Tyler Cerutti of Team Americans beats throw from second to avoid double play.
By Sean Reilly
Connor Lahey has one specific goal for this week’s All-Ripken Games at Diamond Nation in Flemington.
“I’m looking to have fun,” he said. “When you hear about something like this, where it’s all the best, you want to play with the best. And the more chances you get to play, the better.”
Lahey is no stranger to ‘The Nation,’ since he plays for the hometown Diamond Jacks Super 13U.
For the four-team 13/14U All-Ripken Games, he’s playing for Team Americans, where he happens to be joined in the lineup by three other Diamond Jacks – Mason Matis and Nick Stangota from the 13U team, and Andrew Wheeler from the 14U DJacks.
After a day of skill evaluations on Monday, Team Americans played their first game on Tuesday night against Team Nationals.
The outcome was convincing: Team Americans scored 12 times in the top of the first inning en route to an 18-1 victory.
All 10 players in the blue-colored Team Americans lineup contributed, but the Diamond Jacks contingent led the way.
Wheeler batted third in the order and was followed in succession by Matis, Stangota, and Lahey.
The group totaled 12 at-bats in the three-inning game, and reached base 12 times (with eight hits, three walks and one hit-by-pitch). The group scored 10 runs and totaled 11 RBI.
Lahey led the quartet with a 3-for-3 effort, with two runs and three RBI, including one on a standup triple.
“We have a great squad, and a fun squad,” Lahey said. “Putting up 18 runs ain’t easy.”
Matis walked and hit a three-run triple in the huge first inning, and was hit by a pitch in the third.
“It’s fun playing with the guys from my team,” he said. “But I’ve never played with any of the others. They’re all new, and it’s a lot fun meeting and playing with them.”
The huge first inning included a one-out RBI single by Stangota to open the scoring, followed by a run-scoring single from Lahey and two-run hit from Zach Greener for a 4-0 lead. Evan Koshy was up next, and also singled in a run.
After the second out was recorded at home on a double steal attempt, walks to Antoine McCrory and Gavin Finer loaded the bases. Michael Gamboa-Ordini was hit by a pitch, and Tyler Cerutti and Wheeler drew walks for an 8-0 lead. Matis followed with a three-run triple to center, and scored on a single from Lahey.
Team Nationals scored in the bottom of the first. Scott Manter-Goldberg led off with a single and scored when Guerino Heavner walked with the bases loaded.
Nick Stangota scores for Team Americans on single by Zach Greener.
Team Americans scored its other six runs in the third. Gamboa-Ordini launched the rally by hitting a leadoff triple to center on a 0-2 pitch. Cerutti walked and stole second, and Wheeler followed with a two-run double to right-center. Wheeler later scored on a wild pitch, hit an RBI single, Lahey produced a run-scoring triple to center, and he scored on a base hit by Greener.
Greener, who plays for USA Prime Gold, went 2-for-3 with three RBI.
As for Lahey, his All-Ripken experience was enjoyable even before the game. The players underwent an evaluation process on Monday, which he found interesting.
“It’s great,” he said. “Just doing the evaluations was a fun experience. We did exit velo testing, throwing, speed and running. All of the important metrics. But most of all, it’s about having fun.”
Gamboa-Ordini, who also competes for USA Prime, pitched the first two innings and Stangota worked a 1-2-3 third, with two strikeouts, for Team Americans.