By Sean Reilly
It’s one thing to anticipate an unlikely situation as a catcher, and it’s quite another to successfully make a play as it unfolds, particularly as a 12U player.
Nate Kayser was able to do both on Sunday afternoon, and because of it, the Diamond Jacks Super 12U won the championship of the Diamond Nation Super Fall Invitational, Powered By Victus.
The DJacks were facing the Richmond County Baseball Club Ghost 12U Nationals in a matchup of two of the best small-field teams that regularly compete at ‘The Nation.’
The DJacks entered the top of the sixth and final inning with a six-run lead, only to see the boys from Staten Island score five runs on five hits and an error before an out was recorded.
Ultimately, RCBC had runners on first and second with one out, with momentum clearly on its side.
That’s when Kayser had a feeling something might happen.
“I thought the runner might be going,” he said.
With a 2-2 count to the batter, DJacks reliever Keegan Casey got a swinging third strike. The lead runner had indeed taken off on the pitch as part of a double steal, but Kayser threw a seed to third baseman Ryan Beardsley, who applied a tag in time for a game-ending, championship-winning, strike-’em out, throw-’em out double play.
“The kid was going, and I just realized that I had to throw it to win the game,” Kayser said. “It was pretty exciting. I was getting a little nervous, so it was a great way to end it.”
The DJacks and RCBC have met plenty of times as they’ve aged at Diamond Nation. Almost every meeting is a close one, with neither team having an advantage. RCBC’s success in the rivalry includes a victory in the final of the King of the Diamond tournament earlier this year, when the teams competed on the 11U level.
The DJacks took a 4-0 weekend record into the final, while RCBC was 3-1. Both were also playing their third game of the day, after winding up pool play early in the morning before advancing with semifinal victories.
Boachie-Agyeman and Weston Hoelper of the DJacks Super 12U were selected tournament co-MVPs.
RCBC set an immediate tone, when leadoff man Greg Rup sent the first pitch of the game over the fence in left field. A.J. Eugenio reached on error and moved to third after an errant pickoff try. After a hit-by-pitch, another pickoff throw to first resulted in the runner erased in a rundown, with Eugenio scoring for a 2-0 lead.
The DJacks rallied with three runs in the bottom of the first.
Kayser led off with a full-count walk, and stole two bases before Kwame Boachie-Agyeman hit an RBI double to center. Casey followed with an RBI double to left-center, and he scored when Mason Roman hit a single that fell in shallow center.,
A huge play took place in the top of the second, after RCBC got a walk with Rocco Midolo, a hit-by-pitch to Craig Tromolone and a walk to Nicholas Agretti to load the bases with one out. The next batter hit a sharp grounder to DJacks shortstop Mario Armenti, who fielded the ball and threw to second baseman Dylan Shrewsbury for a force, before Shrewsbury threw to Casey at first for a double play.
The DJacks scored again in the bottom of the second after Daniel Miller singled to center with two out, stole two bases and scored on Matthew Vannozzi’s single to left field.
The DJacks extended their lead to 8-2 with a four-run third.
Kayser led off by reaching on catcher’s interference. Beardsley was up next, and hit an RBI double to center. Beardsley then stole third and scored after an errant throw to the base. Liam Schenkel blooped a single over third base and into left field. After a wild pitch and stolen base, Casey drew a one-out walk and stole second base.
With runners now on second and third and with the infield playing in, Roman hit a two-run single to center for an 8-2 lead.
The score held until the game tightened in a matter of minutes in the top of the sixth.
Andrew Rachnowitz, the 11th man in the 11-man RCBC lineup, led off with a line single just beyond the reach of Beardsley at third. Rup then had a full count before hitting a single to right. Eugenio reached on an error to load the bases.
Mason Garland was the next batter, and the lefty hitter unloaded a first-pitch grand slam that banged loudly off the scoreboard in right-center field, shaving the lead to 8-6.
Anthony Laino followed with a double on a 1-1 pitch to center field. After a pitching change, Kane Sherlock hit an RBI single to left field to get RCBC within 8-7, with nobody out.
The next batter fouled out to the catcher, before Midolo singled to center. The game-ending double play followed.
Boachie-Agyeman and Weston Hoelper of the DJacks were selected tournament co-MVP’s.
Both players went 5-for-9 on the weekend, with Boachie-Agyeman totaling seven RBI and Hoelper driving in three runs.
“They were a good team, and it wasn’t really a big surprise that they came back,” Boachie-Agyeman said. “We have a lot of respect for them. But we fought and won the game. It was a great weekend with a lot of fun.”
“I knew this was going to be a battle of two good teams, and we were able to pull it off,” Hoelper said. “Playing three games today needed a lot of energy, but it’s always worth it when you win the championship.”