By Daniel Lopes
Mitchel Field played host to a pair of games between the EEP Bandits and Knights Nation, as well as EEP Bandits Select and Bombers NY on Saturday. In the first game, Knights Nation got the victory over the Bandits, 11-2. Bombers NY won the second game against the Bandits by a score of 12-1. Both games finished before the sixth inning due to the mercy rule.
Knights Nation coach Tony Fiumefreddo and pitcher Jackson Bansch speak after a win against the EEP Bandits pic.twitter.com/BI3qGgDFsv
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) April 30, 2022
Game One- Knights Nation 11, EEP Bandits 2
Knights Nation wasted no time getting on the board to start the game, scoring two runs in the top of the first inning. After starting the inning with a single, Jake D’Amico stole second base and came around to score on an RBI single from Joe Meyer. Meyer later came across to score on a passed ball to make it a 2-0 game.
They added two more runs in the top of the second inning to make it a 4-0 game. Lucas Schwabe started the inning with a single, coming across to score on a single from Anthony Scibilic. After getting to third base with some aggressive base running, Scibilic came across to score on an RBI groundout by Jackson Bausch.
The Bandits got on the board in the third inning with a two-run rally to make it a 4-2 game. Riley Belrado started the inning by reaching on a catcher’s interference. He scored on the next batter, when Kaleb Mercado hit an RBI double. After a strikeout, Joseph Martinez hit an RBI groundout.
After a scoreless fourth inning for both teams, Knights Nation had a big inning, putting up seven runs to break the game open. The first run came across when Anthony D’Amico scored after Scibilic reached on an error. After that, Jake D’Amico and Nicco Cecala hit back-to-back RBI singles, and Meyer added a two-run single. The last run of the inning scored when Luke Fiumefreddo came across on a passed ball to make it 11-2.
They set the Bandits down with a clean inning in the bottom of the fifth to secure the win.
Bombers NY coach Jason Mari speaks after a 12-1 win over EEP Bandits Select. pic.twitter.com/7wCJCxHVWZ
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) April 30, 2022
Game Two- Bombers NY 12, EEP Bandits Select 1
The Bandits score a run on a double, but the runner is caught in between second and third for the final out of the game
FINAL|| Bombers 12, Bandits 1 pic.twitter.com/dMpPMEhJcP
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) April 30, 2022
Bombers NY had a massive inning in the top of the first to take the lead, scoring 11 runs. After Brandon Henderson and Bradley Zaman walked to start the game, Xavier Wilson started the scoring with a bases-clearing, two-run triple. He came across to score after three straight walks loaded the bases and drove him in. Marc Nissen hit a pop fly in the infield that was ruled an infield fly, but after it dropped a run came across to score.
Matt Ordonez drove in another run with a fielder’s choice and Ryan Schoenfeld finished the first trip through the batting order with an RBI single. In his second at bat of the inning, Henderson had the last big hit of the inning, driving in three runs with a double. He scored later on a pickoff attempt to make it an 11-0 game after the first. They added another run in the second inning on an RBI double from RJ Hall to make it a 12-0 game.
Not to be outdone by his offense, Joe Fressle was great on the mound for Bombers NY, pitching all four innings and allowing just two hits. He recorded six strikeouts as well.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Bandits began to rally. With two outs, Noah Caraballo kept the inning alive with a single. He came across to score on a double from Dom Moller, ending the shutout. However, Moller was caught in a rundown between second and third base, recording an out to end the game and finish the win for Bombers NY.
