Alex Weingartner of 2026 9ers Prime taps helmets with Ryan McCabe after his seventh-inning HR.
By Sean Reilly
The 2026 9ers Prime pulled off a play that was both pretty, and seemingly rare during the first inning of its game on Tuesday morning at Diamond Nation.
The 9ers were facing the Ruffnecks 2026’s from Massachusetts in Day 2 action at the Super 17 Invitational, Powered by Victus.
After the Ruffnecks got a leadoff single from Braeden Homer, a hard grounder was hit toward first baseman Jared Matejicka, who fired to shortstop Brady Jackson for a force, before Jackson threw to covering pitcher Jude Van Ooyen for a 3-6-1 double play.
Van Ooyen got the next batter to ground out to Jackson, and retired the second-inning leadoff man on a fly out to center field. He then issued a walk to Matthew Ulicny.
Almost unbelievably, an identical 3-6-1 double play followed to end the inning.
Ruffnecks 2026 first baseman Alistair Cooper stretches to handle throw for an out.
The twin-killing maintained a scoreless game, and also gave the 9ers a huge jolt of momentum in what became a 3-0 victory in Flemington.
Van Ooyen, a 6-4, 225-pound right-hander from Brooklyn who plays for Avon Old Farms in Connecticut, worked the first four innings, allowing one hit with three strikeouts and three walks.
Glen Popes pitched the final three innings, and escaped a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the bottom of the seventh to close out the win.
“Our defense was really big,” said Van Ooyen, who relied mostly on a fastball and change. “Those double plays were nice, especially being able to get quick outs.”
The game was scoreless until the 9ers produced one run in the top of the fifth.
Matejicka reached on a one-out single to third base, and he stole second before R.J. Conover hit an RBI single to right field.
The 9ers scored their other two runs in the seventh. Alex Weingartner led off with a home run over the fence in right-center, an impressive shot given the tournament is a wood-bat event.
Ryan McCabe followed with a single to center. After a fly out, McCabe advanced to second on a wild pitch. He crossed over to third on a groundout to second base, and scored on Matejicka’s single to center.
9ers catcher Ryan McCabe snaps pickoff throw to first base.
The Ruffnecks tried to rally in the bottom of the seventh. Ryan Ruggiero led off with a single to center, and after an out, Ulicny hit a base hit to right. Boone Fahey was then hit by a pitch to load the bases.
The next batter hit a grounder to third which resulted in a force at the plate. A ground out to shortstop then ended the game.
The 9ers Prime are now 2-0 in the tournament after opening with a 13-2 win over the Warehouse Grizzlies Purple on Monday.
The Ruffnecks are 0-2, having also lost a 2-1 game to the Philly Bandits 17U Red on Monday.