By Sean Reilly
The Bucks County Generals 11U Black traveled to Diamond Nation over the weekend as a very inspired team, and it showed in the way they performed on the field.
The Generals had a very successful 2024 campaign, first as a 10U team and then as an 11U club after aging up around Labor Day.
Diamond Nation has been the venue for many of the team’s celebratory moments, and they returned to compete at the Fall Harvest, Powered By Cortes & Hay.
The tournament was going to be the last event of the year for the Generals, and they wanted to make it special.
That goal was accomplished in grand fashion, as Bucks County went unbeaten in four games, capped by a 10-0, four-inning win over the Diamond Jacks Super 11U for the championship in Flemington.
Each contest was decided early. The three pool-play games were a 14-0, three-inning win and a 12-2, four-inning inning triumph on Saturday, followed by a 20-7, five-inning decision earlier in the day on Sunday.
The Generals also brought a fall-season record of 19-1 into the championship matchup against a very strong DJacks team.
“It really amazing to end like this,” said Larry Scheetz, who was named tournament MVP. “We hit like crazy against a really good team.”
Scheetz pitched a three-hit shutout in the final, with four strikeouts and one walk. He also led off a pivotal four-run bottom of the second with a first-pitch single, and scored his team’s first run. Scheetz also hit a sacrifice fly for a 6-0 lead in the third.
For the weekend, he was 6-for-9 with five RBI, and also pitched a scoreless first inning in the opening game of the tournament.
“Hitting and pitching extra in practice really worked out,” Scheetz said. “We also had a ton of fun. It was great winning a lot and being around my team.”
The Diamond Jacks, who entered with a 3-0 weekend record with a 44-14 run differential, led off the game with a single, but the baserunner was then picked off by the lefty Scheetz.
“That settled me down big-time,” he said.
Scheetz also made use of an effective curveball. It got him out of trouble in the second, when singles by Keegan Casey and Liam Schenkel, followed by a double steal, put runners on second and third with one out. Scheetz then got a called third strike on a full count, and also struck out the next batter.
Larry Scheetz of the Bucks County Generals was named MVP of the 11U Harvest Fest.
Scheetz, the cleanup batter for the Generals, led off the bottom of the frame with a single through the middle. Jake Stephenson singled to center before the next batter struck out. Wes Misterman followed with a single over the head of a leaping second baseman to load the bases.
Mason Barlow was up next, and hit a two-run double to left-center. Leo Ronca then hit an RBI single to left. Evan Corrado made it four-straight hits for the Generals by dropping a run-scoring single into right field for a 4-0 lead.
The lead was extended to 7-0 in the third. Luke Pio led off and was hit by a pitch. He stole second and scored as Jack Wojcik doubled to left-center. Wojcik advanced on a wild pitch and scored when Scheetz flew out to center.
After a pitching change, Stephenson walked and moved to second on an error. He scored on a single by Aiden Torpey.
The Generals ended the game by adding three more runs in the fourth. Ronca hit a one-out double and scored when Henry Kephart singled to center with two away. Vance Hicks hit an RBI single to center, and later scored the game-ending run on a single from Marc Geiger.
The Generals also played errorless defense in the final, and committed just three errors in the four games.
“This tournament was really cool,” Scheetz said. “Everything was rolling.”