Max Gunter slides home safely for Gap2Gap during his team’s six-run rally in the third inning.
By Rich Bevensee
Winning can sure take the sting out of a disappointing weekend of tournament baseball, especially when that win is a come-from-behind effort before heading home.
Jackson Wilks and his Gap2Gap 12U Blue teammates refused to quit after dropping three straight games to open the Memorial Day Classic at Diamond Nation in Flemington. And they definitely didn’t fold after falling into an early hole in their fourth and final game.
With Wilks holding Bucks County Generals Red to a single run over his three innings of work, Gap2Gap made its comeback and turned a sour start into a 9-6 victory on Sunday morning at ‘The Nation.’
“It’s pretty hard to come back but you have to try to not give up and keep going, because there’s always the goal of winning,” said Nick Buechere, who led Gap2Gap with two hits.
Gap2Gap made the most of its fourth and final game at ‘The Nation’ after dropping those three straight games. Facing deficits of 3-0 and 4-1 to start the game, Gap2Gap broke through with a six-run third inning to take a 7-4 lead.
“It’s really important to teach kids at this age to not give up,” Gap2Gap coach Alex Baez said. “This generation, they can get emotional at times, and those are the times where they need to get over the hump and to keep them positive and smiling. These kids worked hard over the winter so I just reminded them to keep their composure.”
Bennett Reyes is greeted by his BC Generals teammates after hitting a leadoff HR in the first.
Gap2Gap rebounded from a slow start with a balanced offense in which 11 of 12 batters reached base and eight players scored at least one run. Wilks, Max Gunter and Jackson Hurren each drove in a run.
Wilks came on to pitch for Gap2Gap starter Jackson Hurren in the top of the third and allowed one run on a hit and a wild pitch as the Generals led 4-1.
In the bottom of the third, Gap2Gap pushed two runners to second and third before both scored on a ground ball error hit by leadoff man Joe Rogan. Max Gunter tied the game with an RBI single which landed just beyond third base and just inside the left field line. And Wilks gave his club a 5-4 lead by scoring on another infield error.
Gap2Gap scored two more runs for a 7-4 lead, when Gunter scored on a wild pitch and Hurren added a sacrifice fly.
Gap2Gap increased its margin with a pair of runs in the fourth when Buechere scored on a wild pitch and Wilks slapped an RBI single.
Wilks kept his end of the deal with a pair of shutout innings. He finished his work by allowing one run in three innings on one hit and one walk and he struck out one.
“I gotta’ remember to put the ball in play and trust my defense in order to win the game, because since we were losing we want to keep the score where it is so we can come back,” Wilks said. “It’s hard to pitch when that happens but I remembered to keep the ball low. My changeup and slurve were more effective than most days. I felt great waking up in the morning. I was like, we’re going to win these games.”
The Generals added a pair of runs in the top of the sixth in their last at bat – Zach Charlier had a sacrifice fly and Ryan Agnew blasted a solo home run – but the rally came up short.
The Generals seemed to be cruising in the first couple innings, leaping out to a 3-0 lead. In the first, leadoff man Bennett Reyes hit an 0-2 pitch over the right field fence for an opposite field, solo homer, and Milo Miller also went the opposite way for an RBI single to right.
The Generals added another run in the second on James Bogle’s RBI single. Gap2Gap broke through with its first run in the bottom of the frame when Arev Choski scored on a wild pitch.