Max St. Helaire of 16U Nor’Easters Runbird National scores on single by Nico Cirone for 4-0 lead.
By Sean Reilly
The 16U Nor’Easters Runbird National departed Diamond Nation on Friday afternoon for their hometowns in Massachusetts feeling great about their stay in New Jersey at the Super 17 Invitational, Powered By Victus.
The Runbird Nationals swept two games on Friday to finish the tournament with a 4-0 record and 24-4 run differential.
Aside from the tremendous exposure the players received by playing throughout the week in front of many college coaches watching the action, the Runbird Nationals also finished among the top five teams from the more than 90 competing, which earned the team a bid to the Super 25 Showcase at ‘The Nation’ in August.
What made the week so rewarding was how there were no superstar efforts throughout the team’s tournament. Just about everyone on the roster made an important contribution at some point along the way.
Ben Lamson of the Runbirds pulls into third on double from Max St. Helaire.
When the 16U Nor’East Runbird National beat Team Boston Underclass, 6-2, in its first game on Friday afternoon, it was Nico Cirone’s turn to be the standout.
Cirone went 2-for-2 with three RBI to spark the offense against Team Boston Underclass, which happened to be a familiar opponent from Massachusetts.
The pitching was also on-point. Cam Swank pitched five scoreless innings, allowing two hits with six strikeouts and two walks.
“The boys were great today and our pitcher was automatic,” Cirone said. “I had two plate appearances with two guys in scoring position each time and I was able to put the ball in play. Everyone is hitting really well and seeing the ball well, and we’re really feeding off of each other with the energy.”
Runbird National took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Colin Tinnin tripled to straightaway center field with one out, and he scored when Storm Ellison followed with a ground out to third base.
Four more runs came in the second inning.
With one out, Trey Martin and Ben Lamson both drew full-count walks. Max St. Helaire sent an RBI double to left-center, and Cirone followed that with a two-run single to right. After a full-count walk to Jonathan Flaig, a groundout to second by Benjamin Cooney scored Cirone for a 5-0 lead.
The lead expanded to 6-0 in the fourth.
Martin led off with a full-count walk, Lamson singled to right and St. Helaire (2-for-3) hit a broken bat single which dropped into center field to load the bases. Cirone followed with an RBI single to center.
Owen Dorego leads off first base for Team Boston Underclass.
Team Boston scored twice in the bottom of the sixth and final inning.
Petie Kanakis reached on a one-out error, and after grounding out, Lucas Sarno hit an RBI double to right center, which was the first run allowed by Runbird National in the tournament.
Sarno, who was 2-for-2 with a walk, scored as Charlie Scott reached on an error.
Runbird National immediately followed that win with a 3-2 decision over Baseball U Pa – Philly 17U. Evan Waden was 2-for-3 with one RBI, and J.J. Walker hit an RBI single in the top of the seventh for a 3-1 lead. Evan Wilson allowed two runs on three hits through six innings for the win.