Andrew Barbieri
Postgame interview with Coach Galligan pic.twitter.com/qM8RgQFOo2
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) June 3, 2023
Titans Baseball – Warshaw took on Merrick Mayhem- Galligan on Saturday afternoon at Plainedge Park in Massapequa in search of a championship before the summer ball schedule starts up. Both teams won earlier in the day to reach the championship game but the offenses showed no signs of fatigue as the run scoring started immediately.
Jonathan Yang, the first batter for Titans Baseball, drove the first pitch of the game down the third base line that kept rolling until Yang was almost touching third which allowed him easily to start the ballgame with an inside the park home run off Mayhem starter Joseph Abbassi. With a couple of RBI singles, and productive outs, Titans Baseball sent 10 batters to the plate in the top of the 1st and led 5-0 with Mayhem coming to bat.
“A big part of our team is battling back,” said coach Brian Galligan during the postgame interview and it certainly was put on full display in the bottom of the 1st. Mayhem’s first 3 batters Lukas Dunn, Caiden Dowling, and Joseph Abbassi singled, walked, and singled, respectively and quickly put the pressure on Titans’ starter Riley Atalig. A Grant Guss walk followed by Nicky Guerrieri getting plunked made it 4-2 with the bases still loaded. Brooks Belvedere was next up and inched Mayhem closer with a 2-run double that sneaked inside the first base line. Gavin Mann tied the game on a fielder’s choice and still with runners on, Mason Villa delivered a 2-run single and eventually scored on a pitch that went to the backstop. When the 1st inning ended, Atalig was pulled before he could get through the 1st and Mayhem led 8-5.
Titans Baseball now trailing attempted to get back in front in the 2nd. With one out, Yang singled but then Dowling in centerfield for Mayhem, made a diving grab to rob Ryan Bird of extra bases. Still, Gabriel Lettieri was able to hit a two-out RBI triple and then scored on a wild pitch to make it an 8-7 ballgame. Mayhem did not have to wait long for a response as with two outs, Belvedere roped a line drive into right center field for an inside the parker making it 10-7. Belvedere finished the afternoon 3-for-3 with 4 RBIs and a triple shy of the cycle.
Titans Baseball got 1 run across in the 3rd from a Nash Walkley and Yang in relief was able to put up a 0 in the 3rd.
In the 4th, Nicky Gurrieri came in and retired the top of Titans Baseball’s order 1-2-3. With the top of their order due up in the bottom half, Mayhem produced 4 runs with the most notable at bat being a 2 run homer of Gurrieri who had a great 4th innings on the mound and at the plate.
Lukas Dunn shuts the door and Merrick Mayhem- Galligan are the @EcybTournaments 9u Spring Classic National Champions! pic.twitter.com/lhe9wOFv0o
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) June 3, 2023
Now trailing 14-8 down to their last 6 outs, Titans baseball managed to score 2 in the 5th but the rally came to a halt when Vinny Ruggieri was tagged out at home after a quick retrieval from Mann behind the plate to Gurrieri covering home.
Up by 4, Mayhem weren’t done yet as Nicholas Lentini reached on an error and Villa hit the third home run for Mayhem on the game and made it 16-10. Sam Koslow scored on a ball that got to the backstop later on in the inning and made it 17-11.
Dunn came in to pitch looking for the last 3 outs and surrendered 1 run in the 6th but got back to back strikeouts to shut the door and give Mayhem a 17-11 championship win.
With Summer ball right around the corner, Coach Galligan’s club looks to carry the momentum of a Spring League victory as their time as a team has just begun in 2023.
