Rebels catcher Declan Kerr tags out the Aces’ Dylan Mitchell at home in the second inning.
By Rich Bevensee
While on slightly different paths, right-handers Cole Marshall and Aidan Cugini are two of the best pitchers in the PA Rebels program.
Marshall is the grinder with men on base who relies on his defense to finish the job. Cugini is an outstanding two-way player who loves to hit but is projected by his coaches as a pitcher-only.
On Tuesday morning at Diamond Nation in Flemington, both young men showed why the Rebels love having them on the mound
Marshall pitched out of a few jams and allowed just three runs over six innings, while Cugini went 3-for-3 with four RBI and then pitched a scoreless inning of relief. Together they paced PA Rebels 2028 Regional to a 7-3 pool play win over Allentown Aces 16U in the 16U Super Top 25 showcase event at ‘The Nation.’
The top four teams in the 10-team bracket were to square off in the semifinals at 12:15 p.m. and 2:15 p.m. on Wednesday. The championship was to follow at 4:30 p.m. The 10 teams earned a bid to the Super 25 by finishing among the top five teams in one of five showcase events this summer at ‘The Nation.’
The Rebels went 1-0-1 in the event, tying Wow Factor Nation NJ 16U Scout, 4-4. The Aces went 0-2, bowing to Hustle Baseball, 5-4, earlier in the day.
It was difficult not to notice Cugini at bat, as he drove in four of his team’s seven runs. A rising junior at Bayard Rustin in West Chester, Pa., Cugini walked in the top of the first inning and had a two-out, two-run single to right in the third to give the Rebels a 3-0 lead.
He singled to left in the sixth inning and he lined another two-out, two-run single to center in the seventh to give the Rebels a 7-3 cushion.
And yet, there seems to be other plans for the 6-foot, 185-pound right-hander.
“The funny thing is, he POs a lot,” Rebels coach Dan King said. “But yeah, he can swing it.”
King said it’s his prerogative to put Cugini in the batting lineup.
“He lives in my neighborhood and the kid can hit,” said King, who resides in Pleasant Grove. “I want kids who want to play and he wants to play. I love him as an all around player.”
Cugini said he feels he is equally talented as a hitter and as a pitcher. To his credit, he said he would steer away from hitting if it meant a better opportunity to be recruited for college baseball as a pitcher.
“I think I’m more projectable as a pitcher,” Cugini said. “Honestly I want to leave my options open. As a two way, I feel I’m more athletic, which helps me with pitching. It doesn’t hurt me. Whatever the best offer I can get is going into college. I’m willing to do anything to be on the best team I possibly can and help the squad.”
Cugini came on in the seventh in relief of Marshall and walked the first batter before inducing a ground ball that second baseman Brayden Morgan turned into a double play. Cugini got an infield popup to end the game.
Marshall, a rising junior at Avon Grove in West Grove, Pa., pitched a shutout through his first three innings, he escaped a bases-loaded jam in the fourth by giving up just one run, and was the beneficiary of three very special defensive plays.
“I like to say when everything goes the worst is when I’m at my best,” Marshall said. “Once in a game something will go wrong and you always have to prepare yourself for that. It makes you a better player because you push through tough times. When things are easy it’s easy, but when it’s hard that’s when the real players show out.”
Using a fastball, curveball and changeup, Marshall surrendered three runs in six innings on 10 hits and no walks with seven strikeouts.
He gave up a run in the bottom of the fourth on four consecutive base hits, the fourth a one-out RBI single by Mark Shafer. With the bases still loaded he induced an infield popup and a strikeout to escape further damage.
“Cole’s a bulldog,” King said. “He’s always around the zone and he doesn’t elevate much unless it’s a high fastball. He keeps everything down low. He’s a dog.”
Marshall said the formula is simple for slipping out of those jams. He thrives on those types of situations, and he trusts his defense to make plays.
The Rebels’ Aidan Cugini slugs his second two-run single of the game in the seventh inning.
“I’m not thinking about baserunners at all,” Marshall said. “Ideally, I’m trying to get a weak pop out to the infield. A strikeout would be great, but just something that doesn’t advance any runners and allows my defense to make a play. I trust my defense a lot.”
And speaking of the Rebels defense, they came through for Marshall more than once.
In the top of the second, Josh Griffith singled to right and made the big turn. Rebels right fielder Evan Brobst fired to first baseman Chase Carter, who relayed to shortstop Sebastian Lopez to nail Griffith trying to stretch his single into a double.
Two batters later, left fielder Ryan Kerns got into the highlight reel with the Rebels protecting a 1-0 lead. With Dylan Mitchell on second, Kerns fielded a Steven Hodge single and threw to third baseman Ryan Carter, who then relayed home to catcher Declan Kerr to get Mitchell trying to score the tying run.
Mitchell would soon experience deja vu.
Third baseman Ryan Carter made another nice play in support of Marshall in the fifth. With Mitchell at third and one out, Alex Day hit a low line drive which Carter snared, then dove back to third to tag Mitchell for the third out.
Since we’re talking about web gems, we have to mention Aces first baseman Mark Shafer. The Rebels’ Chase Carter hit a hard grounder to the right side in the fifth which took a kangaroo hop that would have smashed Carter in the face were it not for his terrific reflexes. Carter quickly replaced his face with his glove and made the play unassisted.
The scoring began when Ryan Carter singled and later scored on a one-out wild pitch for a 1-0 Rebels lead. Cugini made it 3-0 in the third with his first two-run single.
The Aces loaded the bases in the fourth but were only able to manufacture one run, when Shafer plopped a base hit behind first base.
The Rebels made it 4-1 in the sixth when Ryan Carter reached on an infield throwing error and soon scored on a Luke Green single to right.
The Aces jumped right back into the game with two runs in the bottom of the sixth thanks to the bottom of their order. No. 9 hitter Seamus McGinty led off with a double, No. 10 hitter Nick Campana followed with another double to score McGinty, and No. 11 hitter Luke Marrazzo hit a sacrifice fly to plate Campana.
The Rebels, now leading 4-3, added some insurance in the top of the seventh. Kerns walked and scored on Kerr’s triple into the right field corner. Lopez walked before he and Kerr both scored on another Cugini two-run single.
For the Aces, Griffith started the game with one scoreless inning, allowing one walk and striking out one. Mitchell threw five innings in relief, allowing four runs (two earned) on six hits and two walks with two strikeouts.
Garrett Allabach pitched to three batters in the seventh and gave up two runs on one hit and one walk. Jack Marsh relieved Allabach in the seventh and gave up one run on one hit and one walk with two strikeouts.