Double Major Black went 5-0 to seize the 15U Grand Slam title and remain undefeated this fall.

By Rich Bevensee

It was the top of the third inning when John Espin let his teammates know the lead, the championship, and the team’s undefeated record was safe in his hands. 

The inning began when Double Major Black saw its four-run lead shrink to two, and Bucks County Generals Black had the tying runs in scoring position with no outs. Espin was inserted to relieve starter Gabriel Garcia. 

Espin, a 6-foot, 220-pound, hard-throwing righty, struck out the first two batters looking. After notching a swinging strikeout to end the threat, he unleashed a primal roar and stomped his way back to the dugout and into a crowd of boisterous teammates. 

There were many important moments in the game, but Espin’s stand was the exact moment when Double Major, based in South Plainfield, knew it could look forward, rather than over its shoulder.

Behind a balanced offense and Espin’s tremendous relief performance, Double Major captured a 9-6, four-inning victory and the 15U Grand Slam championship on a cool, damp Sunday evening at Diamond Nation in Flemington. 

It was the first tournament title of the fall season for Double Major, which remained unbeaten in the fall at 12-0.

“Theyre a tough group,” Double Major coach Carlos Ruiz said. “I’ve had them since they were 9 or 10 years old and they’ve stuck together. They play the game the right way, they take care of the baseball and that leads to winning baseball.”

Espin, named a co-MVP of the tournament with teammate Joseph Sarrubbo – they are both sophomores at St. Joseph of Metuchen –  said he was fully aware the game could hinge on his performance. 

“It was definitely an incredibly emotional moment,” Espin said. “It’s an electric atmosphere, championship game and the only thing I’m thinking is, ‘You gotta do it for your boys. They’re relying on you to get those strikeouts.’ In my mind, it’s, ‘I’m better than you, you can’t touch me.’ That’s all I’m thinking about.”

Espin struck out six in two innings and allowed one run on two hits and one walk. Sarrubbo, his classmate and teammate, had an RBI sacrifice fly in the final and went 4-for-9 with a double, a triple, six RBI and six runs scored in Double Major’s 5-0 tournament run.

Both players emphasized how chemistry played an important role not only in the championship but in the team remaining unbeaten.

“We all know we have each other’s back,” Sarrubbo said. “Everyone has that brotherhood. And Coach Carlos has been coaching us since 10U. He’s been with us awhile and that helps a lot. It’s really big.”

Double Major defeated Diamond Jacks White, 8-3, Iron Nine White, 14-0, and Wladyka American, 10-2, in pool play, then knocked off Tucci Elite, 11-2, in the semifinals.

The team’s undefeated record is a testament to balanced baseball. The team has allowed only 22 runs in 12 games. Only twice this season has Double Major had to play from behind after its first at bat. 

Double Major’s John Espin, left, and Joseph Sarrubbo were named Grand Slam co-MVPs.

“I stay on them and I’m always telling them that the next one is the most important one,” Ruiz said when asked how the team avoids complacency. “Whatever happens, whether good or bad, our last game doesn’t matter anymore. We have to flip the page and continue to push forward.”

Bucks County earned the top seed and a bye into the final by running  through its pool play 3-0, beating Pro Skills, 10-2, Diamond Jacks Gold, 14-1, and Double Major Gold, 13-0. 

But Bucks County pitching could not rest against any portion of the Double Major Black lineup. All 12 batters either reached safely or drove in a run. 

Double Major’s first two batters opened the game with some fireworks, as Garcia doubled and Colin Gill tripled to give the lead. Sarrubbo added a sac fly in the inning for a 2-0 lead. 

Bucks County responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning. Ryan Sanocki scored on a wild pitch and Jake Gardyasz smoked a 1-2, two-out pitch into center field for a two-run single and a 3-2 lead. 

Double Major retook the lead at 4-3 in the second on a pair of sac flies from Rocco Macchio and No. 11 batter Jaydon Alemany. 

Double Major, averaging nearly nine runs per game this fall, began to pile on in the third. Connor Gill singled to left to score Garcia. Maximus Rodriguez followed with another RBI single to score Espin, and Gill scored on an outfield overthrow on the same play for a 7-3 lead.

This is where Espin’s mound presence enters the picture. 

In the bottom of the third, the Generals got a two-run single from Ryan Sanocki to cut their four-run deficit in half. Waylon Kerrigan walked and both runners advanced on a passed ball. 

Espin relieved Garcia and struck out three straight batters to squash any Bucks County hopes of an extended rally. 

Thanks to the bottom third of the batting order, Double Major added two more runs in the fourth when No. 12 batter Mateo Matusz singled to center to drive in Mason Vindman and Alemany. 

A brief Bucks County rally in the bottom of the fourth, in which Logan Cruz had an RBI single, was cut short. With two on and the tying run at the plate with one out, Espin got the final two outs with strikeouts. 

“In those situations, the mentality has to be, ‘I’m better than you and you’re not gonna touch my stuff,’ because I’m confident in what I can do,” Espin said. “That sounds cocky but that’s the mindset you have to have. If you think like that then you’ll perform like that.”