by Trevor Dugan
Mayhem Baseball Mann and the Top Tier Aviators Navy met for a doubleheader at Diamond in the Pines Sunday morning. The games were part of the Boys of Summer 13u National Fall Division.
The Aviators earn a hard fought, five inning victory in game one
FINAL (5): Aviators 7 – Mayhem 6
Game two beginning shortly pic.twitter.com/COeO45cP0Z
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) October 6, 2024
GAME ONE
Game one of the doubleheader got started bright and early at 8:30 A.M. This was the first meeting of the Fall season between the two clubs. The Mayhem started Matthew O’Brien on the mound, while Logan Lamberson got the start for the Aviators.
The Mayhem got to bat first and gave themselves a nice cushion to start things off in the top of the first. The game’s first run scored when Gavin Jurek hit an RBI bloop single to left field. Three more runs would score, with one scoring on a wild pitch, one on a throwing error, and one on an RBI groundout by Griffin Kelson.
Despite scoring six runs in game one, Jurek and Kelson were the only Mayhem batters to record an RBI. The Mayhem took a 4-0 lead into the bottom of the first.
The Aviators were able to get one of those runs back right away in the bottom of the first inning. With a runner on third, Kaden Tellier hit a groundout to second base to bring in the Aviators’ first run and trim the Mayhem lead to 4-1.
Top Tier SP Lamberson bounced back nicely in the top of the second after a rough first frame. He pitched a shutdown inning, striking out two batters in the process. Lamberson finished with three strikeouts in two innings of work.
O’Brien pitched a scoreless inning of his own in the bottom of the second. The score would remain 4-1 until the bottom of the third, when the Aviators’ offense came roaring to life.
After a leadoff walk, the Mayhem recorded two quick outs. It was looking like another scoreless inning, but with two outs the Aviators were able to score six runs. Dominic Lorefice was able to score from third base on a wild pitch to make it 4-2. The third run for Top Tier came on a bases loaded walk, and they took a 5-4 lead when two runs scored on an infield single by Tellier.
Following Tellier’s go-ahead hit, another run scored on a wild pitch to make it 6-4. The inning was capped off by Jack Kennedy, who ripped a single through the left side to make it a 7-4 Aviator lead heading into the fourth.
Lenny Acosta pitched the final two innings for the Aviators, and held his own in some high leverage situations. He entered the game with two runners on in the top of the fourth and nobody out. Acosta allowed two runs, one on a wild pitch, and the other scoring on a double play, but was able to avoid any further damage the rest of the way.
With the score at 7-6 and the time limit looming, Acosta came back out for the fifth inning and struck out two batters to slam the door, recording the save and earning his team a hard fought 7-6 victory in the first game of the doubleheader.
GAME TWO
Mayhem Baseball Mann caught up with Axcess after their hard fought doubleheader with the Top Tier Aviators@liboysofsummer pic.twitter.com/K6mOXeceer
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) October 6, 2024
Game two of the doubleheader was as competitive as the first, but pitching and defense were the story with just three runs scored between the two teams combined.
Gavin Jurek took the mound for the Mayhem for the second game of the day. Jack Kennedy got the nod for the Aviators.
After a scoreless top of the first from Jurek, the Mayhem struck first when Matthew O’Brien laced an RBI single to center field. O’Brien would be stranded at second base, but he gave his team a 1-0 lead after one.
The Aviators created a run of their own to tie the game up right away in the top of the second. With runners on the corners, Michael Regan grounded into a fielder’s choice to tie the game at 1-1. He recorded the lone RBI for the Aviators in game two.
From then on it was nothing but lights out pitching and exceptional defense from both sides. Jurek worked himself out of a bases-loaded jam in the third inning, and looked infallible after yielding a run in the second. He finished with five innings pitched, three strikeouts and just one walk.
Micahel Regan pitched three innings in relief for the Aviators and was untouchable for the most part. He yielded just one hit and struck out two batters while allowing no runs after entering in the third inning.
It wasn’t until the bottom of the sixth that the Mayhem finally broke through. Hunter Ostrofsky led off the inning with a double to right field, and advanced to third on a passed ball. He was driven in by Gennaro Cremonese, who smacked clutch a line drive into centerfield to give the Mayhem a 2-1 lead.
A 1-2-3 top of the seventh was the fifth straight scoreless inning by Mayhem pitching, and it earned them a 2-1 victory and a doubleheader split with the Aviators.
Mayhem Head Coach Brian Mann was pleased to see his team turn things around in game two.
“First game, I feel like we gave that one away, so what I really liked is how they bounced back in that second game,” Mann told Axcess. “Gavin settled in, and we played some really good defense. We’ve been preaching, ‘throw strikes and the defense will back you up,’ and that happened today.”
The Mayhem return to action October 20 to face the NY Longhorns Perhauz at Cantiague Park.
The Aviators will be at Middle Country Park October 20 to face the NY Longhorns Brown.
