Gabe Garcia jumps for joy after hitting his fourth-inning grand slam for the Vernon Cyclones 12U.
By Sean Reilly
Some hits mean a lot more than others, which was definitely the case for Gabe Garcia on Friday evening at Diamond Nation.
Garcia came to the plate for the Vernon Cyclones 12U in the bottom of the fourth inning, with the bases loaded and one out against the Disla Dukes from Morris County. It was the pool play opener for both at the Super Twelve Invitational.
Garcia’s team was clinging to a one-run lead, during a game in which he happened to be pitching as well.
With a chance to to help his own cause, and to especially boost his team, Garcia delivered.
After taking a pitch for a strike, he hit the next offering hard and over the fence in right field for a game-breaking grand slam home run in what became a 9-3 win for the Cyclones in Flemington.
While he’s hit home runs before, he had never hit one with the bases loaded.
“He gave me a good pitch, and it was right down the middle,” Garcia said. “It felt great. It was 4-3, and that made it 8-3. That was my seventh home run, but my first grand slam.”
Vernon took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Garcia reached on a fielder’s choice that resulted in the first out. He later scored when Ryan Kasa was retired on a fielder’s choice. Frank Dayon followed with a two-run home run to left field with a 0-2 count.
The Disla Dukes tied the score on three bases-empty home runs. KJ Froehner led off the second inning with a shot to center, Sammy Gamarekian went deep to left with one out in third, and Brantley Robles cleared the fence in center with two out in the third.
Alex Drelick advances to third on a wild pitch for the Vernon Cyclones 12U.
The Cyclones began the third with Kasa hitting a double to right. He moved to third on a wild pitch before Jaxon Decker hit an RBI single to right for a 4-3 lead with one out.
Garcia’s big hit blew the game open in the fourth. The inning began with walks to Alex Drelick, Jack McAloney and Eli Caton to load the bases with nobody out. Jacoby Myhren hit a hard line drive caught by the center fielder, forcing the runners to stay put.
Garcia then hit his grand slam, a liner that cleared the fence in right field.
Another run came home in the fifth inning. Bryden Graham reached on a fielder’s choice, and later scored on a wild pitch.
Lynn and Decker finished with two hits apiece for the Cyclones, who used four pitchers.
Marty O’Boyle was 2-for-2 for the Dukes.
The Cyclones followed the victory with a 4-1 decision over the NJ Rising Rebels later on Friday night. Myhren was 2-for-2 with a home run to lead off the game, and Lynn went 2-for-3.