Hammers Black 10U went unbeaten and outscored the opposition 50-9 to win the Home Run Classic.
By Rich Bevensee
There was no clear cut answer when it came to determining the strongest aspect of the Hammers Black 10U baseball club this spring.
One player said “hitting” was the key last week when the team won a Ripken Baseball tournament down in Aberdeen, Maryland, while the coach said “defense.”
This weekend the Hammers were at it again, and one player said it was “chemistry,” while the coach said “training” was the reason.
No matter what aspect of the Hammers’ game is the best, it became abundantly clear over the last two days that the Middletown, N.J.-based ballclub has very few weak spots.
The Hammers went undefeated in four games, outscored the opposition by 40 runs, and subdued the Diamond Jacks 10U, 12-4, in the 10U championship game at the Home Run Classic Powered by Victus on Sunday at Diamond Nation in Flemington.
“We’ve been training for a long time,” said Jack Cepiel, who went 2-for-3 with four RBI in the final. “At Ripken, we were just hitting, hitting, hitting, but I wouldn’t say it’s our best part. Our pitching and defense is pretty good, too.”
Cepiel, the Most Valuable Player at the Ripken tournament, was one of five players to drive in runs against the Diamond Jacks. Kyle Godbout, who went 2-for-2 with a walk and two RBI in the final, earned the 10U Home Run Classic MVP award.
Godbout’s explanation for the Hammers’ success this spring was more cerebral than technical.
“I like how everyone is very friendly and we work as a team,” Godbout said. “Everyone is picking each other up. After one person makes a mistake, it’s never like it’s going into more mistakes.”
Hammers coach Joe Cepiel said Godbout’s hitting this weekend was phenomenal and emerged among a handful of standout performers.
“Kyle hit like you wouldn’t believe, played good defense, and he’s the fastest kid I’ve ever seen,” Cepiel said. “That’s Kyle. He’s like that every week.”
Godbout said good old fashioned hard work has allowed him to shine at the plate.
“I did a lot of training over the winter,” Godbout said. “My dad (John Godbout) throws me BP, and at the park I hit off the tee a lot. I practice daily. My dad, he’s my best coach, except for my hitting coaches.”
The Hammers went to work on the Diamond Jacks early, notching a 2-0 lead when Cepiel’s two-run single slipped through the left side in the bottom of the first inning.
Kyle Godbout of Hammers Black 10U was named 10U Home Run Classic MVP.
The host Diamond Jacks responded with four runs bridging the second and third innings. Jack Tiger’s RBI single in the third gave his team a short-lived 4-2 lead.
In the bottom of the third, the Hammers exploded for six runs on four hits and a walk for an 8-4 lead. The first five batters reached, while Godbout, Cepiel, James Magliozzo, Johnny Werner (two RBI) and Javier Lao all drove in a run.
In the fourth, the Hammers pounded the ball some more, scoring four runs on two hits, two walks and a hit batsman. Godbout, Cepiel and Magliozzo drove in single runs in that frame to build a 12-4 lead.
Werner, who came on in relief of Lao in the third, pitched 2⅓ scoreless innings and allowed one hit and two walks and struck out one.
“We’ve been on a run. We just came back from a Ripken victory and we qualified for the USABL World Series, which is great,.” said Werner. “Hitting, pitching, fielding – it’s all been there. All around, the offense can click but we can’t win without defense and pitching. The team never gives up, they fight to the end, they all work hard and they deserve this.”
The Diamond Jacks finished the weekend 2-2. They lost to the Hammers, 6-4, to open the tournament, then beat Sandlot Baseball Academy 10U-Davis twice to earn a berth in the final and a rematch against the Hammers.
Tiger, John Lyons, Michael Botti and Joe Sullivan were the only Diamond Jacks to record a base hit in the championship game.