Final: Jr Ducks 5, West Warriors 4
WP: Jayden Reo
S: Shane Beatrice@EcybTournaments pic.twitter.com/TbZ5xUMSCA— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) September 4, 2021
When you have a dicey situation in the game, it pays to bring in your best reliever – or someone that can “put out the fire”. With the 12u Junior Ducks clinging to a 5-2 lead in the fourth inning and the WEST Warriors with the bases loaded with one out, they called on Shane Beatrice. After walking the first batter, Seth Schwartz, to bring in a run he then struck out Lucas Whitacre and induced a ground out off the bat of Jacob Krolick to end the inning. It turned out to be a crucial moment of the game as it kept the Ducks in the lead heading to the final two innings.
Beatrice wound up firing a scoreless fifth inning, striking out the side. He did allow a run to score on a dropped third strike + e2 allowed the game to get closer but he slammed the door shut on a ground out to first to end the game.
For the Ducks, they fell behind 1-0 in the first inning on an RBI single by Benji Hettena which scored Lucas Whitacre. Starter Jayden Reo settled down to avoid any further damage with a strikeout of Liam Mills and a ground out of Sal Amato.
The lead did not last long, however. Alex Briones led off with a walk and advanced on an E4 that could’ve been a double play. A passed ball allowed both runners to advance to scoring position and an RBI groundout tied the game at 1-1. The next batter, Cameron Payne, smoked a double to make it 2-1 in favor of the Ducks.
In the bottom of the second, Michael Siegal was hit by a pitch with one out and he stole to get himself into scoring position. After a walk to Seth Schwartz, Lucas Whitacre came through with an RBI double to tie up the game, 2-2.
In the ensuing half inning, Corey Keith led off with a bloop infield single to second base and he stole second. After a groundout to the pitcher moved him to thirds, CJ Volper ripped an RBI single to score him and give the Ducks a 3-2 lead. Beatrice struck out to end the inning but the damage was done.
Reo went back out for the third and fired a 1-2-3 inning, the first of the game for either team.
The Ducks offense went back to work in the fourth. They scored two runs on wild pitches, which was set up by a leadoff walk drawn by Alex Briones and an RBI single by Gavin Wlodarczyk.
In the bottom of the fourth, Reo hit Sal Amato to start the inning and walked Dylan Capiello. After a strikeout, he walked Alex O’Connor to load the bases which prompted the pitching change. That’s when Beatrice came on and did his fine work.
Things did get very tense in the sixth after the dropped third strike + error to allow the fourth run of the game to score by the Warriors but Beatrice made sure that lead was protected.
After this game, the Ducks did play again but lost to SFX Huskies. They will be back in action tomorrow at 9am against Phenom Baseball.
