Luca Camuto of the DT Nationals leads off first with Wow Factor’s Sergio Rosado holding the bag.

By Rich Bevensee

Whether in a batting cage during the winter or on the mound in the middle of a game, L.J. Liberman and Sean Kochenour are learning that baseball demands constant adjustments. 

That is the message D’Angelo Training Nationals 14U coach Darren Pandolfini has emphasized since baseball conditioning began months ago, and his players have definitely been listening. 

Having learned to stay inside the baseball this winter, Liberman continued his hot start to the season by going 3-for-3 with an inside-the-park homer, a triple and four RBI, while Kochenour shrugged off a shaky start with his delivery to throw a four-inning two-hitter. With those two young men making the proper adjustments, the Nationals rolled to a 10-0 victory over Wow Factor Northeast 13U National in the 13U Silver bracket quarterfinals on Sunday at Diamond Nation in Flemington. 

The Nationals, based in Mercer County, were slated to play the top-seeded Jersey Devils in the semifinals, with the winner to face either Flores Baseball Braves Red Scout or the Double Play Jr. Woo Sox in the 13U Silver championship game.

Liberman must be commended for the changes he’s made this past winter. In his first three games of the season he went 6-for-6 with a homer and three triples.

“He’s locked in right now,” Pandolfini said. “He made some adjustments during winter workouts, staying inside the baseball. He was long at the end of last year, so he was working on keeping his hands inside.”

Liberman said that at first the adjustments were difficult to make, but the message finally sank in after a few practices.

“At the beginning it was really hard because he kept telling me on the tee, (focus on the) inside seam,” Liberman said. “After I got the adjustment it worked out real well. I feel much more connected with my swing.”

Kochenour said he enjoyed a smooth winter baseball-wise but his finely tuned mechanics drifted away a bit in his debut. He began the game by giving up a walk and a single and he hit a batter. Catcher Charlie Sodaro threw out a baserunner, Kochenour retired the next two batters, and Wow Factor never really threatened after that. 

“I was releasing it too high,” Kochenous said. “In the winter I was good at it but I don’t know what happened. Once I started pitching better, it was because I was releasing it later. At the end of the second inning is when I started feeling comfortable, just releasing it a little bit later. It was a big change because instead of all balls I was throwing strikes.”

L.J. Liberman cranks a two-run, inside-the-park homer for the DT Nationals in the first inning.

Kochenour gave up three walks and struck out three in his season debut, having recovered nicely from his first inning speed bump.

“Sean’s our ace,” Pandolfini said. “He has a great work ethic – he wants to learn the game every single time out. This game is about adjustments and that’s exactly what he did today. He struggled to find his release point. He made the adjustment and got his release point out front.”

Besides the fireworks Liberman provided, Sullivan Mueller belted a two-run triple, Miles Tran had an RBI single, and Sodaro had a two-run single which triggered the Nationals’ four-run fourth and brought about the mercy rule conclusion. 

Two runs scored on Sodaro’s hit and another scored on an errant throw to third. Liberman then rapped an RBI triple which he tried extending into another inside-the-parker. He was nabbed at the plate but his RBI ended the game. 

For Wow Factor, Shane Wendelken had his team’s only two hits. Sam Tukhin and Benny Von Rudenborg handled the pitching.