The 14U Disla Dukes permitted just five runs in four games to claim the Grand Slam championship.
By Rich Bevensee
The roll call for 14U Disla Dukes heroes resembled a revolving door this weekend.
Reliever Connor Rodriguez got the Dukes rolling by slamming the door in the team’s first game of the tournament. Xavier Woodley turned up the temperature on a previously cool bat by hitting .500 and driving in seven runs in four games.
Once the Dukes reached the championship game, two more Dukes took their turn through that revolving door. Connor Schott evolved into the ideal leadoff batter candidate, and right-handed pitcher Madden Castillo exemplified coolness under pressure.
With all these ingredients coming together on the first weekend of October, the Dukes were aiming for nothing less than a tournament title.
In the 14U Grand Slam championship game, Schott went 4-for-4 with two doubles, Woodley was 3-for-3 with five RBI and Madden authored a brilliant complete game in propelling the Dukes to an 8-1 victory over the Philly Bandits on Sunday at Diamond Nation in Flemington.
The Dukes’ pitching and defense allowed just five runs in four games on their unbeaten path to claiming the tournament crown. That pitching staff included Rodrguez, Schott, Spencer Friedman, Montez Betances, Luis Quintero and Johnny Batista.
“I’m gonna be honest, when we first started the season I knew we had some good arms, but what really made a difference is we meshed very well and got close this season, and they all did their individual work and that helped a lot,” coach Jeff Disla said.
Woodley and Rodriguez were named co-MVPs of the tournament.
Woodley batted .500 for the tournament with a double, a triple, five walks, seven RBI and six runs scored.
It was a welcome return to offensive production for the Dukes’ No. 3 hitter, who wasn’t so confident at the plate when the fall began.
“I’ve been a little cold recently but this weekend was definitely a breakthrough,” Woodley said. “I just worked harder and trusted all the work I’ve been putting in. The first game definitely got me going. After that it was a snowball effect. Now I feel like I’m on top of the world. I feel like I can hit any ball that’s thrown at me.”
Rodriguez first stepped into the spotlight this weekend in the team’s first pool game against the always-dangerous Out Of The Park Cyclones. The Dukes were clinging to a 4-2 lead and the Cyclones loaded the bases with two out in the bottom of the sixth inning. Disla called on Rodriguez to close it out, and he responded with a swinging strikeout to clinch the win.
Rodriguez also allowed one run over five innings in beating Diamond Jacks Gold, 5-1, in the semifinals.
At the plate Rodriguez went 4-for-11 this weekend with three doubles and four RBI. He belted a pair of RBI doubles in the championship game.
“I work on my hitting at Elite Diamond Performance (in East Hanover) and I bring what I learn to the cage every day,” Rodriguez said. “I think I’m more focused as a pitcher because I can perform under pressure, but I’m not ready to be a pitcher-only yet.”
In the final against the Bandits, Castillo used his four-seam fastball and curveball to scatter five hits and four walks over seven innings and 96 pitches. He also struck out three and called it his best outing of the fall season.
“What helps Madden is he’s a kid who doesn’t really care,” Disla said. “He knows how to turn the page, so if he gets hit a couple times, he can turn the page and can stay even.”
Connor Rodriguez, left, and Xavier Woodley shared MVP honors for the 14U Disla Dukes.
Schott, filling in for the Dukes’ usual leadoff man on Sunday, set the pace every time he picked up his bat in the championship game. He led off the game with a double to ignite a three-run rally. In the second inning he singled and scored to help the Dukes pad their lead to 5-0.
Schott led off the fourth with another double and scored one of two runs in the inning as the Dukes stretched their lead to 7-0. In the sixth he singled and scored once more.
“We had a guy missing today and I thought he would be a good player for setting the tone early,” Disla said.
“I was excited about taking the leadoff spot because I can help start the game hot on the offensive side,” Schott said. “I try to make a slight adjustment, stay back and hit line drives.”
Schott also chipped in with solid relief pitching. He threw 1⅔ scoreless innings with three strikeouts and two walks.
The Dukes kick-started their offense with some help from the Bandits’ shaky fielding, scoring five runs across the first two innings on six hits, two walks and four infield errors.
In the first, Schott led off with a double, Castillo reached on an error and they both scored on a Woodley double to left. Woodley later scored on an infield throwing error.
In the second, Woodley drove in Spencer Friedman and Schott with a two-run single to right for a 5-0 Dukes lead.
The lead grew to 7-0 in the fourth after Schott led off with a double. Woodley laced an RBI single to right and Rodriguez hammered the first of his two RBI doubles.
The Bandits spoiled Castillo’s shutout bid in the bottom of the fourth when Ben Brugler singled, moved to second on Declan McKeon’s walk and scored on a Bixby Starke triple into the right-center gap. Brugler finished 2-for-3.
Disla capped off its scoring in the sixth when Schott rapped a one-out single and scored from second on a Rodriguez double.
For Philly, Frankie Hinchey pitched one inning and allowed five runs (two earned) on six hits and one walk. Kenny Day permitted two earned runs in three innings on four hits and one walk.
Nolan Ockenhouse pitched two innings and allowed one run on two hits and one walk with one strikeout. Casey Stout pitched a scoreless seventh inning.