Josh Kesser delivers pitch for PPH Mafia Blue.
By Sean Reilly
Tommy Swietek was given a post-game choice on Friday night at Diamond Nation.
His PPH Mafia Blue 16U team had just played to a 1-1, seven-inning tie against FS Prime at the 17/18U Labor Day Blast, Powered By Cortes & Hay.
The outcome was determined by two clutch plays made by Swietek, the leadoff batter and second baseman for his team.
The first was a RBI single with two out and two strikes in the bottom of the fifth inning to tie the game.
The other was a spectacular fielding play to initiate a 4-6-3 double play that came with the bases loaded and one out in the top of the sixth. It was one of three double plays turned by his team during the game.
So which play brought more satisfaction for the Class of 2026 player from Notre Dame High School?
“To be honest, it was the play at second base,” he said. “It decided the game really, with the bases loaded.”
It was a tie game when FS Prime came to bat in the top of the sixth.
Jack Conroy led off with his third walk of the game, and Zach Brodsky was hit by a pitch. The next batter tried to drop a sacrifice bunt, but the lead runner was erased at third on a fielder’s choice.
The runners advanced to second and third on a passed ball, and Adrian Rosario walked to load the bases.
Matt Vanaman was up next, and he hit a hard shot toward second that required Swietek to make a good effort just to pick the ball cleanly.
He did that, and delivered a throw to shortstop Julian Satterthwaite, who was covering second, for the first out. Satterhwaite then fired to first baseman Michael Chiarella to complete the double play.
“You always have to be ready,” Swietek said. “If it’s hit to you, you’ve got to know what you’re going to do.”
FS Prime took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second. Rosario led off with the first of his three walks. Vanaman and Jayson Harrison also walked to load the bases.
Austin Fisher of FS Prime leads as PPH Mafia Blue first baseman Collin Perna guards against bunt.
The next batter hit a grounder to pitcher Josh Kesser, who threw to catcher Nick Natale for a force. Natale then threw to first baseman Collin Perna for a 1-2-3 double play.
Logan Hammer walked to reload the bases, and Richie Gonzales walked on a full count to score a run.
The score held until the bottom of the fifth.
Will Vasquez drew a one-out walk for PPH Mafia Blue. He stole second before the next batter struck out. Swietek, who had been 0-for-2, hit an RBI single to left field on a 1-2 count.
“I was trying to get rid of the past two AB’s that happened, and trying to move the runner over,” he said.
A leadoff single from Gonzales in the first inning was the only hit by FS Prime, which did receive 11 walks and had two others reach on hit-by-pitches. Two of those runners were thrown out stealing by Natale, in addition to the three others erased on the double plays.
Kesser pitched five full innings in addition to facing two batters in the sixth. Vasquez then closed out the game for PPH Mafia Blue.
Vanaman was the FS Prime starter, and he allowed four hits with 10 strikeouts and three walks through five innings. Chip Clooney pitched two innings of perfect relief, with three strikeouts and three groundouts.
“My changeup was going really good, my fastball was getting by guys early and I was mixing in a curveball in between,” Vanaman said.