By Sean Reilly
The FB Braves 11U Flores surrendered three runs to the Brooklyn Falcons Scout Team in the top of the first inning in the championship game of the 11U Easter Extravaganza on Saturday afternoon at Diamond Nation.
Keisen Tejada, leadoff man for the Fairfield-based Braves, knew exactly what to do in starting off the bottom of the frame.
“I had to get things started,” he said. “I knew we could come back because nothing is impossible.”
Tejada hit a first-pitch double to right field, launching an inning that went so well that he added an RBI single with two out. It all added up to a five-run inning in an 8-4 victory over the Falcons for the title in Flemington.
Tejada finished 2-for-4 and also earned tournament MVP honors after totaling six hits in five games and pitching a complete game in a quarterfinal victory earlier on Saturday.
Julius Donado was another standout for the Braves. He was 9-for-14 in the tournament with six runs and eight RBI. He went 3-for-3 in the final with three runs and one RBI, after going 3-for-3 with one run and three RBI in a 10-9 semifinal win over the South Plainfield Surge.
The Braves went 4-1 in the tournament after a loss in the first of its two pool games.
In the final, the Falcons used RBI doubles from Caleb Castillo, Jhael Vargas and Kayden Traylor to take its 3-0 first-inning lead. The hits by Vargas and Traylor came with two out.
But the Braves countered with that five run rally in the bottom of the inning.
After Tejada doubled, he moved to third as Brandon Cross grounded out to shortstop. Third-batter Paul Basile walked. Donado hit an RBI single to right field which moved Basile to third.
Noah Phillip was up next, and with Donado taking off for second, he hit a perfectly-placed grounder past the vacated shortstop position for an RBI single.
Keisen Tejada of FB Braves 11U Flores was named MVP of the 11U Easter Extravaganza.
Marcus Cabanas walked to load the bases and Damian Ramirez was safe on an RBI fielder’s choice after Donado scored the tying run by beating a throw to the plate on a grounder fielded by the pitcher.
The bases were still loaded with two out when Derek Moonsammy was hit by a pitch to score Cabanas for a 4-3 lead. That brought up Tejada for a second time in the inning, and he was safe on an RBI single to shortstop for a 5-3 advantage.
The Braves were more comfortable after that.
“It was good that we could work with a lead and not feel stressed about being down,” Tejada said.
The Braves added two more runs in the second inning. Basile led off with a single in the space between third base and shortstop. Donado hit a single to left field. After a pitching change, Phillip sacrificed the runners to second and third.
Cabanas hit a check-swing ground out to shortstop to score Basile, and a wild pitch brought in Donado for a 7-3 lead.
Donado began the bottom of the fourth with an infield single and stole second. Phillip was safe on an infield hit to place runners on first and third, and a double steal scored Donado for a five-run lead.
The Falcons used a leadoff single by Ryan Orlandi and two-out RBI single from Anthony Starostiak to score their final run in the fifth.
The Falcons are now 11-1 on the season. They also won the Battle at the Turf earlier this season at ‘The Nation.’
“This is a nice place to play,” Tejada said. “Everything is neat, and the turf is one of the best.”