By Rich Bevensee
Winning 43 games and six tournament titles in a single summer is a head-spinning achievement.
Now figure this into the equation: The team that accomplished those gaudy stats was competing in older age groups the entire time.
That’s the story of the Richmond County Baseball Club Ghost 14U Nationals team.
On Sunday, RCBC won its 43rd game and sixth title of the summer when Gabe Lucca pitched a complete game, two-hit shutout against Slim’s Chance Bulldogs of Middletown, Delaware, to earn a 9-0 triumph in the
15U Black championship game of the Summer Bash at Diamond Nation in Flemington.
RCBC improved to 43-3 with the victory, giving the boys an astounding .935 winning percentage.
“As corny as it sounds, I think it’s the friendships between us that makes us better,” said Lucca, a rising sophomore at St. Joseph By The Sea in Staten Island. “Everyone played in Little League together, grew up together. We know each other. We always come back even when we’re down, and I think that’s a friendship thing. You can count on anyone. It’s a good feeling.”
RCBC coach Vinny Nichilo, who guided his team to a 7-0 record and a prestigious Perfect Game tournament title in Jupiter, Florida earlier this summer, offered another take as to the team’s stunning success.
“I knew we had a good team,” he said. “Hard work was put in all summer long and that’s why we’ve gotten better. I knew we were going to play up this summer. I wanted to challenge the boys, they wanted the challenge and they rose to the occasion.
“They’re great baseball players. I just write the lineup.”
The first two hitters in the RCBC lineup, Chris Martin and Danny Ducalo, were named co-Most Valuable Players of the Summer Bash. Nichilo said they made just four outs between them at the plate in the tournament. Combined, their extra base haul included five doubles and a triple, while Ducalo also pitched three innings of relief.
Martin is a rising sophomore at Msgr. Farrell in Staten Island, and Ducalo will be a sophomore at Allentown. In the Summer Bash title game, Martin doubled, walked and scored twice. Ducalo singled, doubled, drove in a run and scored twice.
Chris Martin, left, and Dan Ducalo of RCBC were named co-MVPs of Summer Bash 15U Black.
“We have a hunger to keep winning,” Martin said. “We have a great group of kids. We practice like we play and we come out here and we’re ready to play.”
In joking about the team’s three losses, Ducalo said, “Any given day anyone can win so we still have to play our hardest. It’s another game we have to win. It comes down to great coaching and a great group of kids.”
Lucca is a past Diamond Nation MVP, so he knows how to pitch in a championship game. Using exceptional location, Lucca allowed two hits and three walks and struck out six in the five-inning contest. Only in the fourth inning did he face more than three batters.
Lucca also helped himself by picking off two batters, and his defense eliminated a baserunner in the fourth to prevent a bases loaded situation.
“My velocity was a little lower than usual – it was in the lower 80s, which is fine – but I felt like I was hitting every spot,” Lucca said. “I felt like I could throw my curveball anywhere I wanted. I could throw it in the dirt, I could throw it for a strike, I could back hitters up with it.”
Lucca would have been batting leadoff for RCBC were it not for an injured left thumb which he fractured while tagging an opponent several weeks ago. The strong right-hander isn’t ready to hit just yet, but clearly it doesn’t affect his pitching.
“Gabe pounded the zone,” Nichilo said. “Maybe in one inning he struggled, but he picked off two guys to help him get through the game. Otherwise he commanded the zone.”
Center fielder Tyler Stern got RCBC on the board early by scooting home from second base on an infield throwing error in the first inning.
In the third, cleanup hitter Anthony Tepedino rapped a two-run double and Stern scored on an ensuing throwing error to give RCBC a 4-0 lead.
The Staten Island crew exploded for five runs in the fourth. Christian Manteria ignited the rally by roping an RBI triple into the left field corner. Justin Haag had an RBI groundout, Ducalo added an RBI single, and Stern tacked on a two-run triple.
For Slim’s Chance, Gavin Johnson and Jakhi Jenkins accounted for their team’s only hits. Spencer Keating allowed three walks in two scoreless innings pitched. Carter Bean came in relief in the fourth to get the final out.