studded teams, but it was Next Level who came away with a 4-1 victory thanks to a three-run first.
The first three batters reached base for Next Level and they cashed in when Aidan Larkin (Chaminade 2019) ripped an RBI single to left field. They added two more runs on a steal of home by Will Kennedy (Smithtown East 2019) and a sac fly by Roman Dorosh (Sachem East 2019) who just narrowly missed an opposite field grand slam.
The offense was more than enough for starting pitcher Ryan Martin (Chaminade) who was lights-out for five innings of work.
“My two-seamer was moving a lot and I was able to throw my slider for a ball and a strike when I needed it,” said Martin. He added that the early offense that his team provided allowed him to “set in early.”
Next Level added another run in the third inning on a wild pitch that scored Tommy Reifler (Garden City 2019).
Motus scored their only run in the third inning when Max Nielsen (Ward Melville 2019) smacked a triple to right center field and he scored on an RBI single by Terrence Murray (Kellenberg 2018).
Nielsen had an eye-opening performance with three strikeouts in the fourth inning.
Both offenses were quiet for the final three innings to allow Next Level to cruise to the victory.
Martin added that he’s “still feeling strong” despite the end of the season approaching and he’s ready to work hard in the offseason.
