Lucas Rehr tripled, singled and drove in four runs for the Hitmen.
By Rich Bevensee
Being a member of the BuxMont Hitmen 15U baseball team doesn’t mean every player is automatically an offensive threat.
But the young men who fill coach Dan Frey’s roster have been on such a tear at the plate the last few weeks that through their hard work they have become the personification of their nickname, and then some.
Continuing their scorching offensive surge into this week, the Hitmen raced past Sportika National and the Rotten Boys on Tuesday by a combined score of 22-3 and earned the second seed for the 15U playoffs at the Super Top 25 Showcase Series at Diamond Nation in Flemington.
The Hitmen (19-4-1) will carry a six-game win streak into their 15U semifinal against third-seeded RCS Warpath Gold at 12:15 p.m. on Wednesday. Top-seeded KBC Phillies SJ will take on fourth seed Stampede Select in the other semi at 2:15 p.m., and the championship game is at 4:30 p.m.
BuxMont, a blend of players from Bucks and Montgomery County and based in Warrington, Pa., belted three triples in the first inning alone in the nightcap while racing to a 5-0 lead against the Rotties in what eventually became a 13-0 decision in four innings.
Earlier in the day BuxMont defeated Sportika, 9-3.
Lucas Rehr, who went 2-for-2 with a triple and four RBI in the nightcap, said the team’s work ethic has led to this point, which is that the Hitmen have outscored their last 14 opponents by a staggering 110-35 margin.
“The work we put in is unmatched,” said Rehr, a rising 6-2 sophomore at Central Bucks South in Warrington. “We just work, work and work, and we do stuff on our own, not just with the team. I think that’s what’s really helping. We’re just a working team.”
BuxMont leadoff hitter Nate Hammond walked, smashed a two-run triple in the second inning to fuel a seven-run rally and added a fielder’s choice RBI in the nightcap.
Frey said many of the players on the current roster have been on the team since their 13U season. Hammond joined the program last spring and immediately noticed how chemistry affected the team’s performance.
“Once I joined this team for the 14U season I think we formed a bond right away,” said Hammond, a rising 5-11 sophomore at Wissahickon High in Ambler, Pa. “We’ve always been a hitting team. We all played ball for school, and our first practice back together we were all hitting really well, so I knew that we could hit.”
Marcus Morrison leads off first and eventually scores in the third inning for BuxMont.
Frey said another reason why the team has caught fire of late is that this summer’s schedule included games in 16U and 17U tournaments. These tests, Frey said, toughened his players for when they returned to competition against their own age group.
“Not only do we try to get them in front of college recruiting so they can see what it takes to play at the higher level, but I think the boys are definitely comfortable in the box coming back down to our age group and they have the confidence against any pitcher,” Frey said.
Among other Hitmen with big hits in the Rotties game, Trip Cantore smacked a two-run triple, Owen Frey had an RBI triple, and Evan Hutchison had a double. Matthew Geiger and Corey Merz both contributed RBI singles.
In all, the Hitmen knocked five extra base hits, and eight players in the 11-man lineup recorded at least one hit and scored one run.
Seems like hitting is contagious with this group.
“Let’s say you’re in a slump, you get a double and now you’re hot, and it goes down the lineup,” Rehr said. “They’re feeling confident. One guy sees the first guy do it and they want to follow. They get some confidence and they want to contribute. They can go up there loose and have some fun.”
“Not only are we all putting in the work, the energy is unmatched,” Hammond said. “I don’t think I’ve seen a team that has come in with hotter energy than we have.”
What shouldn’t get lost in all the talk about the offense is that BuxMont pitching held the Rotties to a single base hit, and that didn’t come until there were two outs in the top half of the fourth and final inning.
Frey pitched two shutout innings and struck out one. Jacob Brown threw one inning and gave up just one walk. In the fourth, Rehr struck out two, then yielded one hit and one walk before retiring the side.