by Gabe Zoda
Got to chat with WP Carson Wengrovsky after his performance on the mound. pic.twitter.com/q9GfuKA3Q7
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) July 5, 2021
All good things come to an end and the same thing can be said about the 4th of July Stars and Stripes Tournament. Yesterday, the finals took place between the Titans-Messina and the 495 Wolfpack.
For the Wolfpack, this game served as a doubleheader as they played and beat the Jr. Ducks right before they took on the Titans. That game gave the Wolfpack some momentum going into the finals.
The Titans on the other hand were ready to go and ready to take home the championship. They would show how ready they were in this game as they would look dominant in this championship game. The Titans would end up winning by a score of 9-1 in 5 innings.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing for the Titans though as they would face immediate adversity from the Wolfpack. In the top of the 1st, the 495 Wolfpack squad would use that momentum from their last game to get themselves an early 1-0 lead.
It started with Matthew Mancuso who hit a 1-out 2B. He would move over to 3rd base after Nick Anderson grounded out. Mancuso would then come in to score after an E-6 during Jack Hogan’s at bat.
Unfortunately, that would be the end of the scoring for the Wolfpack but the Titans completely flipped the switch and never looked back. They immediately punched back with 3 in the bottom of the 1st.
Eddie Ahr would start things off by walking. He would use his speed to steal 2nd base to put himself in scoring position quickly. He would move to third after Alex McGuire singled to put men on first and 3rd.
The Titans respond right back with 3 in the bottom of the 1st. Score 3-1 In favor of the Titans through 1 pic.twitter.com/BCnZgKzWV3
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) July 5, 2021
The first run would come in to score after an E-5 during Liam Weinberger’s at bat that would score Eddie Ahr. The next two runs would score on the next at bat when Ryan LoCarni launched a 2 out 2B. That 2B would score Alex McGuire and Liam Weinberger and make the score 3-1 at the end of 1.
Starting pitcher for the Titans, Carson Wengrovsky (WP, 4IP, 7ks, 1BB), would face his biggest test in the top of the 2nd. The bases were loaded with 2 outs and the 495 Wolfpack were ready to pounce. Wengrovsky would use his offspeed to strike out Matt Simon to end the inning. He knew this was a big out as he yelled out “Lets go” right after the strikeout.
The Titans would tack on 2 more runs in the bottom of the 3rd. They would get on immediately in this inning as Eddie Ahr got on with a leadoff single. He would steal his second base of the game to land him in scoring position. Alex McGuire would then score him with a double to make the score 4-1.
They would continue the scoring when Matt Tsolis scored Alex McGuire with a 2-out single to make it a 5-1 game through 3 innings of play.
The 4th would see the Titans lay on another insurance run. This time it was Brendan Baker who would come in to score. He led off the inning with an infield single. He would move over to second after a stolen base and put himself into 3rd base after moving over on a pass ball. Baker would then score on a wild pitch during Joe Pirapato’s AB to make it 6-1 through 4.
The game would end in 5 innings but before it ended, the Titans would score 3 more in the final inning. The first run would come from the bat of Matt Tsolis. He sent a double out to the opposite field that would score Liam Weinberger, who walked to start things off.
The bases would then be loaded after Jason Natuzzi, the next batter, would get hit by a pitch. After that, Brendan Baker walked in Chris Forstmann and Eddie Ahr drove in Matt Tsolis with a single. Those 3 runs in the inning would make the score 9-1 and that’s where the game would come to an end.
After letting up a run in the 1st, Carson Wengrovsky seemed to have locked in to a championship mindset after that big strikeout in the top of the 2nd and never let go of that focus. His performance, along with the constant run support from the offense propelled the Titans to take home the Varsity division championship of the 4th of July Stars and Stripes tournament.
