Steven Styles of Independence smiles back at Maru Lee as he rounds first after hitting three-run HR.
By Sean Reilly
Maru Lee visited Diamond Nation for the first time this week, having been one of the players selected to compete at the 12U All-Ripken Games.
He loved the experience of competing at the complex, and bonding with teammates on the Independence team who were strangers until they all arrived on Monday.
There was just one problem for Lee, who hails from the Philadelphia area, over the first three games in Flemington he was having bad luck at that plate.
That continued into a Thursday morning matchup against the Guardians.
Lee came to the plate with the bases loaded in the top of the first, and hit a ball to deep left field that could have wound up a grand slam if not for a catch by Ryan Foti.
He came up again in the third inning, and this time hit a three-run home run over the fence in center, the biggest blow in a 9-3 win for his team to complete play in the tournament.
Andrew D’Augustine leads off first base for Independence.
To make it even better, Lee pitched the final three innings, allowing no runs on one hit, with five strikeouts and one walk.
“I think they have a really good facility here,” he said. “I made new friends and I had a good time. This game was fun. I was in a huge hitting slump. I didn’t have a hit this whole tournament. But I almost hit one out in the other at-bat, so I knew it was going to come.”
Independence scored twice in the first inning prior to the near-home run by Lee that instead was the third out.
Connor O’Brien walked with one out, stole second and moved to third on a single by Jason Murawski. The next batter was Cole O’Brien, who hit a grounder to third. A throw went toward the plate, which set off a long run down involving Connor O’Brien, who wound up returning safely to third.
With the bases now loaded, Ryan Metzger delivered the first of his three RBI with a one-run single to left. Andrew D’Augustine followed with a run-scoring walk.
The Guardians tied the game by scoring once in the first and second innings.
Bryce McCarty led off the first with a double to left center and moved to third before a walk to Cole Espen. Seth Olczak then hit an RBI single to center.
Maxwell Stimson hit a one-out home run to center in the second for a 2-2 tie.
Independence broke the contest open with a five-run third.
The rally began with Murawski leading off and being hit by a pitch. Cole O’Brien drew a walk, and the runners advanced to second and third on a double steal. Metzger followed with a go-ahead sacrifice fly to right field. D’Augustine hit an RBI single to left, and Steven Styles also reached on a single.
That put men on first and second for Lee, and with a 0-1 count, he sent the next pitch over the fence in center for a 7-2 lead.
Maxwell Stimson (51) is surrounded by teammates after hitting home run for the Guardians.
“That felt great,” he said.
The Guardians scored a run in the bottom of the third, with Olczak hitting a one-out home run to right center.
Independence extended their lead in the fourth. Connor O’Brien led off with a home run to left field. Cole O’Brien was hit by a pitch with one out, moved to second on a wild pitch and stole third before scoring on Metzger’s groundout to shortstop.
Lee took over the pitching duties in the bottom of the inning, allowing only two baserunners over his three frames, with one of them caught stealing.
“I had my release point today,” he said. “I was throwing fastballs and changeups.”
Among the other standouts for Independence was Dylan Galgon, who went 2-for-3, with two singles and a ball which fell into center field, but resulted in a force at second.
Olczak and Stimson both finished with two hits apiece for the Guardians.