By Sean Reilly
The Bucks County Generals 12U Black played three games on Sunday at Diamond Nation, and something very unusual happened in the middle matchup.
Sebastian Calpas made an out.
Calpas was virtually unstoppable during the day, and throughout the entire weekend, as the Generals won the championship of the 12U Around The Horn tournament.
Calpas’ capper was a 3-for-3 performance, with three runs and three RBI, in a 17-12 victory over the Morris County Cubs 12U Navy in the final.
He was 6-for-7 with four runs and eight RBI during the day, which included earlier playoff wins, 9-7 over the Morris County Cubs 12U White and 11-0 over the Saratoga Wilton Blue Sox. The out came on a pop to shortstop in the midst of the triumph over the Blue Sox.
During the entire weekend, in which the Generals went 4-0-1, Calpas was 9-for-11 with six runs and 11 RBI, an effort which earned him the tournament MVP award.
It was the team’s second tournament of the season, and first at the friendly confines of ‘The Nation.’
“I like playing here,” Calpas said. “It has nice fields, it’s a nice complex with a nice atmosphere, and good competition.”
The competition was no problem for Calpas, who also hit a double in each of the last four games.
“I’ve been trying to hit to right-center,” he said. “I’ve done a lot of hitting to get ready for the season. I want to hit for a good average.”
Hitting at an .818 clip during the Around The Horn certainly qualifies.
In the championship contest, where he occupied the cleanup spot in the order, Calpas hit a two-run single with one out in the top of the first to give the Generals a 3-0 lead. He scored the fourth run on a two-out wild pitch before Weston Misterman hit an RBI single off the fence in right field for a 5-0 lead.
The tone for the remainder of the game was set in the bottom of the frame when the first five Cubs batters reached and ultimately scored for a 5-5 tie. Lane Cook had an RBI single and Henry Gildea smacked a two-run double during the rally.
Sebastian Calpas of the Generals was named Around The Horn MVP.
The Generals scored twice in the second, on an error and RBI groundout from Ryan Shin, before the Cubs closed to 7-6 in the bottom of the inning when Rhyan Mejias hit an RBI double.
The Generals got a one-out single from Calpas in the third, and after a two-out Joey McGonagle walk, a double steal advanced both before Calpas scored on a passed ball.
The lead stretched to 9-6 in the fourth, after Tucker Chapman led off with a walk and later scored on a sacrifice fly from Harrison Carter.
The Generals put the game away with an eight-run fifth inning that expanded the lead to 17-6.
The uprising included a two-run double from Larry Scheetz, followed by a one-run double from Calpas, who later scored the next run on a steal of home on a pickoff throw to first.
Misterman and Chapman added RBI singles, while a bases-loaded walk to Carter and a passed ball scored the other two runs.
The Cubs tried to rally in the bottom of the fifth, scoring six runs while the 1:50 play clock expired.
Mejias, who ended 3-for-3 with three runs and two RBI, hit a one-run double, while Walter Smith and Colin Scudilla had one-run singles during the inning.
Aside from Calpas, the Generals were also sparked by Scheetz (2-for-3, two runs, three RBI) and Misterman (2-for-3, one run, two RBI).