by Chris Donnelly
FINAL: Yeti Baseball Select 3, Long Island Crew 0 pic.twitter.com/NAuFq2aNkv
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) August 18, 2023
In a 16u National Boys of Summer playoff matchup between Long Island Crew and Yeti Baseball Select, it was Yeti Select who won a hard-fought game over the Crew who were riding high after a nice win to get them in the playoffs.
Dylan Broschart got the start for Yeti Select and he had a quiet 1st inning, striking out 2 and getting a ground out to end the inning. Jameson Riegel was on the hill for the Crew trying to continue their win streak and advance further in the playoffs. Riegel walked the leadoff batter Jake Romeo, who came around to score after an error on the 2nd basemen gave Yeti Select a 1-0 lead at the end of the 1st inning.
Starting the top of the 2nd was Broschart. After getting a ground out and strikeout he looked comfortable until he felt a tug on his hamstring and wasn’t able to continue the game. In came Ian Rivera and he was lights out. Rivera ended the top of the 2nd with a strikeout giving Yeti Select an opportunity to add to their lead. Riegel did not let this happen, working a 1-2-3 inning and shaping the game to look like a pitcher’s duel.
The Crew were threatening in the top of the 3rd after a 2 out walk and single set up 1st and 3rd with 2 outs and an opportunity to even the score or take the lead. Rivera ended the threat with his 4th strikeout of the game and 3rd of the inning. Jacob Gordon led off the bottom of the 3rd with a bunt single. Gordon would steal 2nd allowing a sac bunt to move him over tot 3rd with 1 out. Jake Romeo hit a groundball back to Riegel who made a nice sliding play but the throw to home was too high causing the catcher Justin Quillo to get in the way of Gordon inducing catcher’s interference and making the score 2-0 Yeti Select. That wasn’t all for Yeti Select as Romeo stole 2nd and advanced to 3rd on the throw. With a runner on 3rd 1 out and the infield in Nick Friscia roped a single in the right-center gap increasing Yeti Select’s lead to 3-0 after 3 innings.
Post game interview with Ian Rivera pic.twitter.com/gJscDmIZjx
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) August 18, 2023
This was all Rivera needed as he started to coast through each inning with ease, striking out at least 2 batters the next 3 innings while surrendering 0 hits.
The top of the 7th got interesting after 2 quick outs the Crew were down to their last out. Rivera was struggling to find the zone walking the next 2 batters and bringing up the tying run to the plate. After a 6 pitch at bat Rivera was able to get a lineout to 2nd base to end the game and advance Yeti Select further in the playoffs.
