Danny Freitag of Baseball U twists to avoid pitch during at-bat which produced game’s only run.

By Sean Reilly

There were more than 50 teams competing over the weekend at Diamond Nation in the 17/18U Super Fall Invitational, Powered By Victus. 

Baseball U Pa 2027 National was one of the youngest teams in the field. It was also one of the best. 

Baseball U Pa, with a roster full of Class of 2027 and 2028 players, went 3-0 with a 17-3 run differential. 

The capper was a 1-0 victory on Sunday afternoon over Falcons 17U from New York City, in which pitchers Ryan Richer and Pierce Perry combined on a two-hitter. 

Perry also scored the only run of the game, when he reached on a one-out walk in the top of the first, and came home when Danny Freitag walked on a full count with the bases loaded and two out.

Baseball U first baseman Cael Hafner snares hard-hit grounder for unassisted out. 

The right-handed Richer allowed two hits, with six strikeouts and two walks over 3⅔  innings. Perry, a left-hander, pitched the remaining 3⅓  innings, allowing no hits with six strikeouts and one walk. 

Both pitchers had to pitch intelligently, since the Falcons were very selective at the plate. 

“They looked at a lot of pitches,” Perry said. “I had to get ahead in the counts.” 

Perry went with mainly fastballs, changeups and sliders to continue the exceptional work of Richer. 

“He started and did a good job throwing them off-balance,” Perry said.

After Baseball U scored its run in the top of the first, the Falcons threatened in the bottom of the frame, when a one-out walk to Abel Ortiz and single to left field by Guy Cole was followed by a double steal. Richer ended the inning with back-to-back strikeouts, getting both batters looking. 

“I could tell they were working counts the entire game, so I was trying to pound the zone,” Richer said. “

The Baseball U offense consisted of three hits and seven walks. Four of those walks came in the opening inning. 

The one-out walk to Perry was followed by a base-on-balls to Damian Glackin. After the next batter struck out, Brendan Zuckerman also walked before Freitag coaxed his walk on a 3-2 pitch. 

“If we don’t get that run, we don’t go 3-0,” Perry said.

The Falcons had another threat in the third, when Jacob Severino singled to third base with two out, Ortiz walked, and a double steal advanced the runners into scoring position. A fly out to right field ended the inning.

Pierce Perry scored the only run for Baseball U and pitched 3.1 innings of hitless relief. 

Otherwise, it was smooth sailing for the Baseball U pitching combo, who thrived despite facing older competition. Both are Class of 2027 players, Richer at Pennington and Perry at Pennsbury High School. 

“Going 3-0 feels great,” Richer said. “We’re 16U, so we’re one of the younger ones here. We’re playing against older competition and we’re winning.” 

Baseball U Pa 2027 National started the tournament with a 3-2 triumph over Iron Nine Baseball on Saturday. It followed with an 8-1 decision over Beast 2025 National on Sunday morning. 

“We were playing against older competition, and we rose to the occasion,” Perry said. “We’re 2027’s and 2028’s, and we’re obviously the underdogs. No one expected us to come out here and go 3-0 in a 17/18 tournament, but we did.”