By Sean Reilly
Moises Sanchez loves baseball, but he also likes to win. The same goes for everyone else representing the Sharks Baseball Academy 10U.
The team had a lot of fun this summer, but the one thing lacking was a tournament championship to go with all that enjoyment.
The organization from New Hyde Park, N.Y., came close earlier this month, but had to settle for a runner-up finish.
Sharks Baseball Academy came to Diamond Nation over the weekend to compete at the 10U Summer Finale, which was also its final event of the summer season.
The last-chance tournament wound up resulting in a first championship of the 2025 campaign, after Sharks Baseball Academy defeated the North Jersey Goons, 7-5, in the title contest on Sunday afternoon in Flemington.
When pitcher Manny Gurdian finished his complete game with 1-2-3 top of the sixth inning, the final out coming on a strikeout, the Sharks players and fans let loose in celebration.
Particularly happy was Sanchez, who had three hits and four RBI during the unbeaten four-game tournament, and also pitched a complete game in the semifinals. He was selected the tournament MVP.
“This is my first time ever being selected MVP of a tournament and it feels great,” he said. “And it’s the first tournament we’ve won in a while. The summer was a lot of fun. We got to play and face a lot of teams we haven’t met before.”
“We won tournaments last year, but we played a lot of tough competition this year,” said Sharks coach Mark Wasserman. “This was the last one until the fall. This was the culmination of the whole year. It was an excellent way to end the season.”
The score was 5-5 before Sharks Baseball Academy broke the tie with the two runs in the bottom of the fourth.
Gurdian, who went 2-for-2, led off with a double to right field, and was replaced by courtesy runner Hunter Wong. The next batter was Tyler Lemanczyk, and he reached on an infield single compounded by a throwing error which allowed Wong to score the go-ahead run. Lemanczyk wound up on second, and he scored an insurance run as Gabriel Louizou singled to right.
Moises Sanchez of Sharks Baseball Academy was named 10U Summer Finale MVP.
Gurdian, who allowed seven hits and no earned runs, with two strikeouts and one walk, closed strong. He permitted no hits in the fifth in addition to his perfect sixth.
Sharks Baseball Academy took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first, getting a two-run single from Gurdian with two out, followed by an RBI single to center from Lemanczyk, who went 2-for-2.
The lead was extended to 4-0 in the second, after Matt Ruderman led off with a triple to right and scored when Sanchez grounded out to first with one out.
The Goons began to chip away in the top of the third.
Shane McBride, who ended 3-for-3, reached on a bunt single with one out. Vincent Gagliardi and Dillon Todd reached on errors to load the bases. After a fly out to Sanchez in right field held the runners in place, Bryce Bodner hit a two-run single to center.
Sharks Baseball Academy got one of those runs back in the bottom of the frame. Finn Allabashi led off with a single to third, and he scored when Matteo Cuenca doubled to center with one out.
The Goons tied it with a three run fourth.
Jackson Patterson led off by reaching on an error, and was forced at second while Burns was safe at first after a grounder. Gianna Gagliardi was hit by a pitch, and the runners were sacrificed to second and third after a bunt from Anthony Battaglino. McBride then hit an inside-the-park home run to even the score.