by Gabe Zoda
Was able to speak to DJ Dowling after the game after winning the championship with his team. 2-3 2B, 2RBIs. pic.twitter.com/TGyTbhdNDA
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) October 11, 2021
Columbus day always brings some fun October baseball both in the MLB and also around the island. One of these games was the 12u American Championship Game between Batting 1.000 Seminoles and Chiefs Nation. This game was back and forth until one inning changed the entire landscape of this game and led to a 11-3 win for the Seminoles.
The action started right out of the gates with the Seminoles putting up 2 runs in the bottom of the first inning. The leadoff batter for the Seminoles, Gus Sofronis, hit a single through the left side of the infield to kick things off.
Sofronis then stole two bags to get himself on 3rd and put himself in prime position to score. DJ Dowling then delivered an RBI 2B to score the first run of the game. That 2B would make it 2nd and 3rd with no outs.
PJ Romanelli, who reached on an error, would score the second run of the inning after a passed ball. These 2 runs gave the Seminoles an early 2-0 lead.
Chiefs Nation would then respond in the top of the 3rd inning. They locked things down in the 2nd and used that momentum to score 3 runs in the 3rd inning to grab a 3-2 lead in the top of the 3rd.
Big inning for Chiefs Nation in the top of the 3rd. They put up 3 runs and take a 3-2 lead over the Seminoles. This single by Dylan Mchugh scored the first of the 3. pic.twitter.com/D764wJYS6f
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) October 11, 2021
Brody Almeida and Joe Laudisio kicked things off with back to back walks. Brody then stole 3rd that led to a 1st and 3rd situation with no outs. Dylan McHugh then stepped up to the plate and secured the first run for the Chiefs.
Dylan would chop a single to the left side and Brody would score easily from it. That made it 1st and 2nd but they would both advance bags and were both in scoring position for MJ Aparicio.
MJ then went up to the plate with confidence. He knew he had to deliver this hit for his team and he would do just that. MJ would rip one down the 3rd base line that would score 2 runs and give Chiefs Nation the lead. Unfortunately for them, that lead would only last until the end of the half inning because the entire landscape of this game would change in the bottom of the 3rd inning.
This inning would bring in 6 runs for the Seminoles and give them an 8-3 lead. A string of singles and RBIs would be the recipe for success for them in getting this done and it started with Gus Sofronis. He kicked things off with a single and then stole 2nd base. PJ Romanelli then hit a single as well to get runners on 2nd and 3rd.
DJ Dowling then delivered with RISP again to drive in his 2nd RBI of the game with another single. Ryan Paradiso then continued the trend and knocked in another run with yet another single.
The string of singles would end but the runs would keep coming in for the Seminoles, Luca Geraci would secure a run on a FC and then Joe Dileo would get an RBI on a groundout. Those 2 runs showed good situational hitting to get the runners in from scoring position.
The final 2 runs of the inning would come from one hit. It would come off the bat of Brody Kennedy, he would knock in a 2R single with the bases loaded to give the Seminoles an 8-3 lead going into the 4th inning.
In that 4th inning, it would be more of the same and the Seminoles would add 2 more runs to their total. Marco Borelli got onto base with a leadoff walk. He would come in to score after Gus gets his 3rd hit of the game. Gus did what he does best on the basepaths and stole to get into scoring position and PJ Romanelli did a good job by getting him in.
At this point the Seminoles were up 10-3 and only needed one more run to win via Run Rule. The Seminoles could smell the sweet taste of victory and in the 5th inning, they would secure that title.
The final run would come off the bat of Brody Kennedy who would end the day 2-3 with 3 RBIs. His last hit was an RBI single that scored Joe Ruzieck (who reached on a double).
FINAL: B1.000 Seminoles 11,
Chiefs Nation 3.
Seminoles win the championship via Run Rule after this final run in the 5th. pic.twitter.com/jDAaQu5EI9— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) October 11, 2021
You cannot win a title without some good pitching as well and DJ Dowling delivered 3 solid innings on the mound and struck out 4 on the way to the victory.
